F

resh on the heels of the demolition of a Bekasi church, the local administration banned congregants from conducting services at their church in Jatibening Baru subdistrict on Wednesday for the same reason: the lack of a permit.

Marihot Samosir, a spokesman for the Indonesian Christian Church in Gembrong (GKI Gembrong) said on Wednesday that the result of a meeting of church representatives, the district leadership assembly (Muspika) and the Inter-Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB) ordered the church to halt services before the building permit was obtained.

Marihot said the meeting allowed the congregants to conduct their services as long as they were able to negotiate with a mob that protested in front of their church on Sunday, when dozens of people, claiming to be Islam Defenders Front (FPI) members protested against the service at the church, along with local residents.

“They said we couldn’t conduct religious activities at the church until we had a permit,” Marihot said, adding that fortunately no harassment had been directed at around 90 congregants during the protest.

Marihot said the congregants were startled with the protest as it had never happened before.

“In April 2012 a group of people under the name of the FKUB, sent us a caveat over the activities at the church for various reasons, including disagreement from residents and the lack of a permit,” he said, adding that the church had replied with a letter a month later. “We said we were processing the permit.”

Marihot said the congregants had conducted services at the location since 1994 but they had difficulty processing the permit, including gaining at least 60 signatures of support from the residents in the subdistrict, as stipulated in the 2006 joint ministerial decree.

He said they hoped they could continue conducting their services while waiting for the permit. “Moreover, we will celebrate Easter this week,” he said.

Pondok Gede district head Khairul Anwar told The Jakarta Post that his administration had banned congregants from praying at the church until they gained the permit.

“We have discussed it with the church representatives and they have understood,” he said.

Khairul refused to say whether the administration had washed its hands of the issue. He added his administration was now assisting the church with gaining the permit.

GKI Gembrong is the latest target of intolerance in Greater Jakarta. Last week, the Batak Protestant Church (HKBP) in Taman Sari, Setu district, was demolished by the administration because the church had not gained a building permit.

The HKBP Filadelfia church in Tambun, Bekasi, is experiencing continuous resistance from residents and Islamic organizations, despite having the required permit.

Hendardi, the chairman of the Setara Institute, which monitors religious freedom in Indonesia, said intolerant groups repeatedly harassed the church congregants because they could operate with impunity.

“Religious violence will keep escalating if the government does not take stern action to punish perpetrators,” he said. (cor)