Christians in Indonesia are expressing concerns regarding numerous attacks on churches and other signs of religious intolerance.
Theophilus Bela, president of the Jakarta Christian Communication Forum, and secretary general of the Indonesian Committee of Religions for Peace, met with Maria Otero, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs to discuss these issues.
Bela, a Catholic representative from the committee of religions for peace, told L’Osservatore Romano that he submitted a detailed report for the U.S. government officials.
“In the report, I denounced all the cases of churches damaged by attacks, closed, or whose permissions were revoked to carry out their religious functions,” he said. “In addition I described the difficulties met in the construction of new buildings for worship.”
Bela explained that he hopes U.S. government officials will intervene and visit Indonesia to “help to improve relations between the religious communities.”
The tension has been concentrated mainly in the West Java province. Vatican Radio reported May 29 on the words of a prelate from that region, Bishop Johannes Maria Trilaksyanta Pujasumarta of Bandung.
“We wish to live and to contribute to protect social harmony and harmony between the religions,” the bishop affirmed. “But we are well aware that Indonesia has a constitution that recognizes our rights and that all must be respected, even Muslim extremist groups.”
He noted that there are two ministerial decrees in force, asking the provincial authorities to guarantee harmony between the religious communities. However, the prelate added that “many authorities are easy targets of the pressures of fundamentalist groups and bend to their will, accepting their requests.”
JAKARTA, Indonesia, JUNE 7, 2010 (Zenit.org)
Għadd kbir ta’ nsara fl-Indonesja qed jesprimu tħassib fid-dawl ta’ numru ta’ attakki fuq knejjes u sinjali oħra ta’ intolleranza reliġjuża. Il-President tal-Forum tal-komunikazzjoni nisranija f’Jakarta, Theophilus Bela, u s-Segretarju Ġenerali tal-Kumitat Indonesjan tar-Reliġjonijiet għall-Paċi, iltaqgħu mas-Sotto-Segretarju Amerikan għad-demokrazija u l-affarijiet globali, Maria Otero, biex jiddiskutu l-kwistjonijiet.
Bela, rappreżentant kattoliku fuq il-kumitat tar-reliġjonijiet għall-paċi, qal lill-Osservatore Romano li hu ssottometta rapport dettaljat għall-uffiċjali tal-Gvern Amerikan.
“Fir-rapport, ikkundannajt kull każ ta’ ħsara li saret fuq il-Knisja b’attakki u azzjonijiet oħra, bħaż-żamma ta’ permessi biex isiru funzjonijiet reliġjużi. Minbarra hekk iddiskrivejt id-diffikultajiet iffaċċjati fil-proċess tal-kostruzzjoni ta’ binjiet ġodda għall-qima”.
Bela kompla jesprimi t-tama li l-uffiċjali tal-Gvern Amerikan jintervjenu u jżuru l-Indonesja sabiex “jgħinu fit-titjib tar-relazzjonijiet bejn il-komunitajiet reliġjużi”.
It-tensjoni hi konċentrata l-iktar fil-provinċja ta’ Java tal-Punent. Radju Vatikan irrapporta fl-aħħar ta’ Mejju li għadda abbażi ta’ dak li qal li l-Isqof ta’ Bandung fir-reġjun. Fi kliem dan tal-aħħar “nixtiequ ngħixu u nikkontribwixxu għall-protezzjoni tal-armonija soċjali u l-armonija bejn ir-reliġjonijiet. Aħna lkoll konxji li l-Indonesja għandha kostituzzjoni li tirrikonoxxi d-drittijiet tagħna li lkoll għandhom jiġu rrispettati, anke gruppi ta’ estremisti Musulmani”.
Huwa nnota li fis-seħħ hemm żewġ digrieti ministerjali li jitolbu lill-awtoritajiet provinċjali sabiex jiggarantixxu l-armonija bejn il-komunitajiet reliġjużi. Kompla li sfortunatament, ħafna awtoritajiet huma fil-mira ta’ pressjoni minn gruppi fundamentalist.