Religious leaders denounce attacks on churches

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)