Catholics urge government to protect religious minorities
After Sang Timur church attack, the Catholic Community Forum calls on National Human Rights Commission to do something to fully guarantee religious freedom.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) Indonesia's Catholics do not feel safe and for this reason Jakarta's Catholic Community Forum is sending today an official letter to the country's National Human Rights Commission calling on it and the government to "protect religious minorities in Indonesia".
Addressed to the Commission's chairman, Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara SH, the appeal follows last Sunday's attack against the St. Bernadette Parish, ostensibly for using a hall in the Cileduk's Sang Timur School
Armed Islamic fundamentalists forced the Sisters of the Child Jesus, who run the school, to close it down. The fundamentalists accuse parishioners of proselytising because they have been using the hall as a temporary church for the past ten years. But the parishioners had little choice since for the past 12 years local authorities have not granted them the necessary permit to build a permanent church in the area.
Here is an excerpt of the letter dealing specifically with Sunday's violence.
"We firmly condemn every form of violence, discrimination and injustice that violate human rights. Events like the one that occurred last Sunday should not happen. Each and every citizen should have the right to express him or herself and practice freely their religion. We are deeply sorry that approximately 9,000 Catholics can no longer meet in Cileduk for mass. We are also sorry that about 2,000 pupils, including 147 disabled youth, cannot attend school for at least a week."
The letter also deals with the more general issue of religious freedom in the country. It says that "the government must guarantee Catholics the same rights as it does to other religions. There should be no religious discrimination in the country.
We call on the government to help the administrators of the St. Bernadette Parish find an appropriate place to build a permanent church. In so doing it will facilitate dialogue and peace between local communities.
We also call on the police to enforce the security laws so that religious observances can be celebrated in peace".
The letter was signed by Djoko Wiyono, the president of Jakarta's Catholic Community Forum, and was sent to several governmental bodies as well as the Archdiocese of Jakarta. (MH)
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14/09/2004
