Tension runs high in Bekasi over Sunday services
Tension runs high in Bekasi over Sunday services
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Tensions are running high in the Jati Mulya housing complex in
Bekasi, West Java, with some 1,500 Christians demanding their
places of worship be reopened with local Muslims insisting they
are shut down for good.
Secretary of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) for
Bekasi area Hotman Hutasoit said on Friday the Christians --
coming from three churches the HKBP, Gekindo and GPDI -- had
decided to hold Sunday services on the streets if local residents
keep blocking roads to their three places of worship.
"Holding a Sunday service is our basic need just like eating
and drinking. We can't just stop doing it. We will conduct the
Sunday services even if several residents here threaten us," he
told The Jakarta Post.
A clash almost broke out last Sunday between members of the
three congregations and local Muslim residents, several of whom
claimed to be members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), when
Christians held services on the streets inside the housing
complex.
There was brief pushing and pulling between the two groups but
no violence occurred as around 100 police officers were deployed
to the housing complex.
Hotman said that their efforts, including discussions with
authorities and a dialog with local residents, had failed to
resolve the dispute.
The dispute began in September, when a group of Muslims
blocked all roads leading to the HKBP, Gekindo and GPDI places of
worship.
After several days of discussion, local Muslims insisted that
the 13-year old churches had to be closed down as they had not
obtained building permits.
Local authorities said they were still trying to find other
locations for Christians to hold their Sunday services.
Jati Mulya village chief Sulaiman said local residents wanted
the three places of worship to be closed permanently.
"Local residents want the Christians to hold their services
outside Jati Mulya village and the Bekasi regent has recently
issued a decree prohibiting the buildings being used for Sunday
services. The regent, police, church representatives and myself
have discussed alternative locations for them," he told Post.
Secretary of Bekasi Regency Herry Koesaeri confirmed Friday
that they were looking for places where the three congregations
could build churches.
Many churches in Bandung and the Greater Jakarta area have
been forcefully shut down by hard-line Muslim groups, including
the FPI and the Anti-Apostasy Movement Alliance (AGAP).
PGI leader Andreas A. Yewangoe complained to President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono earlier about the closure of 23 churches in
Bandung by hard-line groups since September 2004.
Christians have long considered a 1969 joint ministerial
decree as the root of the problem.
The decree requires that congregations wishing to build a
house of worship to secure approval from the head of local
administration and seek permission from local residents.
With Indonesia being predominantly Muslims, minority
Christians often have difficulties in building churches, and
instead use houses, shop-houses or hotels to hold services.