ASIA/INDONESIA - Newly installed government faced with concerning signs of interreligious tension in eastern Indonesia

Thursday, 21 October 2004

Jakarta (Fides Service) - As the new government led by newly elected President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, settles down to work, reports from the eastern Indonesian region of Sulawesi give rise to concern. In 2000-2002 Sulawesi was affected by clashes in the nearby Moluccas Islands between resident Protestant Christians and immigrant Muslims with the intrusion of outside provocateurs and Islamic fundamentalist groups such as Laskar Jihad. At least a thousand people were killed in clashes in Sulawesi. The situation has been calm since December 2001 when the Indonesian government convinced the sides to sign a peace agreement.
Memories of the conflict of which the wounds are still open are vivid and Catholics in Sulawesi are deeply concerned after reports of a protest which degenerated into violence in which two Protestants were killed in a village near Palu.
Violence erupted to protest changes in local administration in Polewali Mamasa, 400 km from Makassar, southern Sulawesi which included Muslim villages in mainly Christian area. The changes provoked episodes of intolerance Protestants burned Muslim homes and harvests and Muslims attacked Christian farms and pigs, impure animals for Islam. Local sources say although the local authorities reinforced police control the violence continues.
Commenting this new outburst of violence between Christians and Muslims, Father Ignazio Ismartono of the Indonesian Catholic Bishops’ Commission for interreligious dialogue, told Fides that “as Christians we ask only to be treated as citizens with full rights and duties and freedom to practice our faith”.
In the meantime in the nearby Moluccas Islands religious communities are committed to promoting a culture of education to peace especially among the younger generations. The local Church is strengthening bonds of friendship with the local Muslim community. The Catholic Bishop of Amboina Petrus Mandagi sent a message of greetings to Muslims in the Moluccas for the start of the holy month of Ramadan.
Indonesia has a population of 215 million 90% Muslim, 5% Christian and small groups of other religions.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 21/10/2004 righe 28 parole 295)


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