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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Op-Ed Contributor: Indonesia's Rising Religious Intolerance
THE NEW YORK TIMES: JAKARTA — Just a few days after Lady Gaga’s concert in Indonesia was canceled after protests by Islamic groups, I flew 1,370 kilometers from Jakarta to Padang, West Sumatra, and drove a further 130 kilometers, a four-hour journey along rough, winding roads, to Sijunjung, to visit an Indonesian atheist jailed for his beliefs.

Alex Aan, a 30-year-old civil servant, is a gentle, soft-spoken, highly intelligent young man who simply gave up his belief in God when he saw poverty, war, famine and disaster around the world.

He faces the possibility of up to six years in prison, charged with blasphemy, disseminating hatred and spreading atheism. Radical Muslims came to his office, beat him up, and called the police after reading about his views on Facebook.

Alex is the first atheist in Indonesia to be jailed for his belief, but his case is symptomatic of a wider increase in religious intolerance in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. The previous Sunday, I joined a small church in Bekasi, a suburb of Jakarta, for a service, but found the street blocked by a noisy, angry mob and a few police.

The church, known as HKBP Filadelfia, was forced to close a few years ago, even though the local courts had given permission to open. The local mayor, under pressure from Islamists, has declared a “zero church” policy in his area. For the past two months, the congregation has been blocked from worshiping in the street outside their building, and the atmosphere has grown increasingly tense.

When I was there, I felt it could have erupted into violence at any moment. The radicals in control of the loudspeaker shouted “Christians, get out,” and “anyone not wearing a jilbab (headscarf), catch them, hunt them down.” » | BENEDICT ROGERS* | Monday, May 21, 2012

* Benedict Rogers works for the international human rights organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide, based in London.

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Algérie : les chrétiens craignent l'intolérance

LE FIGARO: Le récent procès d'un converti accusé d'«injures envers le Prophète» illustre le retour en force des islamistes.

La cour d'appel d'Oran a abrité, jeudi dernier, un nouveau procès pour délit religieux. Siaghi Krimo, un maçon de 29 ans converti au christianisme en 2007, est cité à comparaître pour «injures envers le Prophète». En mai dernier, il a été condamné, en première instance, à cinq années de prison ferme. Dénoncé par un voisin à qui il avait remis un DVD sur la vie du Christ, il a été brutalement arrêté par une escouade de policiers comme un dangereux criminel.

Au commissariat, plusieurs officiers se sont relayés pour interroger le «renégat». «Tu es habité par le démon», hurle l'un d'eux. «Si tu étais mon frère, je te tuerais», menace un autre. Pour le juge du tribunal correctionnel qui a prononcé la sentence, la cause est entendue avant tout débat : quitter l'islam pour une autre religion est un crime. «Tu le regretteras !», dit-il à l'inculpé, qui a revendiqué sa foi chrétienne mais nié toute atteinte à l'islam. En l'absence du témoin délateur et malgré un dossier vide, le tribunal écrit dans son jugement : «Il a nié les faits, mais son apostasie est une présomption de culpabilité.» » | Par Arezki Aït-Larbi | mardi 22 novembre 2011

Ban Christian Churches on Streets with Islamic Names, Says Indonesian Mayor
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Critics say the decree, proposed by Bogor mayor Diani Budiarto, is another example of growing religious intolerance in the world's most populous Muslim country.

The move is the latest attempt to block construction of a new church in Indonesia[.]

The Taman Yasmin Indonesian Christian Church was supposed to open in Bogor in 2008, but residents protested, claiming its permit was illegal.

Though the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the parishioners in December, Mayor Budiarto has so far refused to comply.

He argued he was pushing for a decree to make it illegal to open churches on streets with Islamic names.

Indonesia, a secular nation of 240 million, has a long history of religious tolerance, but an extremist fringe has become more vocal - and violent - in recent years. Continue reading and comment » | Tuesday, August 24, 2011

Religious Intolerance in Pakistan Widespread: US
DAILY TIMES: * International Religious Freedom report says discrimination against minorities prevalent 
* Says promotions for minorities limited

WASHINGTON: While Pakistan was credited with have taken ‘some steps’ to improve the treatment of religious minorities, the International Religious Freedom Report, released at the weekend, described the general situation on this front in pretty negative terms.



The report, covering 2007, said, “The government took some steps to improve its treatment of religious minorities during the period covered by this report, but serious problems remained. Law enforcement personnel abused religious minorities in custody. Security forces and other government agencies did not adequately prevent or address societal abuse against minorities. Discriminatory legislation and the government’s failure to take action against societal forces hostile to those who practice a different religious belief fostered religious intolerance, acts of violence, and intimidation against religious minorities.” 



It said, “Specific laws that discriminate against religious minorities include anti-Ahmadi and blasphemy laws. The Ahmadiyya community continued to face governmental and societal discrimination and legal bars to the practice of its religious beliefs. Members of other Islamic sects also claimed governmental discrimination.” 



The report said relations between religious communities remained tense and social discrimination against minorities was widespread, accompanied by violence. Terrorist and extremist groups and individuals continued to target religious congregations. The report pointed out that freedom of speech in Pakistan was subject to ‘reasonable’ restrictions in the interests of the ‘glory of Islam’. The consequences for contravening the country’s blasphemy laws are death. 



There is life imprisonment for defiling, damaging, or desecrating the holy Quran and 10 years in jail for insulting another’s religious feelings. “These laws are often used to settle personal scores as well as to intimidate vulnerable Muslims, sectarian opponents, and religious minorities,” said the annual review of religious freedom around the world. Religious Intolerance in Pakistan Widespread: US >>> By Khalid Hasan | September 22, 2008

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