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Indonesia

• Protests Force Church to Close

  

  The New Testament Christian Church in Central Java was meeting for worship on February 16th when protesters entered the building and demanded that the church service stop. As the demonstrations continued, police arrived to mediate. The pastor received permission to finish the service and meet with the opposing community members later.

• Community Pressure Causes Church Closure

  

  The state of religious freedom in Indonesia was brought again into the spotlight when local authorities broke up a Sunday service at the Indonesian Pentecostal Church in the province of Riau on August 25th.

  The church had been meeting in a building that also served as the pastor's home since 2014. This congregation faced opposition, however, from some neighbours. A letter was sent to the church on August 7th, banning them from conducting any religious activities inside the home. Under a 2006 decree, religious buildings require the approval of community members. While passed in the name of religious harmony, this law has created significant problems for Christians and other minority religious groups.

• Christian Girls Targeted

  

  In various areas of the world where Islam is dominant, tactics are being used by militants to stop the spread of Christianity. One way is to target young Christian girls. According to Greg Kelley of World Mission, Islamic leaders in Indonesia have been training young men to seduce and impregnate Christian girls, often forcibly. Due to cultural pressure, and the shame that is brought on the families, the victimized girls are often forced to marry into a Muslim family.

• Prison Sentences for Church Bombings

  

  A married couple has been convicted and sentenced for their part in the bombing of three churches in Surabaya in May 2018. Agus Satrio Widodo received a sentence of eight years, and his wife Damayanti received 40 months after a court found them guilty of "aiding criminal acts of terrorism," as well as criminal conspiracy.

• Former Governor to be Released Early

  

  In May 2017, the governor of Jakarta was convicted of blasphemy and received a two-year prison sentence. The charges arose from a statement made by Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, questioning a claim of some clerics that the Quran forbade Muslims from voting for a Christian. For more details, go to this page.

• Proposed Religious Education Law

  

  Christian organizations in Indonesia have raised concerns about a new religious education bill that would require government permits before conducting any classes, including Sunday school, catechism or Bible classes. The law, if passed, would require a minimum of 15 participants, along with approval from the government's Religious Affairs Ministry.

• Three Churches Closed Over Permits

  

  Authorities on the Indonesian island of Sumatra closed three churches on September 27th, stating that they lack the necessary permits. Church leaders, however, argue that the closures relate instead to restlessness among majority Muslims because of the rapid growth of churches in the area.

  According to an anonymous source, protest rallies had been planned by the "Islamic Defenders Front" for September 28th, with plans for 1,000 protesters in front of the three churches. It is believed that the churches were sealed to prevent this demonstration. Church groups have issued statements urging the government to not give in to pressure but to respect religious freedom.

• Suicide Bomber Family Attacks Three Churches
  
  The aftermath of the Surabaya bombing.
  Photo: Screenshot from YouTube / Try Kutriw

  A series of coordinated church bombings in the city of Surabaya has resulted in as many as 28 fatalities and the wounding of 50 victims; some critically. The attacks were carried out on the morning of May 13th by members of a single family.

  Dita Futrianto, a local leader for a militant Islamic group known as Jemaah Ansharut Daulah, dropped off his wife and two daughters, ages 9 and 12, at the Diponegro Indonesian Christian Church. All three female accomplices had bombs strapped to them which exploded in the courtyard outside the church.

• Awakened to the Truth

  

  Born in a devout Muslim home, Jacob was required as a child to attend special Quran classes every evening. As the years passed by, he became further entrenched in his studies, and strictly observed the call to prayer five times a day. However, one night he had a powerful dream that altered the trajectory of his life. In the dream, a Man told him that he would be "a good servant one day." Although Jacob did not fully understand what this meant, his thoughts immediately turned to Christianity.

• Governor Imprisoned for Alleged Blasphemy

  
  Basuki (Ahok) Tjahaja Purnama
  Wikimedia Commons / Government
  of Republic of Indonesia

  In a tense trial that was widely seen as a test of religious tolerance in the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (popularly known as "Ahok"), has been sentenced to two years' imprisonment for alleged blasphemy. The May 9th sentence of the Jakarta governor was harsher than expected and has come as a shock to many of his supporters. TV news coverage of the scene outside the court showed some supporters weeping.