Christians In West Java Banned From Worshipping Due To Muslim Protests

While Muslims piss and moan about Switzerland's ban on minarets, not mosques mind you but minarets, and French Muslims build a mega mosque in Marseille, estimated to cost 22 million euro, and Muslims are allowed to worship freely in every nation in the world, Christians are being forbidden to worship in places like West Java. Not only are they being banned from worshipping, their religious centers are being burned down and closed down, that is if they are even allowed to build a church, which is not the case in many places including Saudi Arabia.

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Bogor authorities (West Java province) ordered the closure of a local church building that belongs to Gereja Kristen Indonesia (GKI), a Christian group also known as Gereja Kristen Yasmin Bogor. This has outraged hundreds of faithful and induced the Indonesian Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) to file an official protest.

In an official statement, GKI followers called the decision to ban their religious and social meetings unlawful. They note, “The mayor of Bogor granted the IMB (building permit) back on 13 May 2006.”

The closure had initially been ordered by Bogor’s City and Gardening authority in February 2008, but was overturned because the matter falls under the mayor’s jurisdiction.

The reason the city was forced to close the church, in spite of the fact the group had all the necessary paperwork, was a result of violent anti-Christian sentiment from local Islamic groups.

For some time, local Islamic groups had been protesting publicly and violently against Christians, accusing them of “proselytising”. They are certainly opposed to Christians having any building, even if the latter did not have a religious purpose.

At the end of April, extremists attacked and set fire to a Christian centre in Bogor on the ground that Christians wanted to build a house of prayer disguised as an educational facility. Instead of stopping the rioters, the authorities banned Christians from engaging in any activities.

Komna HAM is trying to assess how best to deal with the situation, considering the right to worship freely (which is part of the Indonesian constitution) is being violated in the case of the GKI. But human rights Commissioner Johny Nelson Simanjutak advised the Christians to not take any illegal actions. But worshippers are not paying much attention to the ban, and exercising their rights to freely worship.

Rev Gomar Gultom said that Bogor authorities would not stop the faithful, who are ready to show their faith in the streets despite a 2008 court ban.

Two weeks ago, more than 60 church members did celebrate in a street, despite police attempts to stop them.

Many of them, like Thomas Wadu Dara, believe that such demonstrations must continue so that they can defend their rights.

Last week-end, Calvin Labe, president of the Synod of the Church of West Java, attended the Mass. He criticised the decision of Mayor Diani Budiarto, arguing that “the law must be applied impartially, towards minority groups as well. Bogor authorities must respect the fundamental right to practice one’s faith.”

Now, the faithful are more concerned because “Akhmat Ruyat, Bogor’s second in command, chairs the Interfaith Communication Forum”, an institution in each Indonesian district that plays a fundamental role in determining whether places of worship can be built or not.

Now lets put the shoe on the other foot. What would happen if a group of Muslims in a predominately Christian country were banned from building a mosque? Or worse yet, had a mosque closed down, were not allowed to worship and then banned from participating in any Islamic activities? Would that be fair? And how do you think they would respond? I realize that are Muslims who have no problems with others worshipping as they please, but it's incumbent upon those who are tolerant to reign in those who are not, before it gets out of hand. If Muslims want the right to worship in Christian countries then Christians should be allowed to worship in Muslim countries.