KAULA LUMPUR: Three Malaysian churches have been targeted with firebombs, leaving one badly damaged, in an escalating dispute over the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims.

Muslim groups angry over the use of “Allah” as a translation for the Christian God held small protests outside at least two mosques in the capital today, but plans for mass nationwide demonstrations did not materialise.

Police deployed officers to patrol churches and mosques across the country after a church in suburban Kuala Lumpur was set ablaze in a midnight attack that gutted its ground floor.

Molotov cocktails were thrown into the compounds of two other churches in pre-dawn raids, but did not cause serious damage.

Prime Minister Najib Razak condemned the attacks which he said could destroy racial harmony in Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country with ethnic Chinese and Indian communities which has seen racial conflict in the past.

“As a multiracial community we must practice respect for one another... it cannot come under threat from anybody,” he told state media, pledging action to prevent any further incidents.

Police chief Musa Hassan said officers were deployed to monitor churches nationwide after the fire-bombings as well as phone threats to other places of worship.

“We don’t know if all three

attacks were isolated or linked, we are still investigating, the

modus operandi was different at all three incidents,” he told a press conference.

Tensions were heightened last week when the High Court ruled in favour of the Catholic “Herald” newspaper which has used “Allah” as a translation for “God” in its Malay-language section. In a long-running legal battle, the government has argued the word should be used only by Muslims.

The ruling was suspended

on Wednesday pending an appeal, after the government

argued the decision could cause racial conflict.

The attack was on three-storey Metro Tabernacle church, part of the Assemblies of God movement, leaving its ground floor a charred and twisted wreck.

Several hours later, the Catholic Church of the Assumption in Kuala Lumpur’s southwest was targeted, parish priest Philip Muthu said.

“I was awoken by men riding on motorcycles who threw a kerosene bomb into the church compound,” he told AFP, adding that the fire damaged part of the grounds.

A Molotov cocktail was also thrown into the front porch of the nearby protestant Life Chapel church.

“The bomb damaged the wall and plants in the area but thankfully no one was injured,” said church elder Wong Sai Wong.