West Java: Islamists close down children’s public library
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - After weeks of pressure,
intimidation and (unfounded) accusations of proselytism made by a local Islamic
extremist group, the leaders of the Sanggar
Rebung Cendani have closed a public library for children recently opened in
West Java . The
space especially for children, is called Taman Bacaan Masyarakat ( TBM , which
stands for "center for free reading") and Kalimulya is a village in
the district of Depock , in Bogor , in the Indonesian province of West Java .
The
Executive Director Yoseph Budisantoso confirmed the shut down of his activity. "It
all began in December, just before the Christmas holidays - he told AsiaNews - when some Islamic fundamentalist
leaders made false accusations, accusing TBM of being a center devoted to
Catholic proselytism." He
adds that for some time now an extremist fringe has promoted attacks and
provocations to cast a shadow over its humanitarian efforts and prevent it from
promoting "education" in rural areas and among poorer sections of the
population .
The
Sanggar Rebung Cendani group, active
in rural areas of the province, aims to drastically reduce illiteracy among
children, as well as foster a passion for reading among children. The
NGO also promotes programs focused on eco-friendly "green" and education
policies, again aimed at children of the agricultural areas.
The
various threats and demands launched by extremists against Sanggar Rebung Cendani include the demand to make public the names
and addresses of all the benefactors and supporters of the various projects,
and the amount of their donations. Budisantoso
clarifies that all the initiatives undertaken so far by the group have had an
interdenominational character, while proudly declaring his own Catholic faith. He
also expressed his profound sorrow for the local people who had, on several
occasions, shown great support and commitment to his humanitarian project,
despite the insults and threats from extremists.
Indonesia,
the world's most populous Muslim nation, has seen a rise in the number of
attacks or acts of intolerance against minorities, including Christians, Ahmadi
Muslims and others. After the Aceh province in which Shariah law reigns, West Java is
considered one of the most intolerant in the country. In
recent years there has been
an increase in Islamist anti- Christian movements, which on more than one
occasion have committed acts of violence against the local Catholic and
Protestant communities . An
example are the dozens of assaults against the Yasmin Church in Bogor . The
Ahmadi religious sect considered heretical Sunni Islam are also targeted. Catholics
are a small minority of about seven million people, equivalent to about 3% of
the population. The
constitution provides for freedom of religion, but the community is the victim
of incidents of violence and abuse.
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