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s most Muslims in Indonesia peacefully observed Idul Adha on Friday, about 200,000 of their fellow citizens marked the end of the haj pilgrimage in Mecca. Meanwhile, in Bandung, West Java, members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) chose their own way to celebrate the holiday: The infamous hard-line group attacked a usual target — members of the minority Ahmadiyah sect, prohibiting them from slaughtering animals, as is the tradition on the Islamic Day of Sacrifice

Once again, the FPI has tarnished the image of Islam in Indonesia. And the police clearly had no courage to enforce the law against thugs who have blatantly and regularly broken the law while assaulting other groups in the name of their narrow view of Islam.

Indonesia regularly sends the second-largest contingent of pilgrims to make the haj — Saudi Arabia sends the largest — due to its position as the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation. The number of Indonesians on the waiting list to make the haj has increased significantly every year, due to continued rapid economic growth and a rising awarness among Muslims of the need to carry out the fifth pillar of Islam.

Unfortunately, the Religious Affairs Ministry has not provided satisfactory service to Indonesians making the haj. Pilgrims have reported that their expenses have increased while their treatment has worsened, especially when compared to pilgrims from Malaysia.

The ministry has been persistent in pushing for the private sector or an autonomous agency to manage the lucrative business. However, it remains unclear when the government will guarantee that its citizens can receive the treatment and service that they are paying for when making the sacred pilgrimage.

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In the meantime, the closure of churches was greeted as business as usual by Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi. Speaking at the Presidential Office, the minister insisted that the authorities in Aceh correctly exercised their authority when shuttering nine churches in the province.

The closures come as no surprise, given the extremely conservative interpretation of Islam observed in Aceh. However, such actions have, regretfully, become commonplace throughout the nation, as local governments move to close the places of worship for Christians and minority Muslim sects on a regular basis.

Some may wonder how the home minister might respond if one day mosques are forced to close in predominantly Christian regions such as East Nusa Tenggara, or in Bali, where the overwhelming majority of its residents follow Balinese Hinduism.

Separately, there was another closure this week, this time in the business world. The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry revealed that Petronas, the iconic Malaysian oil and gas company, closed 15 of its 19 fuel stations in Indonesia. “They have been experiencing such low sales that they can no longer fund their operations,” according to a ministry official.

Along with PT Shell Indonesia and France-based Total Oil Indonesia, PT Petronas Niaga Indonesia is among the few foreign competitors of Pertamina. It is very hard for foreign companies to compete with Pertamina, as they are not allowed to sell the subsidized fuels, the main income source for the state-oil company.

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The Singapore High Court upheld on Tuesday a US$250 million arbritation award for Astro All Asia Network Plc, which is owned by Malaysian tycoon Ananda Krishnan. The Indonesian conglomerate the Lippo Group had to pay the money to its former business partner.

The dispute between the former partners started in 2008, three years after they established a joint venture in the pay-TV business in Indonesia. A final settlement, however, is likely still a long away, as the case has also been taken to court in Indonesia by the Lippo Group.

In another legal matter, the House of Representatives, NGOs and the public were outraged by the failure of the goverment to provide legal aid to two Indonesians who have received the death penalty in Malaysia, despite claims from Manpower and Transmigration Ministry that they had hired lawyers for Frans Hiu, 22, and Dharry Frully, 20.

The illegal migrant workers, who were brothers from East Kalimantan were sentenced to be hanged by the neck until dead on Oct. 18, after they were found guilty of murdering Kharti Raja on Dec. 30, 2010. They insist they were innocent.

The saddening fate of Indonesian workers abroad — especially unskilled laborers — will never change as long as the government is reluctant to take firm action to ensure the process follows the law. Action must be taken from the very early stage of worker recruitment; corruption begins with the manipulation of data such as dates of birth and legal names.

Very few Indonesian migrant workers receive sufficient training prior to their departure abroad. Of the millions working overseas, too many are fired due to poor performance or outright cheated since they have little knowledge of their rights — and obligations — as workers.

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In Central Sulawesi, police detonated a homemade bomb in the predominantly Christian regency of Poso on Tuesday. According to officials, the bomb was likely intended for detonation using a cell phone. The incident follows the detonation of another homemade bomb on Monday that wounded two police officers and a security guard.

More than 1,000 people were killed and 25,000 were displaced during the sectarian war between Muslims and Christians that rocked the regency between 1997 and 2001. The bombs this week offer clear indications new clashes may erupt, unless the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono takes firm action.

— Kornelius Purba