Except on the 8th of January 2010, that image was shattered as home-made firebombs set the corner section of the shoplots ablaze, severely damaging the building and its interior.
What made that building (and specifically that lot) special was that it was a large, prominent church in the Desa Melawati neighbourhood.
According to one of the church members, Metro Tabernacle has a membership of 1700 and they have occupied that particular spot for the past 12 years. There have been no significant incidences prior to this.
This church was the first to become embroiled in a controversy revolving around the usage of the word, "Allah" in the Christian context.
Religious fanatics, displeased with the court ruling that allowed The Herald to use the word, employed terrorist methods in an attempt to intimidate.
It came at a price for Metro Tabernacle. The damage is estimated to run into more than a million ringgit. The members have been forced to relocate for their regular services.
Heaps of expensive equipment was damaged beyond repair.
But I suspect even *that* was not as damaging as knowing that someone - a fellow Malaysian - could needlessly and heartlessly destroy the place you once regarded as home merely because he disagreed with you.
Or because it served a political purpose.
5 comments:
some members of that church are circulating mails that they actually benefited from the fire....
Zewt,
True. T'was a blessing in disguise indeed made possible with the 'unsolicited' arsonist(s)!
But that's another story for another time, perhaps sooner, if possible.
Meanwhile, we also noticed that the PDRM forensics team were rather cavalier in their investigations. The concrete slabs covering the drain section in front of the church was not dislodged for evidence search.
Hmmm .. what they find/see is what they see/find. No sweat.
8 arson suspects were arrested & the 1st ONE was badly burnt !
who paid them to destroy churches !!??
which non-muslims BERANI cukup to destroy suraus !!??
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