BUSINESS DAY, 25 Aug 05 20:00
Muslim militants close 23 Indonesian churches
AFP
JAKARTA – At least 23 Christian churches in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim
country, have been closed over the past year by Islamic militants with backing from
local authorities, a Christian leader said on Thursday.
Islamic hardline groups have accused Christians of trying to convert Muslims and
illegally converting buildings into places of worship, said Weinata Sairin, deputy
secretary general of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI).
The groups, including one calling itself the Movement Against Apostasy, have forcibly
closed 23 churches in West Java province since September last year, Sairin said.
Sairin said Christians had used houses and shops for religious services because
government regulations made it difficult for Christians, who are a minority in Indonesia,
to build churches.
"The regulations require us to obtain permission from local people and it is difficult
because the majority of people are not Christians," Sairin said.
"Do we have to stop practising our religion just because we don't have permits to build
churches? Religious service must not stop."
Sairin said the actions against churches involved local police and officials who forced
church officials to sign documents declaring the closures.
He said most neighbours had no objections to the churches and those opposed were
from other geographical areas.
PGI secretary general Andreas Yewangoe met Indonesian President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono on Tuesday to raise the issue and the president urged Religion Minister
Maftuh Basyuni to investigate, he said.
A leader of the militant Islamic Defenders’ Front, Ahmad Sobri, admitted that his
group was involved in closing down the houses-cum-churches but said their work was
peaceful and did not involve intimidation.
"They didn't have permission from local people but they insisted [on opening the
churches]," Sobri was quoted as saying by the Detikcom news Web site.
"There are only one or two Christians in those areas. There are many other empty
churches and they can join their congregations," he reportedly said, accusing
Christian activists of trying to convert Muslims. PGI’s Sairin denied the allegations.
"A church is not a place to convert people from other religions. It is a place to educate
its congregation about becoming good Christians," he said.
Moderate Muslim leaders, including former president Abdurrahman Wahid, have
condemned the church closures.
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