Muhammdiyah offers venues for Christmas service<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Thousands of people affected by the closure of churches will be
\nable to attend Christmas services at schools and other buildings
\nowned by Muhammadiyah, the country's second largest Muslim
\norganization.<\/p>\n
Din Syamsuddin, who chairs Muhammadiyah, extended the offer
\nduring a gathering of religious leaders at the organization's
\nheadquarters in Central Jakarta on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"We invite our Christian brothers and sisters to say prayers
\non Christmas Eve and to celebrate Christmas in our schools and
\nother buildings,\" Din said.<\/p>\n
The gathering on Wednesday was arranged to send a message of
\npeace to religious worshipers across the country ahead of three
\nmajor holidays: Christmas on Dec. 25, New Year's Day on Jan. 1
\nand the Islamic Day of Sacrifice on Jan. 10.<\/p>\n
Among those attending the gathering were Abdul Wahid Anshar,
\ndeputy secretary-general of the country's largest Muslim
\norganization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU); Rev. Nathan Setiabudi, the
\nformer chairman of the Indonesian Communion of Churches; Amidhan,
\nthe deputy chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council; Damatedjo
\nfrom the Council of Buddhist Communities; Budi Santoso Tanu
\nWibowo from the Matakin Confucianism congregation; and Putu
\nSuarta from the Indonesian Hindu organization.<\/p>\n
Over 40 Christian houses of worship, mostly in West Java, have
\nbeen closed by local authorities since 2004, in response to
\ncomplaints by Muslim hard-liners about the presence and
\nactivities of the houses of worship.<\/p>\n
Din said the debate over the right to build places of worship
\nwas not yet settled, and he hoped the government would \"issue a
\nclear policy\" on the matter.<\/p>\n
\"I also call on local communities who live near the closed
\nhouses of worship to allow Christians to pray on Christmas in
\ntheir homes,\" Din said.<\/p>\n
To prevent a repeat of the bloody events of Christmas Eve in
\n2000, when bombs rocked 29 churches nationwide, killing 19
\npeople, Din asked Muslim youth organizations linked to the NU and
\nMuhammadiyah to help guard churches across the country.<\/p>\n
Intelligence authorities have blamed the Christmas Eve attacks
\non regional terrorist network Jamaah Islamiyah, which also has
\nbeen blamed for a series of major bombings in the country since
\n2002.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's religious harmony faced its toughest test when
\nsectarian and ethnic conflicts erupted in Ambon in Maluku and
\nPoso in Central Sulawesi between 1999 and 2002, leaving over
\n3,000 people dead.<\/p>\n
The Islam Defenders Front (FPI), a group known for its violent
\nraids on bars and nightclubs, has also offered to help protect
\nchurches during the Christmas and New Year holidays.<\/p>\n
\"We will be directly involved to show that relations between
\nreligious communities are good,\" FPI member Alawi Usman was
\nquoted as saying by Antara.<\/p>\n
He said FPI members involved in the security operation would
\nbe advised not to get too close to the churches, to avoid raising
\nthe suspicion of the police about their intentions.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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