ICC Note:

The largest Muslim groups in Indonesia have spoken out in support of Christians whose Christmas service was shut down earlier this week by a radical Muslim group. The Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) ridiculed the radical group and encouraged the government to “dissolve such an anti-pluralist organization.” They also committed to help protect Christians from radical Muslims during Christmas. Muhammadiyah promised to ramp up interfaith dialogue and encourage hardline Muslims to participate. The Indonesian government is deploying 155,000 policemen the week of Christmas as added security. Christians are particularly vulnerable during the Christmas season, which is regarded by Muslims as a Christian holiday.

12/9/2016 Indonesia (Straits Times) – Indonesia’s largest Muslim organisations have vowed to help protect Christians across the country ahead of Christmas, following an incident in Bandung where Muslim hardliners stormed into a church service in a public hall, forcing its cancellation.

The incident took place on Tuesday amid religious tensions caused by the recent mass street protests in Jakarta over the blasphemy case levelled against Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama.

Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, the two biggest Muslim organisations in Indonesia, lambasted the raid that forced the Reformed Injili Indonesia Church to cancel its Christmas service at the Sasana Budaya Ganesha (Sabuga), a popular auditorium in Bandung.

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