T

he central government has been urged to take action to protect religious freedom, following a decision by the Supreme Court in favor of a church congregation in Bogor, West Java.

The Supreme Court rejected the Bogor administration’s request to uphold the closure of the Indonesian Christian Church in the Taman Yasmin residential estate (GKI Taman Yasmin) in Bogor.

According to the Court website, the decision over the appellate suit was issued on Dec. 9 by a panel of judges presided over by Valerine J.L. Kriekhoff, Marina Sidabutar and Imam Soebechi.

However, the local administration continues to seal off the church building, which is still under construction.

Muslim scholar Azyumardi Azra told The Jakarta Post on Friday that the Bogor administration’s flagrant disregard of the court’s decision was shameful.

“The administration is setting a bad precedent by not respecting a legal decision,” Azyumardi said.

He called on the central government to take stern measures against Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto and his administration for failing to abide by the law.

“There may have been a collaboration between the City Council and the mayor over this case. Intervention by a higher authority is urgently needed,” Azyumardi said.

Last year, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono awarded Diani the Jasa Pratama medal his service to the nation.

Diani ran for mayor on a ticket backed by the Democratic Party, the Prosperous Justice Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and several smaller political parties.

Members of the GKI Taman Yasmin congregation have been forced to hold services on the roadside after the Bogor administration locked the gate to their church last year.

The legal battle between the administration and the church began when the Bogor administration revoked the church’s building permit on Feb. 14, 2008, two years after it had been issued.

The administration cited complaints from local residents against the church’s construction as the building was accused of being used to spread Christianity in the Muslim-majority Bogor area.

However, the Bandung administrative court later overturned the administration’s decision.

On Christmas Eve last year, police set up a road blockade near the church after Muslim hardliners stepped up protests against the church.

Church members conducted Christmas service by the roadside under the watchful eye of 1,000 police officers and verbal intimidation by Muslim groups.

Church spokesman Bona Sigalingging said the congregation was demanding that the Bogor administration abide by the Supreme Court decision.

“We demand Mayor Diani Budiarto step forward and publicly acknowledge that the Supreme Court decided in our favor, and therefore the closure of our church should be ended,” Bona said.

Calls to the Indonesian Church Communion (PGI) representatives were not returned.

The PGI has said that more than 10 churches across Greater Jakarta were forced to suspend services last year due to threats from Muslim hardliners.