Attacks on Indonesian churches spiked in 2010

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Violations of Christians’ religious freedom in Indonesia jumped from 12 incidents in 2009 to 75 last year, according to a report from the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace. Setara Institute researcher Ismail Hasani said 43 incidents involved attacks on churches and other security threats, the sealing of worship venues and prohibition of activities, among other violations. Other incidents among the 75 violations included keeping churches from establishing places of worship and banning services and other religious activities.

In previous years, most religious freedom violations overall have occurred in West Java province, and that trend continued as Setara recorded 91 incidents against Christians and other groups in 2010. “West Java, besides having a history of radicalism, is a region that also has thriving hard-line Islamist organizations that have special agendas such as enforcement of sharia [Islamic law] and eradication of immorality, besides being anti-Christianization and anti-proselytizing,” Hasani said. After the 75 violations committed against Christian groups, the minority Muslim Ahmadiyya sect endured the next highest number of violations with 50, he said. West Java officials have shown hardly any resolve to protect freedom of religion and belief, Setara’s Hasani said.