Christians, Ahmadis and Shias protest in Jakarta for religious freedom

April 10, 2013: In order to raise awareness among the public and foreign media on the frequent violations of the rights of religious minorities in Indonesia , hundreds of Christians, Ahmadis and Shia Muslims marched on Tuesday through the streets of Jakarta. They called on the much criticised government to take swift and effective action to ensure full religious freedom, and equal rights for all of Indonesia's citizens, as guaranteed by the constitution and the country's founding principles of Pancasila.
The archipelago is the world's most populous (and predominantly Sunni) Muslim nation. The over 300 protesters shouted slogans and prayed together, each according to his or her faith. After that, they sang the national anthem and marched towards the People's Representative Council building. Rev Siman-jutak, a top Protestant clergyman welcomed the interfaith march. He said it sends a clear message to the authorities, which are not paying attention to the issue. In his criticism, he did not spare President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who , he said, has done nothing "to prevent attacks by extremist groups."
Asianews: