As police officers have seen, a group of Muslims stormed an Indonesian prayer house on Sunday (July 27), causing injuries to two children, sources said.
Muslims cried out the jihadist slogans: “Alahu Akbar (God is bigger)” and “Dismiss it.” show.
Intruders armed with wooden blocks, knives and stones have damaged property inside and outside the prayer house where religious instruction is underway for children who were unable to receive at school. Panicked students and their parents went outside when their children cried. A voice from within the congregation can be said, “Our country is the state of Pankasila, a law-based law-based system of all the unity and social justice policies of the various people of Indonesia), and must be carried out according to the law.”
Two Christian students, ages 7 and 11, were seriously injured after the attackers attacked them, according to the video. Sound system equipment, chairs, fans, pulpit podiums, window windows and other items have been damaged.
Church pastor, F. Nigi said the attack suddenly occurred while several children were receiving religious guidance. According to Sumbarkita.id, the angry Muslim mob gathered on the street in front of the prayer house and screamed, shocking the pastor who was outside the building at the time.
“The crowd immediately cried out. ‘Rejected! Refusing religious instructions!'” They began to throw stones into the prayer house,” said Pastor Nicki. “The glass was crushed, the equipment was destroyed, and electricity was cut off.”
The head of the 03 Neighborhood Association (Rukun Tetangga) and the head of the 09 Community Association (RW) asked him to speak to him in the backyard, but there were no details regarding the discussion, BBC.com reported.
The attacks and vandalism continued during Islamic afternoon prayer time (ASR) by local Muslims.
Mayor Padang argued that the incident was a misconception that was unrelated to ethnic, race or pagan issues. He acknowledged the hurtful feelings of Christian worshipers.
“First, we must acknowledge the pain of our brothers and sisters suffering from this vandalism. “The damaged building was not a church, but an educational facility for Christian students.”
Pastor Dickey expressed his concern to Aram and later presented a video show.
“All this time, I’ve only been providing religious guidance. This is not an illegal activity,” he told the mayor. “This is a prayer house and a place for Christian religious education for school children, so they can get grades in their religious studies. To get grades, I will give them exams and more.”
Just as religious teaching coincides with the time of carrying out the afternoon (ASR) prayer, Pastor Dacia states, “When we hear the sound of an adan (a call to Islamic prayer), we will stop the activity. I respect Adan. When I hear Adan, I pray to the Christian leaders because Muslims are offering prayers.
Pastor Nicki then expressed his sadness over the actions of those who had just completed the Islamic prayer.
“I am deeply saddened by the actions of those siblings unless I teach Christian children about cockfighting, drug use and more,” he said. “Mayor, I will educate them in the Word of God.”
According to Kompas.com, the chairman of the Padang Interfaith Cooperation Forum, identified solely as Salmadanis, said the incidents of vandalism and assault on children stemmed from mere misunderstanding.
“The core issues stem from a change in the church’s approach to religious leadership,” Salmadanis said. “In the past, religious education has been conducted between the Houses. Recently, it has been concentrated in a single location, leading to misunderstandings within the community.”
West Sumatra Deputy Police Chief Brig. General Solihin said police had arrested nine people in connection with the destruction of the congregation’s prayer home. The number of suspects in this case could increase as more evidence appears, he said.
“Trust me, the police should follow up on this case and no one in West Sumatra should put the law into their own hands,” Solihin said.
According to Detiksumut.com, Yen Daniel, youth leader at the local Neighborhood Association, accused the congregation of provoking residents.
“While we were there, our young people heard something from the residents of Nias (congregations),” Daniil told Detiksumut.com on Tuesday (July 29th). “They said we should go to war. That’s where the trigger was. We weren’t meant to cause any interference. We were just provoked.”
As residents visited the prayer house, Danil was able to clarify the homeowner’s issue, he said, as previously residents thought that the rental housing in Padang Sarai village was just a shelter.
“We thought it was a shelter, but it turned out to be a place of worship,” Daniel said.
Other organizations in Padang city also denounced the GKSI congregations of depriving them of the false tensions of Christianity, and called for the closure of prayer houses and solid action against the pastor, according to Indonesia for all movements.
“We ask law enforcement officers to take firm action against Pastor Fasia Dacchi,” said a representative of the movement.
They also requested the release of the accused in police custody.
“Two children were injured, the prayer house was destroyed and the assailant publicly apologized,” Indonesia reportedly said. “They even asked the GKSI to refuse legal proceedings and to resolve the issue peacefully despite still wanting to pursue it.”
Condemnation
Communion of a church in Indonesia (PGI) condemned the attack
According to Holopis.com, Rev. Jacky Manuputty, the general chairman of PGI, said he was the press president on Monday (July 28th). “An act of fear, with violence aimed at disrupting religious service in front of children, will undoubtedly cause permanent trauma in their development.”
The incident shows that intolerance remains deeply rooted in various corners of the country, Pastor Mann Footty said.
“Indonesia is a vast country built on diversity, strengthened by unity and connected by respecting differences,” he said.
The chairman of the Setara Institute, an NGO dedicated to the fight for democracy and religious freedom in Hendaldi, said the attack was a crime that violated the constitution.
“This action cannot be justified and is a criminal act that violates the law and the constitution,” he told Morningstar News.
Hendaldi urged local and state law enforcement officials to avoid suggesting that intolerance and violence arise simply from misunderstanding. He said the governments of Padang and Western Sumatra must address these issues, particularly those that contribute to the normalization of religious conservatism, low religious literacy, social segregation, discriminatory regulations and religious intolerance at both the structural and cultural levels.
Rev. Nikki Wackery of Bogor, West Java, less than 38 miles from Jakarta, said the attack and destruction of prayer houses was described as an act of terror in Christianity.
“This intolerance movement signals the government about issues surrounding interfaith relations in Indonesia,” said Pastor Nikki, who is in the Christian movement in Indonesia.
Martin Daniel Tambraka, a member of the Indonesian House of Representatives, praised the swift arrest by the Western Sumatra Regional Police.
“This shows that the state is not silent in the face of violence and intolerance, and that law enforcement must watch this until the very end,” Martin said in a statement in Jakarta on Monday (July 28th).
He said he hopes police take further action.
“If there are others who have adjusted or incited them, they must be accountable too,” Tumbelaka said. “The nation must be present and solid. This issue goes beyond physical damage. It affects the sense of security of citizens. Vigilantes’ actions must have zero tolerance.”
According to Kompas.com, the attack attracted the attention of Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the vice president of the Republic of Indonesia.
Indonesian society has adopted a more conservative Islamic character in recent years, and churches involved in evangelical outreach risk being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to the open door.
