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Indonesia: Minister Of Religion Helps Churches Obtain Permits

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – In a piece of welcome news for historically persecuted Christians in Indonesia, Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has requested the Directorate General to ascertain whether regional Indonesian churches have been unjustly refused building permits and to facilitate the establishment of places of worship, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Christianity is legal in Indonesia, but the Muslim-majority country has consistently blocked the establishment of churches and impeded believers’ right to express their faith.

Minister of Religious Affairs Yakut assumed office in 2020 and, since then, has received many reports of churches struggling to obtain permits for establishing worship centers, ICC said in its report.

In a statement made in Jakarta on Feb. 21, Yaqut said: “The Director General must intervene, talk to regional heads, find out where the problem is, and what the solution is. Please help, intervene, advocate. The regulation that often becomes an obstacle, SKB 2 Ministers, is currently being upgraded to a Presidential Decree; it just needs to be signed by the President.”

“Hopefully, before [President] Pak Jokowi ends his government, this Presidential Decree will be signed, and people will feel that life in Indonesia has become easier and there will be no difficulties in praying,” he continued.

Indonesia ranks 42nd on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. “If a church is believed to be proselytizing, they will likely run into opposition from radical Islamic groups,” the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization explains in a website statement. “Some church groups also face difficulties getting permission for building churches. Even if they manage to fulfill all legal requirements (and win court cases), local authorities may still ignore them.”