Anti-Christian activity in Indonesia gathers steam. From the Barnabas Fund:
While physical attacks against Christians and churches continue, Islamists are increasingly turning their attention to legal means of oppressing Indonesian Christians.CHURCH ATTACKS AND CLOSURES
Since November 2003 there has been a spate of church attacks and closures in Java and Sumatra. On Sunday 25 January seven churches were closed down in one day in Banten Province to the west of Jakarta. Two hundred protesters gathered in the town of Tangerang and fiercely clamoured for the churches’ closure. Though some of the church doors were sealed up and daubed with graffiti, there was no significant damage done to the buildings.
On 9 January a hundred protesters descended upon the Geraja Protestan Indonesia Church. They forcibly stopped renovation work on the building, in Bulak Kapal, just to the east of Jakarta, and then proceeded to destroy much of the church’s furniture and fittings. The congregation had used the building as a church since 1975, but now they have to meet in a large tent. Three days before this attack a bomb was discovered and made safe in a church in Medan, North Sumatra. Before that, on 31 December and 4 January, two more churches were forced to close in East Java, near Surabaya. One of the pastors received death threats and his congregation were badly traumatised.
Four further churches were closed in Jakarta itself between 27 November and 8 December. In one incident on 30 November, protesters came bearing jerry cans full of petrol to burn down the Bethel Church, in Pahlawan Revolusi, if the congregation did not comply. Protesters calling for the closure of these Jakarta churches have been citing “Letter of Decision no. 137”; this 2002 ruling states that churches in West Jakarta can be closed down if the local community objects to them. Recently extremists have been starting to mobilise local Muslims to exploit this ruling. Several churches under construction have also been blocked.
RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE BILL
There is, however, some debate as to the legality of “Letter of Decision no. 137”. Nevertheless such decrees could have the weight of the law behind them in the future under the currently hotly debated Religious Tolerance Bill. This legislation may well have a profoundly detrimental affect on the Indonesian Church if it is passed. In its current form it would restrict church building and conversions from one faith to another.
ANTI-CHRISTIAN BOMBINGS
The Religious Tolerance Bill is the latest example of Islamic hardliners increasingly making use of legislation to guide Indonesia towards becoming an Islamic State that will codify repression of religious minorities. However, as the bomb discovery in Medan on 6 January shows, Islamists are not giving up their armed struggle in favour of a purely political one. The discovery of 13 homemade bombs in Poso, Central Sulawesi, at the end of February serves to underline this point. Thankfully the Indonesian judicial system is bringing more armed Muslim extremists to justice. Nur Misuari, alias Nurdin, was found guilty on 19 February of being involved in the 22 July 2001 bombing of a church in East Jakarta. One person died and 67 were injured in this blast, some losing their sight and hearing. Nurdin was sentenced to 12 years; both the prosecution and the defence are appealing.
On the power of Islam in Indonesia, and its malevolent effects on Believers, and on advice to the Dutch government of the East Indies on how to contain and constrain it -- would that the Dutch had been able to institute Kemalist reforms, and would that Christianity and Hinduism, both of which predate the arrival of Islam, borne by traders from the Hadramaut, had been allowed to flourish and Muslims encouraged to revert to the non-Islamic beliefs of their ancestors, one might consult the great body of work of Snouck Hurgronje, not the least of the Orientalists totally ignored by the late ignoramus, Edward Said.
Western governments must impose sanctions on these Islamic countries to put an end to their anti-Christian jihadism. It's either that or bomb the hell out of the nuts. Not only sanctions, but Western countries must impose a moratorium in their own countries on the building of mosques. If Islam does not permit religous freedom, then its adherents should not be granted such freedom in any non-Islamic country. No more building permits for mosques, no more building conversions for mosques. Something drastic needs to be done so that these people may behave in a civilized fashion.
The closing of Churches is consistent with Dhimmitude under Sharia. Wherever this odious law goes, all others suffer. Of course the presence of churches is going to annoy the population if the majority is Muslim. Religious "tolerance" does not mean the same in Islam as it does here in the West. Soon all Christians or Buddhists in Indonesia will be dhimmis or dead.
This should be an object lesson for us in the United States, especially for those of us that can influence the government, think tanks, legislatures, institutions of higher learning where insidious and subtle changes can be made while we are busy with the Martha Stewart, Kobe Bryant, and Scott Peterson trails, as well as some of the other mindless pap that appears on television. If we're not vigilant and careful, we could easily be taken over from within and end up like the others.
it's interesting to note that the Japanese oppression of Christians (which was still in effect in the early 1900's) DID result in an international condemnation, and requests by other nations to cease & desist. Why the same pressure can't be brought to bear on this garbage is beyond me. Tolerance means nothing to the islamists.
What you guys bet that CAIR scouts this site? Scout away, CAIR. Perverts.
Why are you people surprised by all these anti christian attacks in muslim countries,when ,right here in the US ,as well as throughout the western world,christianity is under attack,from within?!
The media is attacking religion,meaning christianity on a daily basis,an activist judge in New York has recently banned nativity christmas displays on public properties,the pledge of allegiance is gone,the 10 commendments monument is gone,too,etc.
All these destructive actions are followed very closely by our muslim "friends "and secretly encouraged ,sometimes even initiated by them.
So we have to start defending our judeo-christian beliefs right here,at home,and then worry about what is going on elsewhere.
I`m not a religious zealot,but GOD BLESS MEL GIBSON FOR HIS EYE OPENING MOVIE.
Adela,USA.