INDONESIA – Beleaguered churches take their protest to President

A very interesting post from http://www.releaseinternational.org/  about Christians in Indonesia. This follows this post about Russia rebuilding its Soviet shere of influence. This follows This follows this article about American energy independence and preventing money from going to hostile countries such as Iran and Venezuela. For more that you can do to get involved click HERE and read this very interesting book HERE!


INDONESIA – Beleaguered churches take their protest to President




Indonesian Christians are planning an open-air church service outside the presidential palace in Jakarta this Sunday – in protest at hardliners' efforts to halt their worship.



Two congregations in West Java are planning the joint service after protesters attacked a church last Sunday and forced them to abandon their worship yet again.



The move comes as Release is encouraging churches in the UK and Ireland to stand in solidarity with persecuted churches such as these, by holding a Sunday meeting outdoors on either May 20 or May 27 (see below).



One of the two churches taking their protest to Jakarta is the Filadelfia Batak Protestant Union (HKBP) church in the North Tambun district of Bekasi regency. It was forced to cancel its service on Sunday after hundreds of protesters blocked roads leading to the church. A mob of 500 protesters had done the same on April 22.



Members of the HKBP church were later attacked and threatened by hardliners from the Islamic Defenders Front, according to The Jakarta Post newspaper.



The other church due to worship outside the palace next Sunday is the Yasmin Indonesian Christian Church in Bogor. Its congregation has been forced to worship outdoors since the local mayor closed down the church.



Meanwhile, three churches have just been closed down in Aceh province, which is under strict Islamic law or Sharia. Officials cited a lack of building permits for the closures – but sources suggest the authorities were pressured by Islamic hardliners.



(Sources: AsiaNews, Reuters, The Jakarta Post)



• Pray for congregations in West Java facing opposition and intimidation. Pray that the national authorities will heed their protest in Jakarta next weekend and take firm action to guarantee their religious rights.



NEWS UPDATE:

Kuwaiti MPs have voted for a second time to introduce the death sentence for blasphemy (see Prayer Alert, April 20). This is the second and final vote on a legal amendment which would impose the death sentence on any Muslim defaming God or Islam's prophet, Mohammed. A new clause added recently to the draft legislation would, however, reduce the sentence to a lengthy prison term for anyone repenting of the blasphemy in court. Non-Muslims convicted of blasphemy would be imprisoned for at least ten years under the proposed legislation. The amendment still needs to be approved by the country's Emir.



• Pray that this attempt to introduce the death sentence for blasphemy would be rejected by the Emir.



For information about the Great Outdoors Church Service  click here.