Thrown into a paroxysm of rage and violence by the arrest of five Al Qaeda suspects, followers of the Religion of Peace� in Malawi indulged themselves with a second day of rioting, vandalizing Catholic churches and attacking priests.

Witnesses said mobs attacked churches and Christian priests in a second day of rioting in the lakeside resort district of Mangochi, 120 miles northeast of the commercial capital Blantyre.

Malawi’s sizeable Muslim minority was outraged by unconfirmed reports that U.S. security officials taken the five suspected Islamic militants out of the country on Tuesday with Malawi’s approval before they could appear in court.

The government dispatched troops to restore order and President Bakili Muluzi, himself a Muslim, said he would not tolerate religious violence. …

Witnesses said at least six churches had been vandalized and three people injured. There was reports that the homes of local priests had been looted.

“Our Muslim brothers were marching against the extradition of…al Qaeda suspects. We had nothing against their march. But what has amazed us is that they are attacking our churches,” Father Mathews Likambale of the Mangochi Parish told Reuters by telephone on Saturday.

“They also stopped a Catholic priest who was driving in their direction, pulled him out of the car, overturned it and then torched it. The priest escaped unhurt after being whisked away by sympathizers,” Likambale said.