A group of Muslims disrupted a church mass on Thursday last week in Indonesia.
The radical Muslims of the diversity of Alkamanik in the village of Skamiskin, the capital of West Java, Bandung, Alkamanik district, and the Arkamanik Civic Communication Forum, were demonstrated in front of the Arkamanik multipurpose building (Gedung Serba guna, or GSG).
Protesters disrupt Holy Thursday services with clergy, banners and ferocious music on the former St. Odelia Catholic higher education site, according to the news portal Bandungbergerak.id. Members of the congregation, still arriving, were forced to find a route around the lockdown.
Protesters requested that the multipurpose Alkamanik building not be used as a place of worship.
According to Bandungbergerak.id, “This building is a multi-purpose building. Please do not convert it into a place of worship, especially a place of worship, especially a place of worship. “Sorry the permissions and legal aspects. But what is clear is that up until now (this building) is still a multi-purpose building.”
Denied that they were disrupting Mass on Thursday in Moddy, protesters argued that they simply questioned the functioning of the building as a place of worship where they were said to not comply with its permission.
“They (GSG Management) said they are working to change the functionality of the building to authorities, but that’s not possible,” a protester told Bandungbergerak.id.
In addition to delaying service, the protesters also broadcast songs from around the country that made Mass owned, according to Bandungbergerak.id.
Before 5pm, several demonstrators tried to break through the security officer’s line and pushed GSG down nearly a few metres, but police stopped making progress.
The Arcamanik multipurpose building is located in the now abolished St. Odelia Catholic higher education for village religious teachers. It belongs to the Apostle Station of St. John, part of the Parish of St. Odelia under the Parish of Bandung.
“The rejection of the masses of Arkamanik by groups of people reflects intolerance attitudes that go against the principles of diversity and freedom of religion,” Indonesia’s human rights watchdog Ardi Manto Adiputra said in a statement reported by Tempo.co. Saturday (April 19th).
(In the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, Article 28 (1) and Article 29 (2) retain their mass as one of the rituals guaranteed by the right to worship, Ardi said.
“Mass is a sacred ritual for Catholics. Refusing it is not only a form of intolerance, but also a violation of the fundamental principles of the rule of law,” he said.
Muslims first performed at a demonstration on the site on March 2nd, according to wartakotalive.com. On March 30, at the end of the Muslim fasting month that peaked at Eid al-Fitr, more Muslims protested while Catholics held their ashes on Wednesday.
Crying jihadist slogans about Allah’s greatness, protesters demanded the firing of Mass on Ash Wednesday, Ayobandung.com reported. In front of police officers, demonstrators cried out that Ramadan is also a month of jihad so they will not move out of the property until church attendees are denied.
Video footage posted by Karya Vince on March 7th declared, “Ramadan is a month of jihad. We are not afraid. We will never leave this place until they are rejected.”
The protesters said they argued that Catholics were allowed to hold activities in public facilities, including worship once a month, but that should not be used for regular weekly services.
“Residents could use Alkamanik’s multi-purpose building facilities, including worship activities that were first started once a month, but they were still tolerated,” protester Anton Minardi told Bandungbergerak.id. “As time passed, why has it become a permanent activity? Residents can no longer use it.”
Dia Nur Susanti, one of the leaders of St. Odiria’s Parish, told Bandumbargarak. ID said the lot in the disputed stated that it was originally purchased by the Rev. Joseph Gandy, a priest of the parish.
“The building never acted as a public or social facility,” Dia said. When the building was built in the 1980s, the government and residents said they had not given permission to use it for church services.
In response to these objections, the Bandung Diocese designated it as a multipurpose building in the hope that it could also be used for worship, a common practice in Indonesian multipurpose buildings.
The church allowed local residents to use it, but instead of viewing it as a goodwill gesture, they viewed it primarily as a public facility for use by surrounding communities.
Joseph Quebe, a member of the Church Construction Committee, said the congregation currently counts around 1,400 people and in great demand for a place for worship.
“We need a place for worship. Some residents refuse, but we tried to meet and talk. There are still some dissatisfied parties,” Josep told reporters on March 5.
He emphasized that the church repeatedly explained its ownership over the building, but locals who were locals continued to refuse.
“We have explained our position many times, including the status of the land and the building, but they refused,” Joseph said. “If there is an allegation, it should be proven through legal channels.”
The Central Council of Indonesian Catholic Scholars Association (ICSA) has requested that the parties to the conflict hold dialogues to resolve the issue, Tribunnews.com reported.
“This happens in the month of fasting for both Muslims and Christians. Proveing that it is the original document from the owner requires immediate dialogue to understand the actual legal status of the multipurpose building.”
According to the Joshua Project, Indonesia’s Muslim population is 83.3%, and 11.43% of its citizens are Christians and evangelicals.
Indonesian society adopts a more conservative Islamic character, and churches involved in evangelical outreach risk being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to the Open Door of Christian Support Organizations.
