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Semarang mayor halts construction of church following protests
The Indonesia Baptist Foundation acquired a building permit in 1998 but only began construction recently.
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The construction site of Semarang Baptist Church on Jl. Malangsari, Semarang, Central Java, has been halted following objections by mostly Muslim locals. (Tribun Jateng/Jamal Al Nashr)
T
he Semarang administration in Central Java decided to review the building permit of the Semarang Baptist Church following protests from mostly Muslim people, with Semarang Mayor Hendrar Prihadi saying that the church construction would be halted until he finished verifying the permit’s ‘validity’.
“We will see whether the permit’s issuance was conducted in accordance with the proper procedure. If we find that the permit is valid, residents should consequently abide by the rule,” he said on Monday, adding that Semarang's inhabitants are expected to maintain harmony despite differences.
A three-minute-and-thirty-second video showing some angry men demanding the church construction stop had recently gone viral on the internet. The protest apparently took place on Thursday on Jl. Malangsari in the Tlogosari Kulon subdistrict of Pedurungan district.
The district administration had summoned all involved parties to a mediation meeting on Monday, but no deal had been achieved.
Pedurungan district head Kukuh Sudarmanto explained that the people who were against the church construction demanded the permit be renewed, as it was issued more than two decades ago, in 1998. According to a signboard on the construction site, the permit belongs to the Indonesia Baptist Foundation.
“Meanwhile, the church management wanted to continue construction as they had already secured the permit, through the right procedure,” he said.
The meeting also revealed that some people had objected to the church since 1998.
