Bantul Regent: GMS Church Service Dissolution Violates Religious Teachings and Constitution

Bantul Regent Abdul Halim Muslih stated that the dissolution of a worship service at the Gereja Misa Sejahtera (GMS) in Sewon, Bantul violates religious teachings and the constitution. The regency government is currently processing GMS’s permit application.

“Persecution and intimidation against worshippers during religious services is unacceptable and cannot be justified from either a religious or constitutional perspective,” Halim told reporters at Masjid Agung Manunggal Bantul on Wednesday (27 May 2026).

According to Halim, Prophet Muhammad responded to differences with tolerance. Thus, it can be concluded that human diversity is sunatullah and tolerance is the sunnah of the Prophet.

“Therefore, anyone, especially Muslims, must grant non-Muslims the freedom to practice their faith, which is part of adhering to Islamic teachings,” he said.

“No one, especially not in the name of religion, can persecute or disband another community’s worship, as this is clearly baseless,” Halim added.

From a constitutional perspective, Article 29 Paragraph 2 of the 1945 Constitution states that the state guarantees every resident the right to practise their own religion and worship according to their beliefs.

“Therefore, persecuting or intimidating other worshippers violates both religious teachings and the constitution. This is clearly unjustifiable,” he stated.

Separately, Halim highlighted regulations on place of worship construction. He stated that these are governed by the Joint Ministerial Decree and coordination with the Regional Leadership Forum (Forkopimda), along with the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) and the Interfaith Harmony Forum (FKUB), which will process GMS’s application.

“We will await recommendations from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and FKUB. The permit application will then be assessed for compliance with requirements,” he said.