KUALA LUMPUR: Firebombs were thrown at three more churches in Malaysia today and another was splashed with black paint, the latest in a series of assaults on Christian houses of worship following a court decision allowing non-Muslims to use “Allah” to refer to God.

Despite the attacks, thousands of Christians nationwide

attended Sunday services and prayed for national unity and an end to the violence.

The unprecedented attacks have set off a wave of disquiet among Malaysia’s minority Christians and strained their ties with the majority Malay Muslims.

About 9 percent of Malaysia’s

28 million people are Christian, most of whom are ethnic

Chinese or Indian.

Muslims make up 60 percent of the population and most of them are ethnic Malays.

Religious minorities have often complained about what they say is institutionalised religious discrimination here.

Today, a Molotov cocktail was hurled at the All Saints Church in Taiping town in central Perak state early in the morning before it opened, said state police chief Zulkifli Abdullah. He told The Associated Press police found

burn marks on the wall but there was no damage to the building. A broken kerosene bottle with an unlit wick was found early today inside the compound of the St Louis Catholic church, also in Taiping, said the Rev. David Lourdes. He said it appeared to be a failed attack.

In southern Malacca state, the outer wall of the Malacca Baptist Church was splashed with black paint, police said.

Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein said a church in Miri town in eastern Sarawak state on Borneo island also reported an arson attempt.

“The situation is under control and the people should not be worried,” he was quoted as

saying by the national Bernama news agency. An aide confirmed his comments but couldn’t give further details.

Four churches were hit by gasoline bombs on Friday and Saturday.

No one was hurt and all suffered little damage, except

the Metro Tabernacle Church. Parishioners there moved services after fire gutted the first floor. The other churches held regular services Sunday.