Indonesia to Host Islam-Christianity Conference
Next week, February 26 to March 1, Indonesia will host a conference for Asian Muslim and Christian leaders. The purpose of the conference is to help strengthen personal relations between Muslim and Christian leaders. They hope to join together to overcome justice and socioeconomic conflicts. The conference is also being… Read more
Indonesians told “reject Valentine’s Day”
The deputy mayor in Depok, West Java, along with leaders in both Muslim councils in Indonesia are telling parents to not allow their children to celebrate Valentine’s day. The fear is that teenagers will have premarital sex because Valentine’s Day encourages people to express love to their significant other. A… Read more
Chinese New Year Divides Muslim Scholars
Chinese New Year is widely celebrated in Indonesia. It is now causing controversy as some Muslim Scholars say that Muslims should not celebrate it. They say that much of the celebration has portions of Buddhist teachings, so therefore it is not allowed in Islam. Other scholars, though, say that it… Read more
Amnesty International Asking Indonesia To Stop Discrimination
Amnesty International is asking Indonesia to stop their discrimination against religious minorities. This is a direct result of Shia Muslims being forced out of their homes on Madura Island in August 2012. They moved into a sports complex and were receiving food and water, but the government cut that off… Read more
Authorities back away from compulsory Islam teaching in East Java Catholic schools
The schools in East Java that the government wanted to close will be allowed to stay open. And they will not be required to give compulsory courses in Islam and the Quran. After three days of intense talks between local officials and members of the John Gabriel Foundation on behalf… Read more
Authorities Threaten To Close Schools
Authorities in Blitar, a town in East Java are threatening to close six Catholic schools because they do not offer Islamic courses to their Muslim students. They state that the schools are breaking a regional bylaw that requires all Muslim students to receive Islamic courses in school. However, sources within… Read more
Indonesian City Bans Women Straddling Motorbikes
Lhokseumawe city in Aceh province will ban women from straddling male drivers on motorbikes. This city also drafted several other new bills, including banning women from wearing tight trousers, stoning adulterers, and flogging homosexuals. Aceh is known for being a stronghold of Islamic law. Pray for women throughout Aceh to… Read more
Indonesian Shiites Being Persecuted as Heretics Live in Limbo
Since August, Indonesian Shiites have been living in a sports hall after being forced from their village. More than 30 houses were torched by a mob of hundreds of men. Last month, the government cut off the Shiites free food and water supplies because of lack of funds. On top… Read more
Mob Descends on Indonesian Churches
Two weeks ago, a mob made up of hundreds of angry Muslims descended on two different churches in West Sumatra. The day before that was a protest against the increase in Christian schools in the area. The mob was organized by the Islamic Organizations Communication Forum, a radical Islamic political… Read more
Female Circumcision is Still Common in Indonesia!
There are only two countries in the world outside of Africa where “female circumcision” (FGM) is common. One is Yemen. The other is Indonesia. Islamic foundations in Indonesia have mass ceremonies where they circumcise many girls at once. One foundation, Yayasan Assalam, also pays parents Rp. 80,000 ($8) who bring… Read more
UN Condemns Indonesia’s Increasing Violence Against Shiites
The UN has officially condemned Indonesia because of the violence and discrimination against minority Muslim groups such as Shiites and Ahmadis, as well as Christians. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay recently met with leaders of these groups and was distressed by what she heard. She warned… Read more
Churches In Bandung and Aceh Are Closed
Indonesian Christian Church (Huria Kristen Indonesia or HKI) in Bandung, West Java has been sealed shut by authorities. Churches are required to get 60 non-Christian signatures in order to apply for a building/use permit. Originally the church had 77 signatures, but influential Muslims then went into the community and convinced… Read more
Indonesia Arrests 11 in Suspected Terror Plot
On Friday and Saturday, eleven more people were arrested in Jakarta, Bogor, Solo, and Madiun. These people are suspects in most recent planned terrorist attack. Police found plans to attack the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, the U.S. Consulate in Surabaya, and a building near the Australian Embassy in Jakarta that… Read more
Anti-Christian Violence: Extremists Set Fire to Church in Central Sulawesi
Central Sulawesi is facing violence between Christians and Muslims again. In the past, this area has been the center of much conflict, but things calmed down when a peace agreement was made in 2002. On Sunday night, though, unknown assailants set fire Madele Pentecostal Church. The congregation acted quickly, stopping… Read more
Indonesian Immigrant Gets to Go Home
Oldy Manopo, an Indonesian immigrant, fled to the US on Christmas Eve, 2000, because of persecution. He has been fighting deportation and sought sanctuary at the Reformed Church of Highland Park since April 16. Last week, Manopo was able to go home to his wife and children. They are very… Read more
Embattled Indonesian Church Must Relocate Despite Supreme Court Support
Taman Yasmin Indonesian Christian Church in Bogor is being forced to relocate. The church received the required permission to build a church in 2006, but has undergone constant persecution ever since. The Indonesian Constitutional Court told the church in 2011 that they could use their building, but the mayor of… Read more
The Way I Became a Real Christian
The Way I Became a Real Christian Rini in Jember, East Java I was raised in a devout Christian home that taught our church’s doctrines. The majority of my neighborhood was not Christian. They smoked and drank. I hung out with them often, but I didn’t follow their actions.… Read more
Muslim-Christian Duo to Run Jakarta
On October 7, Jakarta will have a new governor. The moderate Muslim known as “Jokowi” and his Chinese Christian running mate, “Ahok,” defeated “Foke.” While Christians are excited about this, many Muslim extremists are not and consider this win a “political disaster.” During the election campaign, Ahok was repeatedly attacked… Read more
Testimony from West Kalimantan
I was born and raised in a Muslim family. When I was eight years old, I began studying and reading the Quran. This experience made me a religious fanatic. I became very active in the mosque, and greatly urged my friends to keep their religion. I told them at every… Read more
Christian Schools in Indonesia Threatened with Closure for Not Teaching Islam
The local government in a small Central Javan town is threatening to close St. Pius Catholic School. The reason? They refuse to teach Islam. While the government requires that all schools teach religion, they do not say what religion. Therefore, most Christian schools teach Christianity, not Islam. Muslim parents are… Read more
