Ampel Mosque in Surabaya, Indonesia. (Advisor Ivan, Creative Commons)
SURABAYA, INDONESIA (Morning Star News) – Local officials in Indonesia on Sunday (June 30) disrupted a wedding ceremony and banned the church from continuing worship at the site, sources said.
In Mergosari, Tarik district, Sidoarjo regency on Java island, village headman Eko Budi Santoso interrupted the wedding at the Pentecostal church in Indonesia (Gereja Pentekosta in Indonesiaor GPdI) and banned them from meeting, saying the congregation lacked planning permission and that neighborhood residents opposed their church, local media reported.
Residents of the region, in the Muslim-majority country, reportedly said they were not opposed to the church having worship in the “House of Prayer,” a structure that does not have the function or characteristics of a religious building.
Refusing to allow the congregation to complete the wedding and worship, Eko and five state officials took Pastor Yoab Setiawan to a roadside stand to tell him they were responding to public complaints about the existence of the prayer house and the lack of permits, according to news outlet radarsidoarjo.jawapos.com.
A video from the Hagios Legal Aid Institute (Hukum Bantustan of Lembagaor LBH), shows Pastor Setiawan telling authorities that they could first ban the prostitution that takes place in front of the village headquarters. The pastor’s wife, Lidya Laviyanti, adds: “We are not causing any trouble, sir. We are sorry, we ask for your understanding. We come from everywhere. We are a minority group. Our congregation is small. So please understand me.”
The village chief, Eko, signaling to the head of the community association and the head of the neighbourhood association, says that all activities must have permission from the ‘neighbourhood’.
Pastor Setiawan and his wife ask him what the activities are, and Eko replies, “All the activities. Period,” and ends the discussion.
The Prayer House is registered through a local government reporting certificate signed by the head of the regional Christian Community Orientation Office, Luki Krispriyanto, on December 7, 2023, according to International Christian Concern (ICC), which said Eko admitted he was not aware of the certificate.
In a meeting with the conflicting parties at the Mergosari village head’s office, 16 km from Surabaya, on Monday (July 1), the acting regent of Sidoarjo, identified only as Subandi, supported the ban on the site but said congregation members could pray at home, according to Celah.id.
Officials at the meeting concluded that the church needed to obtain a building permit, which they said they wanted to do quickly. They gave a deadline of one month to obtain the permit.
“Until the permits are issued, you can worship at home,” Subandi said on Tuesday (July 2), according to celah.id. “This does not mean that you do not have the right to worship.”
Stating that residents welcomed the construction of a place of worship and supported tolerance between religious communities, Subandi suggested that the parties establish good communication between them.
A local resident said he was not disturbed by the congregation’s worship activities, according to detik.com. Even when hundreds of people were present, the residents welcomed them with pleasure, said the resident, identified as Mulyati, 53. Another resident, Agus Febro, 25, said residents, especially the youth, never felt any disturbance due to the prayer house’s Sunday activities.
Bonar Tigor Naipospos, vice president of the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, a human rights organization, said the case was “a clear sign of the state’s subordination to the will of intolerant groups.”
“Local political constellations and electoral interests, in order to gain the support of the masses, push public officials to choose sides and respond to the demands of intolerant groups,” Bonar told Morning Star News. “They intentionally ignore them, even though this is considered a violation of the constitution.”
Indonesia ranked 42nd Indonesian society has adopted a more conservative Islamic character and churches involved in evangelism are at risk of being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to a report by Christian support organisation Open Doors.
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- Ampel Mosque in Surabaya, Indonesia. (Advisor Ivan, Creative Commons)
