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Renovation of 92-year-old church in Riau Islands meets resistance
The resistance against Santo Joseph Church is the second case of religious intolerance to come out of Riau Islands province this month.
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Illustration of church building. (Shutterstock/Chiangrai)
I
n yet another example of religious intolerance in Indonesia, a local group named the United Muslim Forum (FUIB) has urged the Karimun regency administration in Riau Islands to revoke a building license (IMB) for renovation work on Santo Joseph Church.
The group staged a rally on Jan. 17 in front of the regent's official residence, which is located next to the 92-year-old church.
FUIB chairman Abdul Latif claimed the residents feared that the church would turn into an icon as it was located in the center of Karimun’s capital of Tanjung Balai.
"This is wrong. This is a Muslim-majority region. We shouldn’t have a big church built right in the heart of the city. We can’t even build a mosque there," Abdul said.
He also claimed the church could cause “traffic congestion and social disturbances”.
"We would welcome the idea of a church built next to the Karimun Grand Mosque […] but not [in the city center]. We want this space to be a green area," he added.
The group set a deadline of Jan. 25 for the local administration to meet its demands.
