CITY TO CHURCH: GO AWAY!
ICC Note:
This is another article covering the forced closure of churches across Indonesia, including the case of GKI Yasmin. Christian churches being forced to shut their doors by radical Muslim groups has become a rampant issue in the country over the past several years despite at least two Supreme Court rulings in support of closed churches. These rulings however are ignored by the local government and several congregations have been forced to flee their buildings or face angry mobs.
By MICHAEL CARL
11/3/2012 Indonesia (WND)- Reports in Indonesia say that Indonesia’s Interior Minister and local Bogor City authorities, after meeting with members of a local jihadist group, are ordering the GKI Yasmin Church to relocate to an undeveloped plot of land some five miles from the land and building they already have.
Local officials are ordering the church move in spite of lawsuits, petitions, and formal protests filed by the church with Indonesia’s justice ministry, as well as a ruling from the Indonesian Supreme Court in 2011 that the church could reopen.
The church also has the necessary local permits for operation.
The church has been closed since Bogor City Mayor Diani Budiarto ordered the building sealed in April 2010, claiming that the church had violated city ordinances and didn’t have the necessary permits.
Since the forced closure, church members have been meeting in front of the presidential palace in protest of the city’s refusal to allow the church to use its building.
Human rights group International Christian Concern Southeast Asia analyst Ryan Morgan says the case is evidence of the influence jihadists have in Indonesia.
“Essentially radical Islamic groups weren’t happy with the church’s existence and put pressure on the local government to force the church to move,” Morgan said. “The local government sealed the church, which they typically do on the basis of a lack of a building permit.”
Morgan adds that local governments in Indonesia appease the predominantly Muslim population by putting complex and difficult requirements on churches to obtain building and occupancy permits.
“The permit is very difficult to obtain, and this same process is repeated over and over again against churches in Indonesia,” Morgan said.
Reports say that the Bogor City government has offered land and a 10-billion rupiah budget to build a new building about five miles from the church’s present location.
The Jakarta Post said the Indonesian federal government has even given its approval to the relocation plan.
Church officials say that even with the land grant, there’s no guarantee they would be able to build because the church would be required to get a new building permit. That process would involve getting a petition signed by 60 Muslims and 90 Christians.
“However in this case GKI Yasmin actually has a legal permit, and the Supreme Court of Indonesia eventually ruled that they did and could legally continue to meet, but the mayor has refused to abide by the court ruling,” Morgan said.
Morgan adds that the church has likely run out of alternatives and options.
“I think GKI Yasmin has exhausted pretty much every effort open to them at this point. They have been holding services in front of the presidential palace in protest, but even with the Supreme Court on their side they are still barred from their building,” Morgan said.
Morgan also says that the church faces the wrath of the local Muslim population if they attempt to reoccupy their building, even though they have a legal right to do so.
“If they return to holding services outside of their shut down building, then yes, they could face harassment and intimidation at the hands of radical Islamic groups, but I think their case is too well known both in Indonesia and internationally for the government to risk or allow violence against the church members,” Morgan said.
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