For your information, here we have a letter from a good friend, Mr. Theophilus Bela, still on the strong call from German Parliament to protect Christian minorities worldwide. Another letter below it, is an article regarding the ban of the construction of a Church-run home for disabled children in East Java recently. Both letters are in English, so you may forward them to other Christian groups outside Indonesia. Cheers. Shirley +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dear friends,
The German Parliament in Berlin has just set up a working group to protect Christian minorities who suffer discrimination because of their faith all over the world . The German Federal Government is urged to take all necessary measures to protect Christian minorities worldwide . The working group consists of deputies of all parties in German Parliament . German development aid should be linked to the protection for minorities in the recipient countries . The political statement issued by the German Parliamentary Working Group mentioned that in countries like Pakistan, India and Indonesia Christian minorities suffer severe discrimination because of their faith . Germany must take all necessary measures to wipe out all kind of discrimination against minorities all over the world . The working group said that almost 90 percent of minorities who are discriminated all over the world are Christians . The German Federal Government should undertake a foreign policy which support religious freedom world wide . The political statement was signed by around 30 Christian deputies from all parties and among them are Mrs. Ilse Falk, Deputy Chairperson of Christian Democratic Party in Parliament, Mr. Dieter Grasedieck, an expert of Education Affairs of Social Democratic Party and the left wing politician Mr. Bodo Ramelow . (Source : Spiegel Online www.spiegel.de dated June 28th, 2009) I want to add that now after the rainy season is over the attacks on churches in Indonesia start again . The Lord Mayor of the city of Depok in the province of West Java has just cancelled the building permit of a Protestant church in his town . The Lord Mayor is from the Islamist political party "Justice and Prosperity" . The church has brought the case to the court in the provincial capital city Bandung . Early June this year a mob of fanatic Muslims had successfully protested against the building of a Protestant church in Palembang in the province of South Sumatera . The mayor of Batu/Malang in the province of East Java has canceled the building permit of a Catholic owned home for disabled children after a protest by Muslim fanatics . Details about the abandoned home for disabled children please kindly read the English report by the Catholic News Agency in Asia at the bottom of this letter . The local authorities in Tangerang in the province of Banten (West Java) have just warned a Protestant pastor there that they are going to close down his church . A Muslim fanatic magazin by the name "Sabili" in its latest edition has put an article agitating against a Seventh Day Adventist Church in the small town of Garut in the province of West Java . After such kind of agitating article a physical attack against the church by fanatic Muslims might follow soon . That is according to my observations until till now . To give you a background informations about the situation of Christian minority in Indonesia I attache my report on Promoting Human Rights and Responsibilities . I also attache my report about the activities of our interfaith group Indonesian Committee of Religions for Peace . I suggest that you open the website of the Catholic News Agency in Asia www.ucanews.com or www.cathnewsasia.com to find out reports about the situation of Christians in Pakistan and India . On Wednesday, July 8th we will elect our new president in Indonesia and to my Christian fellow country men I told them to vote for the candidate who protects the minorities of the country . I hope in other democratic countries the Parliamentarian working group to protect Christian minorities wolrd wide like that of the German one will be established soon Thank you very much for your kind attention and help for our Christian minorites in Asia and elswhere God bless you and your beloved ones Theophilus Bela President of Jakarta Christian Communication Forum (FKKJ) Secretary General of Indonesian Committee of Religions for Peace (IComRP) Executive Member of Asian Conference of Religions for Peace Ambassador for Peace Catholic Layman office : FKKJ Graha Bethel, 2nd Floor Jalan Ahmad Yani kav. 65 Jakarta 10510 Indonesia email : [email protected] FKKJ or Jakarta Chrisitan Communication Forum is a working group to help churches being attacked all over Indonesia INDONESIA Building of kids' home stops after Muslim protests July 1, 2009 | IJ07493. 1556 | 356 words Text size JAKARTA (UCAN) -- The construction of a Church-run home for disabled children in East Java has stopped after Muslims voiced fears that it could be a front for proselytization. Father Laurentius Heru Susanto, vicar general of Malang diocese told UCA News that he regretted the local government's decision of withdrawing the permit given to a Catholic foundation to build the home. On June 19, Eddy Rumpoko, mayor of Batu, revoked the permit for the facility which was being built on a five-hectare plot of land in Junrejo village. The previous day, about 1,000 Muslims from dozens of organizations had protested in front of Malang city hall claiming the home was a front for proselytization. "We really regret the action. The home was being built only to serve people. There was no other purpose," Father Susanto said over the phone. He pointed out that the home for disabled children under 16 years of age was to be run by the Bhakti Luhur (noble service) Foundation of the Association of the Institute for Lay Missioners (ALMA). The foundation serves poor, disabled people "who are not served by other institutions, " said the priest. "Its mission is purely humanitarian. " Father Susanto said his diocese would assist ALMA members in advocacy efforts "because they are now feeling afraid after the Muslim protests." Media reports say people living in Junrejo had protested the building of the home since October when construction began. According to villagers, the foundation had promised to provide details about the project to them before construction work began, but did not do so. UCA News contacted the ALMA office in Malang but staff there declined to comment on the issue. However, "Malang Post" newspaper quoted Yohanes Subasno, a member of Bhakti Luhur Foundation's training and teaching staff, saying that the foundation had already clarified that the home aimed to provide a purely social service. The foundation has 41 homes catering to about 700 children with special needs. According to a report from the National Commission for Human Rights, there were 108 cases of forced closures of churches, and attacks on churches or destruction of church property in Indonesia, between 2004 and 2007.
