Religious leaders denounce attacks on churches
JAKARTA (JP): Along with expressions of regret, condemnation came hard and fast yesterday over the recent attacks on East Java churches which left five people dead and damaged a score of buildings.
The influential Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) denounced the attacks, perpetrated by an angry mob of local Moslems in Situbondo, saying that Islam does not condone inter-faith enmity.
Following on the council's condemnation was a demand by a delegation of 40 Christian youths that the National Commission on Human Rights probe the incident, and that the government punish those responsible for violations of human rights there. Commission members Clementino Dos Reis Amaral and A.A. Baramuli are flying down to the small East Java town today.
"We demand firm punishment for the rioters," Daniel Rohi, chairman of the East Java chapter of the Indonesian Christian Students Movement (GMKI), said.
The Bishop's Conference of Indonesia regretted that the security forces moved too late to contain the attacks which reportedly spread from Situbondo, some 160 kilometers east of Surabaya, to the nearby towns of Panarukan and Asembagus.
The chairman of the council of ulemas, Hasan Basri, called on all religious groups, especially Moslems, to be wary of the campaign of "certain parties" to divide the country.
"Prophet Muhammad forbade Moslems from committing violence, killing monks, women and children, or burning houses of worship, even during wars," Hasan said.
"The council is calling on all religious groups, especially Moslems, to beware of the campaign of irresponsible parties to pit one religious group against the others, Moslems with other Moslems, Moslems against the government..." he said.
Chairman of the Bishops' Conference of Indonesia Julius Cardinal Darmaatmadja regretted how discontent and anger over certain problems drove people to go on the rampage, destroying places of worship, and even to kill people.
"The incident underlines that some of us are standing where respect for other people and their religions is at its lowest point," Julius said.
"We regret that security officers moved in only after the riot had gone on for quite a long time and had spread," Julius said in a written statement, a copy of which was made available to The Jakarta Post.
He expressed hopes that the Situbondo rioting would be the last such unrest to occur in the country. "Unless we're more careful, it would be very easy for us to commit violence," he warned.
"It's now time for us to eliminate enmity from our minds," he said.
The riots were sparked by Situbondo Moslems' anger over the jail term requested by the prosecution for a Moslem sect member standing trial on charges of blasphemy against Islam.
The mob, considering the requested punishment too lenient, burned down the court building and set fire to a nearby church after someone shouted that the defendant, Saleh, was hiding there.
They then went on a further rampage, reportedly burning and damaging 21 churches, five Catholic elementary schools, one Christian orphanage, two plazas, three cars and five motorcycles. Five people died inside one of the churches. The frenzy reportedly lasted for about five hours before troops intervened to contain it.
Rights commission member Amaral said he and Baramuli will meet with East Java Governor Basofi Sudirman, the Jember regent, and other government officials to discuss the riot.
Separately, Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman suggested the establishment of regional offices of the Inter-Faith Solidarity Institute.
"The Institute may prove effective in settling religious disputes among worshipers of different religions," he said. (imn)