Indonesia: Muslim extremists against the construction of a Catholic church
July 04, 2013: Hundreds of Muslim extremists in Indonesia, staged a two-day protest
against the construction of the Saint Stanislaus Kotska Catholic Church in Kranggan,
a sub-district in Bekasi Regency, West Java province.
In what looks like a
repeat of events in Bogor, where members of the Yasmin Church are up against local
authorities, Catholics in Kranggan might see their efforts come to naught, including
their application for a building permit. They had first applied for the latter began
in 2003 and met every bureaucratic request. However, protesters object that a Christian
building in a Muslim area would only fuel sectarian conflict and undermine peaceful
coexistence among religious groups.
During demonstrations earlier this week,
extremists appealed to the authorities in Bekasi to "freeze" the application for a
building permit (Izin Mendirikan Bangunan or IMB). In Indonesia, the world's most
populous Muslim nation (mostly Sunni), church construction is complicated and can
take between five and 10 years before authorisation is granted by local authorities.
In
this case, applicants must obtained a number of signatures from local area residents
as well as the green light from the Group for Interfaith Dialogue. Oftentimes, Islamist
pressures or threats are brought to bear to stop applications. Catholic sources told
AsiaNews that everything was done by the book to get IMB, which the authorities granted
on 17 December 2012.
Agung Dewabrata, secretary of the Catholic organising
committee, insisted that his group carried out "scrupulous work" since 2003, "without
ever proselytising" among non-Catholics. However, Muslim extremists have used accusations
of proselytising and conversion over the past 30 years to target minorities and get
the authorities to revoke building permits relating to places of worship, especially
in the province of West Java.
According to Catholic sources, "people from other
villages who have nothing to do with the church" are behind the protest in Kranggan,
"not locals". Paradoxically, the same outsiders claim that there are only "two Catholics"
in the whole area, something that is totally "devoid of any foundation" because there
are many more Catholics.
For activists and representatives of civil society
organisations, this latest episode of religious intolerance is further demonstration
of the failure of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's attempt to create a truly multicultural
and pluralistic society. The recent decision by a US foundation to award him a prize
for defending religious freedom has caused a sensation and dismay.
On receiving
his prize, the president listed his administration's alleged successes in the areas
of pluralism and civil rights, claims quickly undone by events in Bekasi.