05/26/2012 Indonesia (Huffington Post) – A Christian, a Muslim and an atheist sounds like the beginning of joke. Instead, it could the beginning of a broader-based struggle for freedom of religion and belief, in the face of rising religious intolerance around the world.

Last week, I visited Alex Aan, an Indonesian atheist in jail for his beliefs. I am a Christian, and I was taken to the remote jail in Sijunjung, a four hour journey along rough, winding mountain roads from Padang, West Sumatra, by two young Muslims.

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Arrested in January, Alex has spent five months in jail, charged with blasphemy, disseminating hatred and spreading atheism. His trial is continuing, but if found guilty and sentenced, he could face the next six years in prison.

It all started when radical Muslims read about his views on Facebook. They came looking for him, and when they extracted a confession from him that he is an atheist, they beat him up before calling the police.

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Alex is the first atheist in Indonesia to be jailed for his belief, but he is by no means the only person whose dissent from Islam has drawn persecution. Religious intolerance in Indonesia is rising in a nation that has traditionally been a model of pluralism and moderation, and everyone in all parts of society is affected.

Five days before visiting Alex, I stood in a street surrounding by an angry mob shouting “Christians, get out,” “anyone not wearing a jilbab (headscarf), catch them, hunt them down” and “Allahu Akhbar”. The mob had blocked the road to the church, preventing the congregation from holding their Sunday service.

The church, known as HKBP Filadelfia, in Bekasi, a suburb of Jakarta, is one of many which have been forced to close down. In Aceh this month, 17 churches have been forced to close. In West Java, many churches are denied a permit, but even those with all the necessary legal approvals face difficulties. HKBP Filadelfia, a congregation which is entirely from the Batak ethnic group, was given permission by a local court to open, but the mayor, driven by Islamists pursuing a ‘zero church’ policy in the area, refuses to allow it.

Until recently the congregation carried out their Sunday service in the street outside the locked church, protected by local Muslims but facing growing threats from the radicals. For the past two months, however, the Islamist mob has blocked the street, stirred up local Muslims to join them, and what should be a Sunday service becomes a Sunday stand-off.

The Sunday I was there, the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense. The pastor, the Reverend Palti Panjaitan, tried to negotiate with the police chief, but to no avail. Eventually he gave up, giving the sign to the congregation to retreat. Later, I asked him how close we were to violence. Very close, he said, which was why he made the decision to give up because the police could offer no protection.

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The freedom to exchange ideas is a freedom I cherish and one he has been denied. I have different beliefs from Alex Aan, but I will give everything I have to defend his right to hold and express his views. If Christians, Ahmadis, atheists and Muslims who believe in religious freedom, mutual respect and pluralism stand up for each other, we can defeat the preachers of hate.