Compass Direct, 23/06/2005
Indonesia: three women arrested, charged
Leaders of 'Happy Sunday' program accused of attempted conversion.
[PHOTO: Dr. Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti and Ratna Bangun]
June 23 (Compass) -- A Muslim council has accused three Indonesian women of
attempting to convert Muslim children. Dr. Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti and Ratna
Bangun were arrested on May 13 and taken to the Indramayu State Prison, where
they await trial.
Dr. Zakaria is the pastor of Gereja Kristen Kemah Daud (GKKD), or Christian Church
of David's Camp, located in the small town of Harguelis, Indramayu district, West
Java.
Church Asked into Public School
In 2003, a public elementary school in nearby Babakan Jati approached the church
staff and asked if they would establish a Christian education program for the school.
After the National Education System Bill became law in June 2003, all public schools
were required to provide religious education for children of religious minorities
attending their schools (see Compass Direct, "A New Twist on Indonesia's
Controversial Education Bill," September 12, 2003.)
The school in Babakan Jati had no means of providing Christian education, and
therefore asked the GKKD church to provide teachers and an appropriate program.
The Christian students would then be evaluated at the end of each semester and given
the required marks in their school reports.
The women of the GKKD church set up a "Happy Sunday" program, with Christian
songs, games and Bible study for the children. The program was run by Bangun and
Pangesti, under the direction of their pastor, Zakaria.
Program Attracts Muslim Attention
After running for approximately 18 months, the number of children attending the
program had grown to 40 -- but only 10 were from Christian homes.
The Muslim children attended the popular program with the full consent of their
parents. Some of them began to sing Christian songs at school and at home, and this
attracted the attention of Islamic elders who, in December 2004, forced the church to
close.
The women then continued to run the Happy Sunday program from Pangesti's home.
On March 26, they organized an Easter bus tour to the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah,
an amusement park in Jakarta. Each of the participating children was given a t-shirt
displaying the name of the church and the Star of David logo, so that the teachers
could keep track of them during the outing.
The children had also received gifts on other occasions. For example, at Christmas
time each child was given a carry bag.
During the tour, one of the children asked for and received a Bible from one of the
teachers.
Muslim Complaint Leads to Arrests
As a result, Islamic leaders approached church staff and demanded that Muslim
children no longer be allowed to attend the program. A complaint was also made to
the Indramayu District Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) council. As a result, the local
MUI chairman, K. H. Muzakir Mahmud, made an official complaint to the Indramayu
police.
On May 1, a local Islamic leader interviewed four of the Muslim children who had
attended the Happy Sunday program and recorded their answers on video.
The children were asked whether the women had ever offered them money, to which
they responded, "No." However all the children said they had received gifts, and one
told the interviewer that he had asked for and been given a Bible.
On the evening of May 13, the three women were arrested and taken to the police
station for questioning. They were accused of breaching the Child Protection Law,
Chapter 86, No. 23/2002. If convicted, they could be sentenced for up to five years
and fined 1,000,000,000 rupees ($103,600).
Pastor Edward Monijong, the head of the GKKD Synod based in Bandung, West
Java, immediately launched a campaign to secure the women's release. Initially he
contacted former president Abdurahman Wahid, more commonly known as Gus Dur,
who was known for his policy of religious tolerance and now chairs the Islamic group
Nadhlatul Ulama (NU).
Monijong also wrote a letter of appeal to the MUI chairman, Mahmud, asking that the
women be released.
Mahmud, who is also a member of NU, agreed to drop the case.
However, H. Erik Isnaeni, an influential lawyer acting for the MUI Council, refused to
drop the case. He also asked that bail be refused for the women, which meant they
were unable to live at home under house arrest and take care of their own children.
Imprisoned for Their "Protection"
The women were moved from police detention to the Indramayu State Prison on June
1 under the "protection" of the Attorney General's office, to await trial. At press time,
no date had been set for the first court hearing.
One source, who declined to be named, visited the women last week at the prison.
Apart from being "eaten alive by mosquitoes," all three were in good spirits;
apparently many visitors had come to express their support and encouragement.
Bangun has sent her children to live with their grandfather on Sumatra island.
Pangesti and Zakaria's children will also be moved to another location in the near
future to protect them from possible attacks or intimidation during the trial.
Meanwhile, legal assistance has been arranged for the women, and their lawyers are
currently preparing for a trial that could make headlines in a country still clearly
divided along religious lines.
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