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Mob Storms Prayer Service In Indonesia

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

JAKARTA (Worthy News) – A mob, including some armed with sharp weapons such as sticks, stormed a prayer service of Catholic students near Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, the latest in a series of anti-Christian incidents in the world’s largest Muslim nation, Christians told Worthy News early Tuesday.

The troubles began late Sunday in an area of the city of South Tangerang, some 30 kilometers (19 miles) southwest of Jakarta, Catholic sources said.

“Pamulang University Catholic students had gathered in a house in Victor Serpong [district] to pray… But they were raided by the leader of the neighborhood association and residents.”

The crowd, believed to be Muslims, “took an hour to disperse after beating the students who were praying,” Catholic representatives said.

In a recording obtained by Worthy News, women could be heard shouting as a crowd of mainly young men rushed towards the home where the believers apparently gathered.

There were no reports of serious injuries, but one attacked student, only identified in local media as ACCR, confirmed he reported the abuse to local police.

“Yes, it was me,” he said in published remarks, adding that he now wanted to focus on “an exam at the university.”

POLICE INVESTIGATION

While Catholics said they were pleased there were no serious injuries despite the violence, they expressed hope police would “immediately investigate and solve cases like this.”

However, Christians also stressed that the clashes “don’t take away our duty to forgive.”

The clashes highlighted concerns among rights watchers who say the situation for Christians has been “deteriorating” in recent years.

“If a church is thought to be engaging in outreach in their community, they are likely to run into opposition from radical Islamic groups. Depending on the region, some church groups also face difficulties getting permission for building churches,” noticed advocacy group Open Doors in a recent assessment.

“Indonesian society is increasingly influenced by conservative interpretations of Islam. Polls regularly show that young people, especially, hold conservative views, and by-laws on Islamic dress are becoming more common,” Open Doors added.

Christians comprise nearly 11 percent of Indonesia’s mainly Muslim population of 282 million people, according to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) estimates.

Open Doors ranks Indonesia 42nd on its annual World Watch List of 50 nations, where it says Christians face most persecution for their faith in Christ.