Across Pacific
Magazine
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INDONESIA: ISLAMISATION
DRIVE CLOSES CHURCHES
radicalised Muslims ralling against "Christianisation", apostasy and Christian expansion By Elizabeth Kendal World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (WEA RLC) Wednesday, August 17, 2005 AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- Indonesia's highest and most authoritative Islamic clerical group, the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI), is concerned about Christian expansion in Indonesia, a 'problem' they discussed at their four-day national congress in the last week of July. According to the Jakarta Post, the clerical delegation from Jambi province, central Sumatra, reported that Christian preachers were converting Muslims 'at an alarming rate'. They were 'most disturbed' by 'the phenomenon of the construction of churches in the province'. Various delegates lamented lack of funds to counter conversions, whilst some complained non-Muslims were being elected to positions of local authority. Other delegates voiced their determination to ensure their district remained church-free. Demonstrating the extent hard-liners have infiltrated and now control the MUI, the congress released an 11-point fatwa (edict) denouncing liberal interpretations of Islam, secularism and pluralism as un-Islamic, and promoting a hard-line, intolerant orthodox Islam that denies equality to women and non-Muslims. As Indonesia's highest Islamic authority, the MUI is responsible for Muslim doctrine in the country. According to Jubilee Campaign (JC) the MUI receives some 5 billion Rupees (nearly US$600,000) of government funding annually. Former president Abdurrahman Wahid ('Gus Dur') is one of many influential figures who publicly rejected the fatwa. Fueled mainly by the MUI, the drive for Islamisation has increased in recent years, as has a growing concern over Muslim apostasy (leaving Islam). This is evidenced in the Education Bill, the push for Sharia Law and the escalation in church closures, which are all part of an aggressive counter-measure to halt or reverse the spread of Christianity. Thirty-five churches have been closed in West Java since the MUI issued their fatwa. JC reports that on Sunday 14 August, Islamic militants from the Front for the Defense of Islam (FDI), an arm of the MUI, barged into eight churches in Cimahi, West Java, during worship services. Accompanied by police, the militants then marched to the front, forced the pastor to sign a statement that he would close the church, and ordered the congregation to leave. The churches affected were Anglican, Presbyterian, Adventist, Assemblies of God, Pentecostal and three other Protestant congregations. The militants targeted eight churches in Cileunyi the previous Sunday. Meanwhile, Dr Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti and Ratna Bangun remain imprisoned without bail in Harguelis, West Java, on charges of 'Christianisation' of Muslim children. The three Christian women are being charged under the 2002 Child Protection Act for introducing Christianity to Muslim children, thus advocating apostasy. (A mixed group of children, including Muslims voluntarily and with their parents' consent, attended a Christian children's program called 'Happy Week' run by the three women.) When these women attend court each Thursday, they are confronted by large crowds of highly agitated Islamic militants screaming for their deaths, calling for jihad, and rallying against 'Christianisation' and apostasy. A large contingent of police prevents the crowds tearing the women apart. This is a test case. If convicted, the women (who altogether have eight children) face up to five years in prison, and Christians would subsequently be risking imprisonment when introducing Muslim minors to Christ. PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:
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