Review planned of decree on worship places

Blontank Poer and Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Surakarta/Jakarta

Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'ruf says the government has decided to review a controversial ministerial decree issued in 1969 that some Christians claim has stopped them from building churches.

The concession comes amid rising criticism toward the government for taking minimal action while Muslim hard-liners forcibly closed down dozens of churches in West Java over the past year.

"We have to realize that Indonesia is a pluralistic nation, let's show some tolerance in society," Ma'ruf said on Tuesday as quoted by Antara.

Ma'ruf said the decree was no longer relevant and needed to be reviewed as it came into effect more than 35 years ago.

The decree, jointly issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, stipulates that those who want to set up houses of worship require permission from the local community and local administration.

The ruling has forced some Christians to hold services in houses, shops and other commercial buildings due to difficulties in obtaining the necessary permits. Christians account for about nine percent of the country's more than 220 million population, the majority of whom are Muslims.

Muslim hard-liners grouped in the Anti-Apostasy Alliance Movement (AGAP) have shut down over the last year churches, many of which are unlicensed, in West Java's capital of Bandung and neighboring areas.

An executive of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) Andreas A. Yewangoe reported last week to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that 23 churches in Bandung had been forcibly closed by the hard-line group between September of last year and August of this year.

Two other closures were confirmed last week in Bandung and Jakarta. Some of the churches did not have any permit as they were located in residential areas.

The closure of the churches has sparked criticism, including from moderate Muslim figures, who have called on the police to take action.

Responding to the move by the hard-line groups, Ma'ruf said that the country had laws and that people who violated them deserved to be punished.

Separately, the head of the country's largest Muslim organization Nadhlatul Ulama (NU), Hasyim Muzadi, urged on Tuesday the National Police to take action against the groups who had taken the law into their own hands by closing down the churches.

"It is forbidden (of Muslims) to take over the police's authority in upholding the law," Hasyim said.

Hasyim said that Muslims should not interfere with the case but let the police do their work, underlining that the Koran strongly rejected the idea of disturbing others religious activities.

Separately, the National Police said they would further their investigation before naming any suspects.

National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Saud Usman Nasution said that regional police were investigating the case to find out whether they (the hard-line groups) had violated the law in closing down the churches.