Radical Muslims attacks churches in Indonesia rising

JAKARTA, Monday 26 July 2010 (AFP) - Indonesian human rights activists on Monday urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to investigate attacks on Christian churches, which they say have increased in the last two years.

From January to July, there were 28 cases of religious freedom violations by "intolerant groups targeting Christians," up from 17 for the whole of 2008 and 18 in 2009, the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace said in a report.

Based on reports by churches and the media, the violations -- mostly by radical Muslim groups -- include forced closure of churches, revocation and delays in issuing building permits, and attacks such as torching and damaging churches, the institute said.

INDONESIA - CHURCH ARSON THREATENS COMMUNITY RELATIONS IN PADANG LAWAS

Two churches and a pastor's house were set on fire by a mob of up to 1,000 Muslims in Sibuhuan, Padang Lawas regency, North Sumatra on 22 January. There were no fatalities, but hundreds of Christians fled their homes to avoid possible attacks. At the time of writing no one had been arrested.

The arson attack was the culmination of a dispute between the two communities over the use by local Christians of buildings not registered as churches. According to local police, the two buildings, which have been reduced to ashes, were considered "places of prayer" rather than "churches", as they did not have the necessary permits, a claim denied by the church leaders.

This is apparently the first time such attacks have happened in this area, where substantial Muslim and Christian populations live alongside each other. The Muslim community is reported to be "tired of seeing too many faithful and too many prayers".

A North Sumatra Police spokesman reported that, at meetings following the arson attacks, the Padang Lawas administration, local agencies and religious leaders have "all agreed the financial losses caused by the attacks will be covered and that neutral locations would be provided for Christians to rebuild the churches".

Source: barnabas fund

Spate of anti-Christian attacks

West Java has witnessed a spate of anti-Christian attacks in the last few months. In December 2009, at Islamic New Year, thousands of demonstrators stormed a church in Bekasi regency, setting objects on fire. On 31 December the authorities in East Bekasi, under the influence of hard-line Muslim groups, ordered a large church to stop its services and other activities. On 3 January 2010 hundreds of residents of the North Tambun sub-district prevented members of another church from taking part in services. In Bogor Regency Muslims took to the streets to protest against the building of a permanent church.

But incidents of intimidation and violence have been reported from other parts of Indonesia too, particularly from areas where militant Islamist groups are present and active. On 21 January, under pressure from such groups, the authorities ordered a church in Sepatan, in the Tangerang district of Banten province, to stop its services. The next day two Protestant churches and a pastor’s house were set on fire by a Muslim mob in Sibuhuan, in the Padang Lawas regency of North Sumatra. The Muslim community was said to be tired of seeing “too many faithful and too many prayers”. Many Muslims feel threatened by the explosive church growth of the last 50 years; church leaders estimate that Christians may number 15% or even 20% of the population.

Even in some areas where there is no violence, Christians are enduring intense pressure, arising either from government restrictions on religious freedom, or from the extension of Islamic sharia law. A prominent cleric from Indonesia's biggest Muslim organisation has said that sharia law should take precedence over laws passed by the country’s parliament.

Indonesia: Fire of Hatred Burns Again

On Tuesday 27 April hundreds of Muslims descended on a building site belonging to a Christian education foundation in Cibeureum, in the Bogor regency of West Java. They ransacked and set fire to the building, and destroyed other property. Residents claimed that the rioters were from outside the village, which suggests that the attack may have been orchestrated.

Muslim leaders had accused the foundation of reneging on an agreement not to create a Christian education centre in a mainly Muslim area and of planning to build a chapel there. Incited by these reports, Muslim residents took matters into their own hands. A spokeswoman for the foundation denied the rumours, saying that the building was intended as a meeting-place.

Police completely failed to prevent the attack. In the afternoon of the same day the local government directed that construction of the building should be postponed until further notice.

An Indonesian church leader said that acts of destruction and anarchy should not be tolerated. “Isn’t this country based on the law?” he asked. “Why have this country’s people behaved like thugs recently?”