Islamic extremists continue threats on Christians

Islamic extremists continue threats on Christians

TANGERANG, Indonesia — Members of the Islamic Defenders’ Front in Tangerang, Banten province, confronted and threatened to kill church leader Bedali Hulu June 4 as he visited his mother-in-law in a rented home formerly used as a meeting place for his congregation. For the past 18 months Hulu’s Jakarta Baptist Christian Church in Pisangan Jaya village, Sepatan district, has worked for the right to hold church services in the village.

Church members will soon take the matter to court in hopes of finding a permanent solution for the dispute. The June 4 confrontation by the Muslim extremist group was the latest in a series of threats. The previous week as the congregation held a simple meeting in a church member’s home – sharing a meal and singing a few hymns –members of the extremist group arrived and repeated threats first issued in November to raid the homes of church members if meetings continued.