INTERNATIONAL
Islamists Threaten to
Kill Church Leader in
Indonesia
Baptist congregation to
try resolving dispute
over worship place in
court.
Special to Compass
Direct
JAKARTA,
Members
of the Islamic
Defenders’ Front (FPI)
in Tangerang, Banten
province, confronted and
threatened to kill
church leader Bedali
Hulu yesterday as he
visited his elderly
mother-in-law in a
rented home formerly
used as a meeting place
for his congregation.
For the past 18 months
Hulu’s Jakarta Baptist
Christian Church (GKJB)
in Pisangan village,
Sepatan district has
wrestled for the right
to hold church services
in the village. Members
will soon take the
matter to court in hopes
of finding a permanent
solution to the dispute.
Yesterday’s
confrontation by
the Muslim extremist FPI
was the latest in a
series of threats. Last
week as the congregation
held a simple meeting in
a church member’s home –
sharing a meal and
singing a few hymns –
FPI members arrived and
repeated threats first
issued in November to
raid the homes of church
members if meetings
continued. (See
Compass Direct News,
“Islamic Groups Secure
Closure of Two
Churches,” December 3,
2007.)
Until January 2007, the
congregation met in
Hulu’s rented home.
Following threats
however, they began
alternating meetings in
various members’ homes.
Hulu established the
church in June 2005 and
held services in his
home until December 2006
without objection from
neighbors. He had
obtained written
permission from a local
official to hold the
services and the church
was registered with
Religious Affairs
authorities.
When the church planned
to hold a Christmas
celebration in December
2006, however, FPI
members began an
extended intimidation
campaign with the
express goal of ending
“illegal” Christian
activity in the village.
Initially, the FPI sent
a letter to the church
warning it not to hold
the Christmas program.
Bedali immediately
reported this to the
police, who provided
security during the
celebration – but in
subsequent disputes took
the side of the FPI.
Hulu finally filed an
official complaint in
November 2007 after the
FPI threatened to raid
church members’ homes.
Police, however, lost
the document, forcing
Hulu to file a second
complaint this January.
Lawyer Djawadin Saragih
advised Hulu to file a
third complaint on May
21, citing continual
harassment from FPI
members.
Hulu has since moved to
other rented
accommodation, leaving
his mother-in-law in
residence in the
original house used for
church meetings.
FPI Threatens Church
Members
On November 4, as
children attended Sunday
school at the church, a
group of around 10 FPI
members arrived and
broke up the meeting.
Hulu immediately
reported this incident
to police.
Hulu met with FPI
leaders and local
officials on November 8,
but they reached no
agreement.
On November 19, several
FPI associates sent a
letter to Hulu warning
him and his family to
leave the village within
six days or the
extremists would chase
them out. Police advised
Hulu to leave
temporarily, but his
wife and mother-in-law
were allowed to remain.
When Hulu filed another
police report, the
police summoned him to a
meeting at the home of
FPI leader Habib
Muhammad Assegaf. While
Hulu and his wife met
with Assegaf, a church
member sent a text
message informing them
that a small mob had
attacked the church,
breaking windows and
taking church property
including a cross. The
mob also forced Hulu’s
mother-in-law to leave
the building.
Hulu reported this
incident to district
police in Tangerang on
November 22, who
informed him that he
could either return to
Pisangan and cease all
religious activity, or
pursue the matter
through legal channels.
Weary of the constant
pressure, Hulu filed an
official complaint.
Pisangan FPI leader Ocit
(known only by a single
name) then demanded that
Hulu withdraw his
complaint or else FPI
members would raid the
homes of individual
church members.
Hostility, Intimidation
The threats in November
were part of a long
series of attempts to
close down the church.
On January 4, 2007, just
a few weeks after the
disputed Christmas
celebration, a mob led
by local FPI members
surrounded the church
during Sunday worship
and demanded that it
cease holding services
as it did not have a
full permit for a place
of worship.
A Joint Ministerial
Decree promulgated in
1969 and revised in 2006
requires a congregation
of at least 90 adult
members, the permission
of at least 60 neighbors
and a permit from local
authorities to establish
a place of worship.
Church leaders say it is
virtually impossible to
obtain a permit under
these terms.
In January 2007 the GKJB
congregation had
approximately 12 adult
members and little hope
of reaching 90. Hulu,
however, had obtained
written permission from
a local official to hold
services in his home.
He reported the January
2007 incident to police,
who asked him to stop
holding services. When
he refused, FPI members
forcibly locked the
building and took the
key.
En route to a meeting
with Assegaf, police
handed Hulu a sheet of
paper listing the FPI’s
terms for settling the
dispute: that Hulu cease
holding services in his
home and the church
apply for a full worship
permit.
Under immense pressure,
Hulu signed the
agreement, and the
church began holding
services in different
church members’ homes
from week to week.
This practice continued
until October last year,
when FPI leader Ocit and
associate Atang Kosasih
again warned Hulu that
they would not tolerate
any illegal religious
activity in the village.
In November, the
congregation decided to
relocate services to a
nearby city while they
pursued a case against
the FPI.
Provided by
Compass
Direct News
