BOGOR CITY, West Java – In predominantly Muslim Indonesia, it’s almost impossible for Christian congregations to build a church building because most Muslim communities won’t allow it.
Standoffs often happen in some parts of Indonesia, where radical Muslims threaten and harass Christians who are forced to worship in the streets because the government has shut down their church.
While Indonesia is a mostly Muslim nation, its Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. However, Christian churches are often denied building permits due to public opposition.
One key requirement is the signed approval of 60 neighbors.
In 2006, the Christian Church of Yasmin obtained a building permit from the Bogor city government but soon faced resistance from locals who claimed the congregation forged signatures to meet the requirement. In 2008, the construction permit was revoked and the half-finished building was sealed off.
According to city Mayor Bima Arya Sugiarto, community residents were alarmed about alleged Christian missionary activities and what they perceived as a growing number of churches in Muslim areas.
“The locals reject not only the missionary issue but they have been witnessing some mass actions, demonstrations and so it impacted the social harmony,” Sugiarto said.
Because of this fear, the congregation was
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN