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Church congregation continues amid protest
Tifa Asrianti , The Jakarta Post , Bekasi | Mon, 03/10/2008 1:20 AM | Headlines
Five churches in North Bekasi held Sunday services from Permata Jijau Permai housing estate despite a rumor members of the Cooperating Bureau of Mosques and Praying Rooms (Musholla) would stage large protests against their efforts.
Police officers were seen patrolling the housing estate, where the protesters were expected, but no such gathering occurred.
The five churches included the Indonesian Bethel Church of Shalom, the Indonesian Bethel Church of Maranatha, the Indonesian Christian Protestant Church, the Indonesian Pentecostal Church and the Javanese Christian Church.
Various obstacles put up by protesters have seen church organizations in the area unable to build permanent buildings and so they operate out of makeshift shophouses.
Edward Butar-butar from the Bekasi Christian Family Forum said there were nine other churches in the Permata Hijau Permai real estate but threats seemed to be focused on five churches at the shophouses block.
The cooperating bureau organizing the protests made complaints to local authorities about the churches and their operations last year.
Tensions escalated after Dec. 16, 2007, when hundreds of people entered a church during Mass and forced the congregation to stop the service.
Following the December protests, the Javanese Christian Church moved to Taman Kebalen estate.
Four churches stayed despite further protests.
Elizabeth Suria, church secretary at the Shalom church, said her congregation had been faced with a number of incidents including garbage being dumped at their church entrance and protesters blocking congregation members from entering their building.
"So far, there has been no physical abuse, but we couldn't perform mass," she said.
One protester interviewed said "his people" did not want to interrupt religious activity, but wanted "legal certainty about the building's usage".
"They are using shophouses as houses of worship," Yos said.
"I think it is against the regulation."
In response to the opposition, Elizabeth said the shophouses they used as churches belonged to them, and they had a legal right to use them for whatever purpose.
Edward Butar-butar said the Christian congregations had to use shophouses for services because it was difficult to build churches there.
He said the Indonesian Christian Protestant Church and St. Clara church, a Catholic church in a neighboring real estate, had experienced problems with their land, construction funds and construction permits.
"Some people objected to the construction plan and as a result the church has never been built," Edward told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
Bekasi municipality council member and member of the Peace and Welfare Party (PDS) Jonni S. Batubara said construction of a Batak church in Tanggul, North Bekasi, was stopped last year after people protested against it.
Another council member and faction head of the Justice Welfare Party (PKS), Wahyu Prihantono said the problem was related to miss-communication between churchgoers and the people.
"Performing a religious activity is a human right," Wahyu said.
"To prevent the opposition, we should strengthen the role of FKUB (Bekasi's Interfaith Communication Forum)."
In 2006, the government issued a two-minister regulation stipulating a church permit should include at least 90 churchgoers, have support from 60 local residents, be legalized by the local authorities, and receive a recommendation from the head of the municipality's religious office and one from the FKUB.
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Glorfindel in Brisbane (not verified) — Thu, 06/05/2008 - 5:38pm
The coming of Islam to Indonesia was the greatest disaster ever to befall your country.
A vile, mediaeval, repressive, offensive religion by its theology (which unfortunately is not well enough known by so many "cultural Muslims"). With attitudes like those displayed by the demonstrators against Ahmadiya; perpetrators of violence against Christian churches; official restrictions on the right of people to set up churches; mindless fanaticism by the Bali bombers and followers of Abu Bakar Bashir which lead them to seek to kill people who they don't even know!!! - how can the rest of the non-Muslim world live with Islam?
Another article in the Jakarta Post today says that a survey reveals that "only 50.4 percent of respondents were proud to be Indonesian". That is a tragedy. Indonesians generally, in my experience, are mostly pleasant, friendly people. But Islam is the greatest factor holding you back. Islam generally - in the Arab world, Pakistan, Bangla Desh, you name it - is associated with backwardness, obscurantism (hostility to critical thought and science), corruption, lack of initiative, nepotism and tribalism.
When will the Muslim world reopen the Gates of Ijtihad?
Hindu (not verified) — Mon, 06/02/2008 - 4:41pm
this fellows are drawing back islam to pre prophet ages. the arabianisation of tribal n barbarian version of islam will decay the religion.they are creating problems in india, chechnia philipines,france, england,us,middle east sudan, algeria, egypt and everywere they exists.they cry for democracy where they are a minority and argue for sharia if they form a majority.this facism is doomed as islam will be a non entity in the distant future
Karis M (not verified) — Wed, 04/16/2008 - 4:01pm
Need to more practicing of word "Love" to other people even-though they are not allowed us to build a house of worship or prevent us to conduct services. Showing Love not Hatred. This only indicate that our people still immature in education,understanding of true religion. Honestly to say, this is very sad condition on how narrow minded our people are. Means, we still have a huge "home work" to do. If our people have a good education and high intellect, we do believe high tolerance will be practiced in our society. Government has to work, we have to work together. Unless government give us easy to access education, our people, this nation will be get worse and worse. Religion is basic need of people, but in fact, this is very difficult to have. How can we be advanced to be a big nation, if basic need unable to be fulfilled ?. How pity our nation is. We have to think the future not back. It is easier to build movie or leisure place rather than place of worship and proud to "shut" the door of place of worship. Let us learn more and more.
Tony (not verified) — Thu, 04/03/2008 - 3:38am
The people in Indonesia should be aware of that the religion of Islam is not friendly for human being, because in the Al Quran 5:51 it is stated. "Believers take neither Jews nor Christians for your friends and protectors. They are friends and protectors of one another. Who ever seeks their friendship and support them shall become their number. Allah does not guide the wrongdoers".
Take care
The Reader (not verified) — Mon, 03/31/2008 - 7:59am
We have tried building a church in Bekasi and have raised money and have distributed the money to various muslim organisation in order to smoothen out the approval process and make peace with the mosque in the area. The muslims organisations readily accepted the money and promised to allow the construction of the new church. But in true corrupt nature of islam in indonesia, once the church was about to be constructed, the same muslim organisations protest and reject that we build in the area. They then demanded that we offer more money as compensation since it will disrupt the peace and traffic of the area.
i have had enough of the muslim organization's corruption and secularism. the head of this organizations are the one's that incite the masses to create trouble so that we have to fork out large sums of money to satisfy them. they are only interested in money and nothing else. most of them are just like the mafia extorting and terrorizing the weak. Too bad for us the government is on their side since they stand to gain much from us too.
Gendut (not verified) — Fri, 03/28/2008 - 5:28am
Stupid so called "moslem" country and stupid moslem syariah law!
Indonesia is not a moslem country because our constitution says so! Also the founding fathers of this "sick" country are not only moslem people. So other religion has the equal rights like moslem. What has tore down this country integrity into pieces are moslem fundamentalist beliefs especially with their terrorism and fake peace!
Syariah is a big lie because it is impossible to be carried out and against human rights.
The Reader (not verified) — Thu, 03/27/2008 - 6:47pm
It is high time for the non-mulims (kaffir) to call a spade a spade. This is the good muslims religious duty to prevent other religion from worshipping any other god than Allah (islam god) and its prophet Muhammad. How can kaffir still think islam is a religion of peace when the Quran clearly stated in Q 9:5 to kill all non believer if they don't submit to islam or pay the jizyah? Look at what is happening in non muslims countries? They are demanding shariah, that is because non muslims are so tolerant to the extend that they are tolerating intolerance.
RoxdMan — Sat, 05/24/2008 - 3:56pm
It is with attitude like yours, Muslim is looked down upon as cut-throats religion with no peace and forgiveness. Tolerance and Love is what any true God wants from their believer.
If one believe in a God that craves blood and hates, one should look into ones heart and ask themselves should we follow this path.
The Reader (not verified) — Thu, 03/27/2008 - 6:40pm
well..its not easy to build a mosque in sydney right? zealots,bigotry,fanaticism belong to all religion,its kind a naive to say islam monopolysed those,and as for indonesia you guys should practice what you preached aaay?
The Reader (not verified) — Sat, 03/22/2008 - 3:16am
I agree with all the people who post comment that Christians should be allowed to worship their God as much as Muslim does.I thanked God for America,there's nothing like God's country that offers freedom.