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Christmas safety guaranteed
Law enforcers have pledged to carry out all-out efforts to guarantee the safety of Christmas celebrations nationwide.
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Final check: A bomb squad personnel from The National Police's Mobile Brigade makes a final sweeping inside the Jakarta Cathedral on Saturday before the cathedral carries out a series of Christmas Eve masses later in the evening. (JP/Donny Fernando)
T
housands of churchgoers took part in a Christmas service held at a popular auditorium in the Sasana Budaya Ganesha convention center in Bandung, West Java, on Friday evening under police security and a disruption-free guarantee by the local administration.
The organizer of the Spiritual Awakening Service (KKR) that featured renowned Pastor Stephen Tong provided as many as 3,000 seats for the congregation in the service held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday.
The same community faced hurdles in the same place when an act of intolerance by a mob of hard-liners consisting of members of the Ahlus Sunnah Defenders (PAS) and the Indonesia Islamic Preaching Council (DDII) forced the community to cancel a Christmas service on Dec. 6.
The protesters claimed the service was illegal as it was being held at a public facility.
(Read also: Keep calm and merry on: Police)
However, the churchgoers could join the Christmas service on Friday with at least 500 police personnel guarding the location, Bandung police chief Sr. Comr. Hendro Pandowo said, adding they were divided into four rings spreading from inside the building to the streets nearby.
West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan, Siliwangi military commander Maj. Gen. Muhammad Herindra and Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil all came as guests to the event.
Ridwan said his office had received a statement letter from PAS that its members would not disrupt the Christmas service. The group had also made a statement apologizing for interrupting and forcibly canceling religious activities.
“All parties have committed to the support of religious freedom in accordance with existing regulations. Hopefully this country is always at peace with [citizens] who have a high tolerance and understanding toward one another,” Ridwan said prior to the event where he delivered an opening speech.
(Read also: Terrorists targeting police in foiled Banten terror plot)
Christians across the archipelago are gearing up for Christmas celebrations, which is to fall on Sunday, while the security apparatus is busy preparing for security measures amid recent terrorist crackdowns and rising intolerance, which has put Indonesia’s pluralism to the test.
However, the coexistence of different faiths was apparent in East Manggarai regency of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), where security for Christmas celebrations at Santo Arnoldus and Yoseph Waelengga Catholic Church involved Muslims.
Chairman of the Santo Arnoldus and Yoseph Waelengga Parish’s Catholic youth organization, Alfianus Irno, said that mosque youths and Muslims were involved in the security for the access road to the church as well as the outer rings of the Catholic churches in Ruteng diocese.
“This is a form of interfaith tolerance in Flores Island,” Alfianus told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
Meanwhile, Riau Police Chief Insp. Gen. Zulkarnain Adinegara guaranteed that the province would be safe regardless of the recent arrests of terror suspects in three neighboring provinces.
“There is no obstacle. Of course we all hope this situation remains until after the Christmas and New Year celebrations,” he said adding that the Riau Police had deployed 3,068 personnel to provide added security from two days prior to Christmas until after the New Year celebrations.
The same security guarantee was also expressed by East Kalimantan Police chief Insp. Gen. Syafaruddin. He gave an assurance that East and North Kalimantan remained conducive and had returned to normal following the terrorist attack at Oikumene church, where a bomb exploded, killing a toddler and injuring others.
In Medan, North Sumatra, the Bukit Barisan Military Command (Kodam) bomb squad combed Dame Batak Church in Jl. Pembangunan after recently receiving a bomb threat.
No bombs were found by the team, said Maj. Rielman Yudha of Combat Engineer Battalion/Dira Dharma at Kodam, adding that the sterilization of the church was part of an instruction to secure the area during Christmas celebrations.
As many as 12 churches in Salatiga, Central Java, have also been the focus of security measures, Salatiga Police chief Sr. Comr. Happy Perdana Yudianto said, adding that the churches, which are located in the main streets of the city, frequently congregated in large numbers.
Rizal Harahap, N. Adri, Apriadi Gunawan and Suherdjoko contributed to the article from Pekanbaru, Balikpapan, Medan and Semarang.
