Recent events point toward a radicalization of a tolerant society.
For decades Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, has been looked to as a beacon of relative tolerance among Muslim majority states. (Indonesia's population of 237.5 million people is 80 percent Muslim.) Consider the following from the 2000 edition of the Operation World prayer guide:
Monotheism and communal peace are the basis for the stated government ideology of Pancasila. All citizens must choose one of five religions: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, or Christianity (Protestant or Catholic).
But in recent years, radical Islamists have been attempting to impose a stricter version of the religion of Muhammad on their fellow Muslims--and on the rest of the nation. On June 9 the government ruled that the minority Ahmadiyah sect, a more liberal branch of Islam, may not spread its beliefs. As a result, Islamists last week sealed off more than 10 Ahmadiyah mosques. An editorial in the Wall Street Journal Asia says the government-sanctioned discrimination is unlikely to end there:
If radical thugs are allowed to target Ahmadiyah houses of worship today with impunity, what prevents them from targeting other kinds of Muslims tomorrow? Or Christians? Or Sikhs? The government's refusal to protect the Ahmadiyah threatens the underpinnings of Indonesia's tolerant society. It's a familiar theme in history, and one that has not boded well for liberal democracies.
And indeed there are numerous signs of strain on the country's communal harmony. According to a recent report by Reuters:
There is a growing risk of conflict between Muslims and Christians in Indonesia's Papua, partly fuelled by migration and a growth in fundamentalism, International Crisis Group said in a report on [June 16].
Twice last year in Papua, two provinces on the western half of New Guinea island, communal tensions almost erupted into violence linked to tensions over the building of a new mosque and an iron tower in the form of a Christmas tree, it said.
"The potential for communal conflict is high in Papua because both sides consider themselves aggrieved," said Sidney Jones, a senior adviser for the International Crisis Group.
Indigenous Christians feel threatened by ongoing Muslim migration from other parts of Indonesia, while Muslims are concerned about facing discrimination or even expulsion, it said.
The prospect of conflict has also been fanned by religious tensions in other parts of Indonesia such as the Maluku islands, which have suffered from fighting between Christians and Muslims.
Posted by Stan Guthrie on June 25, 2008 12:07PM
Comments
Stan, thanks for the report but unfortunately you're assessment is way overdo. Indonesia has been intolerant of Christians for over a decade. According to International Chritian Concern at www.persecution.org, in 2006 3 school girls (about age 12) were attacked and beheaded by the Jihadist thugs. Between 1998 and 2003 over 10,000 Christians were killed by Muslims and over 80,000 Christian homes & businesses were burned to the ground. It's time for ALL Christians around the world to drop their petty differences and rise to the call of missions.
Posted by: denny barger at June 26, 2008
A woman from Indonesia who works for me would not agree with your contention that her country "has been looked to as a beacon of relative tolerance". She and her brothers and sisters, all ethnically Chinese and Christian (6 of her brothers are pastors) came to the US in the 1980's seeking refugee status because of the violence they had endured in Jakarta and other places: church burnings, rape and murder of family members, to list a few. Perhaps compared to Iran or Saudi Arabia, Indonesia is tolerant, but I think you should use terminology that Americans will interpret accurately. My colleague would say that Indonesia has not been tolerant in the western sense, but just perhaps less repressive of religious minorites than some other regimes. She has told me that the last 10 years have been better than the 2 earlier decades, even allowing for a seminary to operate in Jakarta (2 of her brothers teach there), but there is always fear that the previous violence will begin anew.
Posted by: Jinny Brow at June 27, 2008
Hi..
I'm from Indonesia.
Well, it's complicated if you try to see things from the outside since we have some issues here: ethnicity, money, and politics. And they translate into to: the long-existing separation between pribumi (native) and chinese (many chinese people here are christians) and financial difference between both ethnicity (and this is said was due to our second president actions when he was reigning. he is said to 'sharpen' the segregation that has existed since the time the Netherlands people invaded our country.); also the connection between christianity and jewish and americans(Muslims here hate what Israel does to Palestine); and the fact that we have many radicals. So, I personally think it's complicated. To say that Indonesia has tolerance towards religions, it is. But to say that we from other religions other than Muslims feel safe, it's not true, especially for those in Maluku and Sulawesi. Many people from both religions are quite moderate and try to keep the peace by building 'bridges' through discussions. One of them including my pastor in one town where I used to live.
So, I think we don't really sure about our safety of being Christians here in Indonesia but also find that Indonesia is quite moderate to let other religions to grow here.
I hope this will give you perspective and pray for us especially in places where people kill each other.
Posted by: Susie at June 30, 2008
Just want to comment on the statement that Ahmadiyah is "a more liberal branch of Islam". That is a wrong statement: the Radical Muslims attacked Ahmadiyah not because they are being tolerant, but because they claim that there is another Prophet after Muhammad, a 19th century mystic named Mirza Gulam Ahmad. This does not make them any tolerant from other Muslims, just different, and wrong. So NO, they were not attacked because they are a more tolerant branch, which would imply that the mainstream Muslims are generally intolerant. Nice try.
Posted by: Riz at December 22, 2008
"Our LORD Appreciated Christians as per Quranic Verses 3:55,5:82,57:27,28 Except Quranic Verses 5:14,15,16 & 57,9:31. As per Quranic Versus 4:59 and 83, it is our duty to spread the following messages to all concerns towards public peace, security, health and wealth of mankind in the world as per our website www.goldenduas.com. The following message ought to have published to all the members of the group so far.As per quranic versus 4:59 and 83 it is a duty tospread the following messages in the interest of public peace, health and wealth. "please download from web site WWW.GOLDENDUAS.COM for peace, security, health& wealth for mankind and the same may be published to all members of the group based on quranic verses 2:2,10:57,17:11,16,28:59,39:55,57,13:37&65:8. Otherwise it will amount to refusal to follow our Lord Order, guidance and direction as per Quranic verses 6:26" Please kindly arrange to post the above said message in the group website in the interest of public to know all concerns in the interest of peace, security, health and wealth of all mankind. Otherwise it will amount to refuse to follow our Lord Order, guidance and direction as per Quranic verses 6:26
With kind regards
U.IBRAHIMALI
Posted by: ibrahimali at March 9, 2010
hi im inodnesian chinese and yes im a Christians
i am proud to announce that most of us are Christians with more and more buddhist converting to Christian faith
same issue is going on in Singapore, malaysia and americas even in mainland China
im proud that my people finnaly converts to Christianity(both Indonesians and Chinese)
the result of 2010 cencus is 10% Christians, however it is estimated around 13% are actually Christians which counts between 22-30 million Christians praising Christ the Lord in this Islamic country
Posted by: attalea at November 26, 2011
Praise the Lord, thank you for telling us about the increasing number of Christians in those countries. I pray that He will always be with you, and that the numbers of Christians will continue to grow and grow. Jesus is awesome amen!
Posted by: MollyB at November 26, 2011
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