3 charged over Malaysia Muslim prayer room attacks

A Malaysian court has charged three teenagers with trying to torch Muslim prayer rooms after attacks on churches in a dispute over the use of the word "Allah" in the Muslim-majority country, an official said Friday.

The minors pleaded not guilty Thursday in a magistrate court in southern Johor state to mischief by fire to destroy two places of worship, Prosecutor Umar Saifuddin Jaafar said.

It brings to 10 the number of people charged with the offense over attacks and vandalism on 11 churches, a Sikh temple, three mosques and two Muslim prayer rooms last month.

If convicted, all face up to 20 years in prison except for the minors, aged 16 and 17. The maximum punishment they face is a stint in a prisoners' school, Umar said. Their case will next be heard on April 6.

Umar declined to identify the teenagers. The Jan. 21 incidents left the prayer rooms with burn marks and other damage.

One of the three was also charged with making a false police report, claiming he saw a suspect run away from the scene, Umar said. That offense usually carries a maximum jail term of six months.

The series of attacks - mostly using firebombs - followed a court ruling that allowed Christians to use the word "Allah" to refer to God in the Malay language. Most of the attacks caused minor damage except at one church, which was partially burned.

The government has appealed the court ruling, arguing that using "Allah" can confuse Muslims into converting. Christians say they have used the word for centuries in their literature.

Some 9 percent of the 28 million Malaysians are Christians. About 60 percent are ethnic Malay Muslims.