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Indonesia: Churches Closed Under Islamic Law
By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent
ACEH, INDONESIA (Worthy News)-- Within one year and without any legal pretext, 17 churches and chapels in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, have been closed under Islamic law.
During Aceh's gubernatorial election, candidate Zaini Abdullah promised that if elected he would not hesitate to apply Islamic law in the province; shortly after his victory, that promise became a reality for religious minorities struggling to survive in the most populous Muslim nation in the world.
However, the central government is seeking to restore equity to Aceh.
"Indonesia exercises a spirit of pluralism and must continue to do so," said Interior Minister Gamawan Fauzi. "Tolerance must be guaranteed and the majority can not crush the minority violating their civil rights".
Let's pray that the central government is strong enough to enforce their tolerance mandate.