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Surabaya bombings: Christian leaders tell congregation 'not to fear'
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Officers evacuate a victim on a stretcher at the Indonesian Christian church on Jl. Diponegoro, Surabaya, East Java, on Sunday. (Antara/Didik Suhartono)
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n response to the spate of bomb attacks on three churches in Indonesia’s second largest city, Surabaya, East Java, on Sunday morning, the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) has sent a message to its congregation to remind them to stay calm in the face of terror.
“We don’t need to be afraid when facing terror threats. We must leave it completely to the government to handle,” PGI secretary-general Rev. Gomar Gultom said in a release on Sunday.
Gomar said religious leaders must be more alert to the emergence of terrorist supporters and actors, who also often acted as preachers.
“The deradicalization program initiated by the National Counterterrorism Agency will be in vain should the community instead give the stage to religious leaders who spread radicalism and violence through their sermons,” he added.
After the explosions, the East Java Police instructed all churches in Surabaya to close down pending the police’s investigation.
As of 10.30 a.m., police reported that at least nine people had been killed, while at least 40 had been injured in the attacks. (dmr)
