Construction of Two Churches Stopped in Indonesia

Jakarta, Indonesia: March 29, 2010, (PCTV Newsdesk)

Compass Direct News (CDN) is reporting that an Islamic mob stopped construction of Santa Maria Immaculata Catholic Church in Citra Garden, West Jakarta earlier this month even as government officials in Yasmin Park, Bogor, West Java halted work on an Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) building.

The CDN story said that on March 12, the same day GKI faced closure from government officials, protestors led by the United Islam Forum (FUIB) blockaded the entrance to Citra Garden, demanding that construction of the Catholic church building there cease.

"They based their demand on the claim that it did not have the approval of the local citizens, but the church had official permission and therefore has been under construction for several weeks." The CDN story went on to say. "The building permit was posted in plain view, but the Islamic protestors said they felt that not all citizens had agreed to allow the building."

Church leader Albertus Suriata said the congregation never has had problems with local people.

"We have had good relations," Suriata told Compass. "I don't think that anyone near the church had objections. We suspect outsiders."

CDN also reported that in West Java, Bogor city police sealed the construction site of the Yasmin Park Indonesian Christian Church. Previously the Bogor city government had revoked the church building permit, claiming that the congregation created "uneasiness" among local people. The claim that the church caused "uneasiness" is false, said a source who requested anonymity. The source said the Bogor city government came under pressure from several Muslim organizations to revoke the building permit, and that in fact Yasmin Park residents had no objection to a church in their midst.

"Relations between the church and the residents were always good," the source told Compass.

For more information, go to www.compassdirect.org.

Note: Islam is Indonesia's dominant religion and approximately 86%, or about 200 million, of its population identify as Muslims, making it the world's largest Muslim population.