SURABAYA, Indonesia — In separate incidents in Indonesia, a house church service was disrupted and a group of praying students was attacked.
In Betiting village of East Java province, a Muslim family disrupted the May 8 worship service of West Indonesia Protestant Church. One of the disrupters is a local official, reports Morning Star News.
A worshipper that Morning Star quoted said the three Muslims yelled, called church attenders bad names and demanded that the worship service halt. Area residents responded to the commotion and tried to calm the situation.
The house church had met for 10 years without incident, the worshipper said.
On May 5 in Banten province’s Babakan village, two female students were injured when a Muslim mob — some wielding machetes, knives and sickles — attacked a prayer group.
Morning Star says the mob apparently was upset that the 15 Catholic students were praying the rosary in a house instead of a church.
The students were from Pamulang University, one source said.
Some local Muslims sought to protect the students during the assault. One Muslim male was injured.
Indonesia ranks No. 42 on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of 50 places most difficult to be a Christian.
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