Indonesian Christians Sent to Jail for Evangelizing
Two Christians in Indonesia have been given a three-year sentence in jail for evangelizing Muslims. Their lawyer insisted that the trial violated the men’s human rights, but Kashfi Rasyid and Jalaudin were still convicted. There was much debate during the trial on whether the men were Christians or Muslims. The… Read more
Despite Obstacles, Youngren Gospel Festival Reaches Thousands
Peter Youngren had a successful Gospel festival in Makassar last week, despite death threats, last-minute location changes, and blasphemy charges. Just three days before the festival was to begin, the mayor pulled the location permit for the festival. After a couple of other locations fell through, a large church finally… Read more
Sufi Muslims Feel the Heat of Indonesia’s Rising Intolerance
A Sufi Muslim religious school in southern Aceh is now facing discrimination along with the rest of the religious minorities in Indonesia. Sufism is an expression of Islam focused on more mystical practices. On July 5, a dorm was burned down due to arson. Less than a month later, on… Read more
Non-Stop Prayer is Sweeping Across Indonesia
A prayer movement is rising in Indonesia. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, Indonesian Christians are praying for their country. In the Jakarta area a building is being used specifically for around the clock intervention. One of the prayer leaders there said the rooms are packed with people… Read more
Indonesia’s Largest Muslim Organization Criticizes Hard-Liners
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) is criticizing Islamic Defender’s Front (FPI) for conducting raids in places they deem immoral during the month of Ramadan. Last week one of those raids ended with a pregnant woman being killed in a vehicle accident. Just a few days later, FPI trashed a store in Makassar… Read more
Seventeen House Churches Closed In Aceh
Islamic pressures in Aceh, which is in Northern Sumatra, are becoming intolerable. Within a year, seventeen house churches have been closed, including two Catholic chapels. Threats against Protestant congregations have also been made. Favor Bancin, part of the Indonesian Synod, said, “The behavior of local authorities is a potential threat… Read more
A New Brother!
(Note: This testimony is actually from an Indonesian, written by him in English. Although we have edited it some so you will understand it, we did not edit everything so it would be more real.) We (Christian workers on Sumatra) met Pak Hendri* at his nursery. At the time there… Read more
Atheist Parents in Indonesia
It is illegal to be an atheist in Indonesia. So, how does someone survive as an atheist parent there? The Indonesian Atheist Parents Facebook group was started in April as a result of the growing atheist movement in Indonesia. There are now over seventy members of the group, who discuss… Read more
Shi’ite Refugees Moved Out Of Sports Hall
Last August, the Sampang Shi’ite community were displaced from their homes after their village was attacked. They were then forced to move into the town sports hall. The government has now provided small apartments for the refugees 100 kilometers from their homes. While the apartments are better than the sports… Read more
Freedom Under Grave Threat
After months of debate, the Indonesian House of Representatives passed the mass organizations bill into law on Tuesday, July 2. This new law puts the Home Ministry in charge of the government’s integrated information system to screen all mass organizations operating in the country. Many organizations, both Christian and Muslim,… Read more
Fires in Central Sumatra Causing Haze Throughout Southeast Asia
For the last two weeks, 265 fires have been burning in peat swamp forests and plantations of the province of Riau, Sumatra. The consensus is that the fires were started by companies using slash and burn techniques to make new fields. These fires have caused horrible air pollution throughout Southeast… Read more
Extremists Attack an Interfaith Conference in Surabaya
A week ago Tuesday, there was a Muslim-Christian conference discussing religious freedom and peaceful coexistence between the two groups in Surabaya. In the middle of the conference that afternoon, a group from the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) stormed the group. They interrupted the activities and threatened every participant, despite the… Read more
Indonesia’s Christians Are Far From Unity
In Indonesia, the needs and opportunities for unity have not been fully grasped. Father Antonius Benny Susetyo says, “The Churches fight for their own interests and, therefore, become exclusive.” Some steps toward unity have happened in recent years. The Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) has 88 congregations with 15… Read more
Suicide Bomber
A suicide bomber attacked a police station in Central Sulawesi on Monday, June 3. It was the first suicide attack in Indonesia since September 2011 when a bomber attacked a church in Central Java. The bomber forced himself into the police station and blew himself up. Fortunately no one was… Read more
Indonesia Tunnel Accident
Two weeks ago, a tunnel collapsed in Papua. It is the world’s second largest copper mine. Ten workers were rescued, but the rest who were still in the tunnel have died, making the death toll twenty-eight. Although Indonesia’s mining is known for having a poor safety record, industry officials state… Read more
Revival Meetings in Jakarta This Weekend
Dr. Michael Youssef is doing a revival in Jakarta May 23-25 at Istora Stadium. The organizer of the revival meetings, Dr. Nus Reimas, says that Youssef is the first evangelist to come to Indonesia with Middle Eastern roots. Although Indonesia is a Muslim-dominated country, God has kept a door open… Read more
Several People With Connections to Myanmar Embassy Plot Killed
As a result of last week’s alleged plot to bomb the Myanmar Embassy, Indonesia’s anti-terrorism unit has conducted several operations to root out suspected militants. The group conducted raids last Wednesday and Thursday in both Central Java and West Java. They have killed seven and arrested another thirteen. The suspected… Read more
Indonesian Atheists Join in Community
It is illegal to an atheist in Indonesia. That being said, there is a growing community that has joined together through social media. They now hold regular gatherings and have become bolder about their beliefs as a result. But Indonesia has an anti-blasphemy law, and recently people have been convicted… Read more
Indonesia Urged to Tackle Religious Intolerance
The New York-based Human Rights Watch recently released a report stating that there has been a steady rise on religious minorities in Indonesia. The report states that most of those responsible for the attacks received little to no punishment, and therefore the government is not doing enough to protect minorities.… Read more
Indonesian Immigrants in New Jersey Freed from Church Sanctuary
As we have already shared, eight Indonesian immigrants have been living in a church in New Jersey. They have recently been told that they can now leave the property. They are now on “order of supervision” which means they must check-in with federal agents regularly, but they won’t be deported.… Read more