Indonesian Christians celebrated Christmas in peace on Saturday, with almost no security threats reported.

In spite of recent religious tension, the Christmas observance also saw Muslims and Islamist organizations standing guard to help create a secure environment for Christians to observe the birth of Jesus.

In Jakarta, members of Muslim organizations like the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (Forkabi), the youth wing of Nahdlatul Ulama GP Ansor and the Maluku Muslim Youth Forum (FPMM), joined the police to stand guard at a number of churches for Christmas Mass services.

Members of Forkabi and GP Ansor joined police and military personnel deployed to guard the Immanuel Protestant Church in Gambir, Central Jakarta, whereas FPMM members joined the security detail at the nearby Jakarta Cathedral.

“Christmas this year is celebrated with a greater spirit of tolerance, especially with the security support from the government and other institutions, which allows us to observe the Holy day in peace,” Immanuel Protestant Church representative Wilhelinus Aub Taulo said after Christmas Mass on Saturday.    

Church security team leader Beni Muaya said that in addition to members of Forkabi, neighborhood residents also took part in securing the area.

At the nearby Cathedral, 29 members of the FPMM volunteered to help provide security for Christmas observances in the church.

“We want to build a harmonious relationship between people of different faiths, and this is how we do it,” FPMM leader Ali Tatawalat said, adding that his colleagues had stood guard since Christmas Eve.

In spite of the heightened security measures, not all Christians in the city felt safe observing Christmas. Some could not hide their anxiety about coming to church for service.

Hingsi Clarce Umbas, who prayed at Immanuel Church on Saturday, said he preferred the afternoon service.

“I prefer an afternoon Mass rather than on Christmas Eve,” she said. “In the day, you can see people who come to the church, and what they carry. I don’t think I can do that at night,” Hingsi told the Post.

In recent years, Muslim extremists throughout the country have carried out terror attacks against churches during Christmas. Earlier this week, the US-based monitoring group SITE released a transcript of an audio-taped threat purportedly made by a Jihadist group that threatened to detonate bombs in countries celebrating Christmas.

On Christmas Eve the Jakarta Police said intelligence reports found no serious threats to Christmas observances in Jakarta. However, in spite of the absence of credible terror threats, police carried out operations at a number of churches to look for explosives materials.

“The police bomb squad has been deployed to some churches that are considered security risks,” police spokesman Sr. Comr. Baharudin Djafar said.

The National Police said it deployed more than 150,000 personnel — more than one third of the police force — in the security operation before, during and after Christmas.

But for some Christians, possible terror attacks were the last thing they had to deal with on Saturday. Some Christians literally had to take to the street to perform Christmas services after local authorities decided to close their churches.

In Parung, Bogor, congregations of the St. John the Baptist Church had to perform their Christmas service on a soccer field because the Bogor administration declined to issue a permit for the construction of a church following complaints from the local community.

In Taman Yasmin, Bogor, members of the GKI Church congregation held an open air service after authorities decided to shut down the church, arguing it violated a land use bylaw.

In Makassar, the South Sulawesi Police deployed 5,000 personnel to secure Christmas celebrations in the city. On Christmas Eve, Makassar Mayor Ilham Arief Sirajuddin visited a number of churches where Christians were holding mass.

In Padang, the administration deployed 450 officers, including members of the Padang Police, Public Order Agency and Transportation Agency, to stand guard for Christmas. (map)

Andi Hajramurni contributed to this report from Makassar

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