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an. 13, Online

The embattled GKI Taman Yasmin church in Bogor, south of Jakarta, claimed on Thursday that its parishioners had experienced escalating intimidation and threats from detractors since Christmas.

The church reiterated its demand for President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono to walk the walk after saying “they [GKI Yasmin] have a right to their church” and protect the worshippers.

During a joint press conference at the Wahid Institute, an organization founded by the late pluralist and former president Abdurrahman Wahid, GKI Yasmin spokesman Bona Sigalingging said Islamic hard-liners had stepped up their threats.

“They used to deliver hate-filled words against us. Now they are brave enough to threaten our property,” Bona said.

Bona recalled the last incident on Jan. 1 when a group of detractors chased a worshipper’s car and threatened to set it on fire because it had a sticker reading “We need friendly Islam, not extreme Islam” on it. “Even a small thing can inflame the tension,” he said.

Your comments:

Islam is what it really is. It is not what others want it to be. I am fully aware that attempts are being made to secularize it.

This attempt leads to some people not recognizing Islam as an ideology, but demote it as another religion.

Zaytun

Minorities like the Ahmadis and Shiites were free and accepted within the community as Muslims, always behaving peacefully.

Many Muslims even went to Catholic schools (to learn “discipline”) and festivities were celebrated in joy and peace.

Only a minority of radicals or their descendants wanted to change that, to enforce a particular “order” under the dictatorship of deviant clerics and their violent followers.

Bona

The comments of this article have escalated to the point that they have lost their meaning.

My grandfather was a very good Muslim. He was Arab by blood. Musrin bin Abdulmajid was his name. I remember his wise words very well. He always advised his grandchildren to be good human beings. As Muslim, he said, the minimum requirement is to be polite. Bad words belong to Satan.

I still remember my mom’s oldest brother; he married a lady from Jeddah.

He also taught his children as the same way he was educated by his father.

I believe every good Muslim agrees with my late grandfather. Bad words are not suitable for good Muslims, or for Christians, Hindus, Buddhists or any other religion!

I believe we should stick to what we discuss without throwing bad words at each other.

It is now the 21st century. Human beings have discovered a lot of planets out there and here on Earth many human beings are still suffering of hunger.

Widya Utama