Indonesia: Christian Churches Under Increasing Attacks by Radical Muslims

By Zenit News
1/14/2011
Zenit News Agency (www.zenit.org)

UN Official Condemns Rising Religious Fanaticism

Among the attacks on Christian places of worship, the Catholic chapel of Christ the King in Desa Blimbing was hit by a homemade bomb. A homemade bomb was also found at a Marian shrine in Prambanan. The Catholic chapel of St. Joseph in Pare was set on fire.

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JAKARTA, Indonesia (Zenit.org) - Christian communities in Indonesia are reporting multiple attacks on churches and places of worship in 2010, while U.N. officials are calling for the cessation of sectarian violence and discriminatory laws that lead to interreligious conflict.

Theophilus Bela, secretary general of the Indonesian Committee on Religion and Peace and president of Jakarta Christian Communication Forum, was part of a delegation last month to the United States to raise awareness of the anti-Christian persecution in his country.

The delegation met with religious leaders, government leaders in the White House, National Security Council, and State Department, and U.N. officials.

Bela noted that Navanethem Pillay, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that attacks on religious minorities in places like Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan and Indonesia should serve as a wake-up call to authorities everywhere to combat rising fanaticism. She underlined the duty of all countries to protect the freedom of religion by eradicating sectarian violence and rooting out discriminatory laws that can lead to conflict.

Assaults

Among the attacks on Christian places of worship, Bela reported that the Catholic chapel of Christ the King in Desa Blimbing was hit by a homemade bomb on Dec. 7.

A homemade bomb was also found at a Marian shrine in Prambanan at the end of November.

The Catholic chapel of St. Joseph in Pare was set on fire on Oct. 12.

On Sept. 11, a group attacked the Catholic parish church "Alleluya" in Tanah Grogot and broke the windows.

Similarly, the windows were broken at St. Bellarminus Catholic School in Jatibening by a mob of radical Muslims on May 7. The next day, the mob returned, but police were able to avert another assault.

The Catholic hospital "Brayat Minula" in Banjarsari was hit with stones, and a window was broken on the same day that Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja, former archbishop of Jakarta, was due to visit for the inauguration of a new building for the institution.

A Catholic chapel in Capar was threatened on Feb. 18 by members of the Muslim Reform Movement.

The Catholic church of St. John the Baptist in Parung was prohibited from celebrating Mass on the feast of the Ascension due to a radical cleric from the local Muslim Ulama Council who often speaks out against the church.

Another radical Muslim cleric closed access to the building site of the Catholic church of St. Mary Immaculate in Kali Deras, halting progress on the construction.

Local authorities closed a place of Catholic pilgrimage in honor of Mary in Desa Jati Mulya due to protests by local Muslims.

Other radical Muslim organizations pressured local authorities to prohibit the celebration of Mass at the Catholic retreat center "Wisma Semadi Klender" in Jakarta, though the decision was later reversed through the intercession of Bela.

Radical Muslims also protested at the rectory of the Catholic parish of St. Mary the Immaculate Heart in Cicurug, and the pastor was forced to sign a letter promising that the house would be only be used as his residence and not for worship.

The Catholic chapel of Rancaekek of the parish of St. Odilia in Cicadas was closed down by local authorities.

Local authorities halted the building of St. Mary Catholic church in Purwakarta due to fear of the local radical Muslim groups.

Protestant churches

Bela's report also included attacks on various Protestant Christian churches over the past year.

This included violence against the Huria Kristen Batak Protestant congregation in Pondok Timur, which was forced to begin celebrating services outdoors on an empty lot after authorities closed and sealed the church in July. The congregation suffered various assaults during their Sunday services, and on Sept. 12, a group of aggressors on motorcycles stabbed a 50-year-old man and beat the pastor over the head.

Bela reported that five Protestant Christian churches were burnt down and demolished, including in some cases the homes of the pastors and workers. Some ten other churches suffered mob attacks with stones, guns or threats by radical Muslim groups. Another 14 churches were closed by local authorities.

The report concluded by stating that there have been more anti-Christian attacks, but without sufficient data on details.

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1 - 10 of 12 Comments

Adonis
1 month ago
Their aim is to remove Israel from the Earth. After Israel in middle east, their aim will be us, Christians. I'm very sick of declining numbers of Christians in Europe. Ironic though. Christianity is root of civilization and culture of Europe.
Fabian
1 month ago
Sorry for my bad english. True story in my country. I don't know why, but these days our lives became harder. We dissapointed because Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono failed to suppress many intolerance acts in our country. It's not true Obama said that Indonesia is "our role model of religious tolerance". My dad in his office told us how his promotion is rejected by his boss because of his religion (Catholics). My mother told the same, no promotion. And my older brother had difficulties on applying for jobs only because he is minority (thanks God, recently he got a job in a Sang Timur Catholic School). There is some people and friends who tolerant toward us, but there is so many people who intolerant. The moderate muslims only became radicals, if properly teached by Islam.
Lilian
2 years ago
I agree with you Rob that Christian nations have the responsibility to defend Christianity and persecuted Christians. With all the blessings bestowed on Christian nations by the Almighty God through the civilization occasioned by the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christe, it is very very sad that these nations no longer care about Christianity. Well, they must choose which way to go -- either be faithful to Our Lord Jesus Christ, or succumb to the Devil who is controling both Islam and secularism.

Thank you Judith for reading my mind so well!
Judith
2 years ago
Andy Holland,

I am not so sure about what you wrote. My opinion is this: I think that Islamic "radicalism" is not a response to the west. I don't think that "radicalism" is the West's fault or is caused by the west. It is wrong to place blame for Islamic aggression at any one country's or culture's feet except at the place it originated.
I think that the nature, the foundation of Islam itself is this way. That is what is taught--to conquer the world for Allah. I think some historical accounts of the earliest Muslims and their violence are important to remember. Also, in countries that are majority Muslim, there is still violence--against other Muslims as well: female genital mutilation, sanctioned pedophilia marriages to underage children, ritual homosexuality (like the dancing boys of Afghanistan I think--though check on this), and also stonings and hangings. So--if there was no more "Western" culture or Christianity, would there be no violence from Muslims?
Also, as an added idea--contrary to what seems to be taught on a pc level today...Islam is not an exotic parallel to Christianity. Islam's Allah and the Christian God are not the same. Without the Son, one does not have the Father. Jesus is not another Prophet. He is the Son of God, and also God, the Son, the second person of the Trinity. Jesus is the Truth, and anything outside of Him is not. So I agree that Christians are stuck in the middle of both a secular worldly attack and also from Islamic jihad.
Rob
2 years ago
I don't understand why everything has to be left or right? I think the discourse needs to change from "left/right" to moral or immoral. Although perhaps I confusing the terms with parties who are both filled to the hilt with immoral characters. While I agree with the sentiment to stand strong with our brothers and sisters in Christ across the world who are being persecuted, I would also add that we must act in the accordance with the blessings we've been given in this country. There is no excuse for a lukewarm practice of the faith given that we can do so freely. Sure we have a secular society that is fighting us at every level, but I have no fear in going to mass and practicing my faith. There is no excuse. Our lights should be burning brightly!
Jorge
2 years ago
Troy , as you can see below, that is NOT what obama was implying in that ridiculous dhimmi speech:
Obama calls Sharia-leaning Indonesia tolerant while slamming Israel from nation that bans Jews:Obama Demands No New Jewish Building In The Capital of Israel

While bowing in Jakarta, Indonesia, in which nation Obama lived as a child under the name “Barry Soteoro”, allegedly (because, it should be noted, we at the Freedomist see no solid proof for such claims beyond innuendo and circumstances) as a citizen of Indonesia and a practicing Muslim, President Obama both called for greater cooperation and understanding between America and Muslims while on the other hand demanding that Jewish homes not be built in the eastern part of the Jewish capital.
The Arabs are demanding a “Palestinian State” in Jerusalem’s eastern half, where the Old City is, and in the ancient heart of Israel, Judea and Samaria, euphemistically called “the West Bank”, as well as a “right of return” for the heirs of the Arab occupiers who left Israel during the 1948 Israeli War of Independence, even as their Arab compatriots were invading in an effort of no less evil intent that the intent of the Nazis. If these demands, which are inflexible, were met they would lead to the destruction of the State of Israel and the slaughter of Jews and Christians in a Holy Land occupied by Arab Muslim armies.

President Obama is openly aligning the US with the Pan-Islamic agenda for a Christian-Free and Jew-Free Middle East, and he is denouncing Israel from the soil of the world’s largest Islamic-run nation.

In no Arab Muslim or Muslim state are Christians, Jews, or women free from serious violations of their rights, their property and wealth, and their very existence and physical safety by the very same people President Obama wants to have an “understanding” with.

The Jewish leaders for their part have fired back, unequivocally stating that “Jerusalem is not a settlement”, however they have thus far failed to grasp that the very narrative of “settlements”, “the peace process”, “land for peace”, and “Zionist occupation”, is a narrative their governments have bought into and which is presently making their resistance to expanding the definition of “settlement” and “occupation” to Jerusalem itself.

It appears that President Obama, who claims to be a Christian but who certainly is well versed in the ways of Islam, is moving the US, against popular consensus and the explicit wishes of the US Congress, into the pro-Arab, Pan-Islamic camp. Some foreign policy experts fear that Obama’s “understanding” with the Muslim powers may be gained at the expense of Israel’s very existence.
Andy Holland
2 years ago
Sadly Islamic radicalism is a violent response to the secular cultural attack launched by western leftists against all traditional civility and morality. Muslims feel threatened by the fruit of secularism; materialism, homosexuality, adultery, and abortion. Without Christ, yet with a sense of God, they react with violence against being bombarded by a culture they despise and which directly threatens to subsume them as it has swallowed Christianity. Unfortunately, they identify the culture of the west with Christianity, and so Christians are caught in the middle - protected by the military might of Magog (secularists) while despised by Gog (Muslims). Its a dangerous world we are leaving to our children - we reap the violence of seeds of cultural violence.
Kris
2 years ago
They can burn the churches, and they can abuse the people, and spread hatred amongst themselves, but they will be unable to kill the Church in Indonesia. For centuries in the past Catholicism has been an illegal religion persecuted in the most heinous ways. However, Christ promised that the gates of Hell would not destroy His Church. WE MUST pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Indonesia, that they will survive this persecution as other martyrs and saints have done. Including if need be help them to have what they need to take their faith underground should it become necessary for the sacraments to continue to available to them.
Troy
2 years ago
Jorge - Though, I do not like most of what President Obama has done, you have misquoted him. He was speaking of tolerance that is in the constitution of Indonesia, not the tolerance that they do or do not have. No where could I find anything that he said about they tolerance (real or constitutionally) to be held as a role model for other countries. The headlines for the news articles are very misleading. I feel that he was trying to remind Indonesians of the tolerance in their constitution. The radicals did not listen, but would you expect them to.
CNN News Article: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/09/indonesia.obama/index.html

By the way, I never have and never will consider voting for President Obama unless he changes his position on abortion. If so, I will still only consider it.
Jorge
2 years ago
This is the country that obama calls to be "the role model of religious tolerance2 for America and all the world to follow-indonesia!! The people who voted for Obama must be completely out of their minds! Ther same Obam that calls saudi arabia and pakistan, "allies" on the fight against...terror?!??!! The very same countries that ARE terrorist nations to their last breath...Next election vote for Obama..if you hate America, if you hate chirsitians..and if you love muslims/*jihadism and love oppression, tyranny, backwardness, denial,victimization of mass-murderers/ terrorists, dishonesty and immoral idencency..THAT'S OBAMA!!..THE WORST PRESIDENT EVER!!

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