The Jakarta Post, April 25, 2006
Religious observance disrupted
Once again members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) succeeded in intimidating
and threatening Christians from conducting their Good Friday worship. This event is
the most important religious observance for all Christians.
But the most virulent, the most intolerant and the worst possible example of
inhumanity toward a peaceful congregation made sure that the congregation of St.
Clara Church in Bekasi were prevented from observing their religious duty.
Times and again this insensitive group of antisocial hooligans trampled the human
rights of Christians -- rights that are supposedly protected by the Indonesian
Constitution. Their intimidation and threats to disrupt peaceful religious observance, I
am certain, broke at least one of the law and order ordinances. The sad thing is that
in "defending Islam" they blatantly broke Allah's own injunction "to let the followers of
the Injeel (Bible) to decide all matters in accordance with the revelations contained
therein".
The police, the guardians of law and order as well as protectors of the people, as we
all have noted over the decades, failed to do their duty. They not only failed to arrest
the intimidators and those who broke the law, but in fact sided with them by advising
the victims to dismantle the tents already put in place and to desist from performing
their most important religious observance.
PAUL E. RANTAU
Singapore
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