A Malaysian court sentenced two Muslim brothers to five years in prison today for torching a Christian church during the height of a dispute over whether non-Muslims could use the word Allah to refer to God.

The firebombing was the first in an unprecedented string of arson attacks and vandalism at places of worship last January that threatened to undo decades of religious harmony in the Muslim-majority country. Eleven churches, a Sikh temple, three mosques and two Muslim prayer rooms were assaulted before the tensions abated.

Two ethnic Malay brothers in their 20s were arrested and placed on trial for the 8 January attack, which partially gutted a Protestant church. The attack, which did not injure anyone, came days after some Muslims were angered by a court verdict that allowed Christians to use the word Allah in Malay-language publications.

Komathy Suppiah, a Kuala Lumpur district court judge, convicted both suspects of “mischief by fire” with the intention of destroying a place of worship. They had faced a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, but Suppiah sentenced them to five years each.

“You have shamed the society and country … The message from this court must be loud and clear: Don’t play with fire,” Suppiah told the men.

The Reverend Hermen Shastri, an official with the Council of Churches of Malaysia, praised the court’s decision.

“This serves as a reminder to all citizens of the country that violence against religious places – be it whatever religion – will not be tolerated,” Shastri told the Associated Press. “This is a clear signal that basically the majority of Malaysians are peace-loving.”

   »»» guardian.co.uk

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