Yasmin church: radical Islamists attack two members of parliament during Sunday celebration
Two members of the Islamic party and the Democratic Party pkb PDI-P who were participating in a ceremony Sunday with the congregation of the Church Yasmin were insulted and verbally assaulted. The congregation has had to interrupt the liturgy, and move elsewhere, but even there the radicals have prevented the celebration. The inertia of the central government and the complicity of the mayor.
Bogor (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Two Indonesian Muslim party parliamentarians of the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) who attended the Sunday service of Yasmin Church (GKI) were attacked with slogans and insults by hundreds of Muslim fundamentalists. Eva Kusuma Sundari and Lily Wahid, both national parliamentarians, joined the congregation of the Church Yasmins who had gathered to celebrate the Sunday liturgy in the parking lot of a supermarket on the morning of January 15. The celebration was disturbed and interrupted by hundreds of members of the Muslim Communication Forum (Forkami) and of 'Islamic Reform Movement (Garis), shouting "Allahu Akbar" as well as launching slogans and shoving the faithful. (29.12.2011 West Java: Moderate Muslims defend the Yasmin Church's Christmas).
The congregation was forced to carry out its functions in private homes, or on public land after the building permit for their church was revoked by the Mayor of Bogor. On January 15, after these attacks they moved into the house of a member, but were followed by the crowd of radicals. Singalinging Bona, a spokesman for the GKI said that the fundamentalists have tried to stop the function also in the house of the Christian faithful, forcing the participants to stop the ceremony until the crowd has dispersed. "It 'was an intimidation by Forkami Garis to gather in front of a private home and try to stop the celebration."
Even the presence of two members of parliament was no deterrent for the radicals. Eva Kusuma Sundar said that the experience has reinforced her sympathy with the GKI Yasmin, and other marginalized groups. "The case of GKI Yasmin is not just about the church, but integrity and national law enforcement," she said. She referred to the Mayor Diani Budiarto, who refuses to obey a Supreme Court ruling ordering him to allow the opening of the church. "These people are the puppets of the mayor."
The radicals accused Eva and Lily of interfering in a local affair. But the MPs said that the national parliaments have the right and duty to monitor such cases. It has been suggested that the position of Diani Budiarto may have economic reasons. "It still has not been explained why the mayor has first given permission and then revoked it, unless there is an economic reason. But we need evidence to support it. " Lily, the Islamic party PKB, said she hoped that the central government forces Diani to obey the Supreme Court ruling. She added that leaving things as is, in a stalemate, the situation is likely to degenerate into violence.
The congregation was forced to carry out its functions in private homes, or on public land after the building permit for their church was revoked by the Mayor of Bogor. On January 15, after these attacks they moved into the house of a member, but were followed by the crowd of radicals. Singalinging Bona, a spokesman for the GKI said that the fundamentalists have tried to stop the function also in the house of the Christian faithful, forcing the participants to stop the ceremony until the crowd has dispersed. "It 'was an intimidation by Forkami Garis to gather in front of a private home and try to stop the celebration."
Even the presence of two members of parliament was no deterrent for the radicals. Eva Kusuma Sundar said that the experience has reinforced her sympathy with the GKI Yasmin, and other marginalized groups. "The case of GKI Yasmin is not just about the church, but integrity and national law enforcement," she said. She referred to the Mayor Diani Budiarto, who refuses to obey a Supreme Court ruling ordering him to allow the opening of the church. "These people are the puppets of the mayor."
The radicals accused Eva and Lily of interfering in a local affair. But the MPs said that the national parliaments have the right and duty to monitor such cases. It has been suggested that the position of Diani Budiarto may have economic reasons. "It still has not been explained why the mayor has first given permission and then revoked it, unless there is an economic reason. But we need evidence to support it. " Lily, the Islamic party PKB, said she hoped that the central government forces Diani to obey the Supreme Court ruling. She added that leaving things as is, in a stalemate, the situation is likely to degenerate into violence.
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