Lady Gaga Saga Shows Growing Intolerance

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: JAKARTA—As Indonesia’s Islamic hardliners have become global headliners for their threats against Lady Gaga, the country’s reputation as a place where Islam and democracy have no problem mixing has also come under scrutiny thanks to what experts say is an escalation of harassment and attacks targeting religious minorities.

A majority of Indonesia’s 240 million citizens are Muslim, and most of them are moderate, peaceful and support the country’s secular system. Still, some small groups of Islamic fundamentalists have recently become increasingly vocal and assertive in pushing their agenda.

In the most recent case, several residents threw stones, bags of urine and rotten eggs at members of a Christian congregation in the Jakarta suburb of Bekasi, accusing them of trying to convert locals, said Palti Panjaitan, who is in charge of the church.

“They don’t want us there because they believe their children could grow up to become Christians,” Mr. Panjaitan said.

A group of Muslims in Bogor, another Jakarta suburb, continue to block one Christian congregation from worshipping in their church in a dispute over the building’s permit that has dragged on for more than a year. » | Ahmad Pathoni | Friday, May 25, 2012

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