Tensions Rise As Controversial Islamic Clerc Returns to Indonesia
Christians and moderate Muslims in Indonesia fear new tensions after a hardline Islamic cleric returned from exile and held a massive wedding despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Indonesia
Official Condemns Indonesia’s Ban on Bible App
A senior Indonesian expert has condemned authorities for removing a mobile phone application that enabled an Indonesian ethnic group to read the Bible in their language.
US Mission Pilot Dies In Indonesia Crash
An American mission pilot flying much-needed coronavirus test kits to a remote village in Indonesia has died in a plane crash, her Christian aviation organization confirmed.
Indonesia Islamists Break Up House Church
Indonesia’s hardline Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) group broke up a house church meeting in the country’s West Java province, prompting an angry response from the governor. Video footage obtained by Worthy News showed two men bursting into a home Sunday in Cikarang, 48 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Jakarta, the nation’s capital.
Jakarta Pastor Baptizes Muslims as Church Expands
Peter Tumbelaka wasn’t in a hurry to become the pastor of Jakarta’s largest Pentecostal churches where many Muslims convert to Christianity. “I thought I could remain an architect and an engineer. But God had different plans,” the 52-year-old preacher told BosNewsLife in Indonesia’s bustling capital.
Indonesian Baptist Church takes legal action in fight for freedom of religion and worship
The Indonesian Baptist Church of Tlogosari has resorted to legal action in fighting local opposition to the construction of its church house. Referring to pressure being placed on the government to block his church’s legitimate building work, Pastor Wahyudi told Beritasatu.com: “We will continue to fight for this, because if left unchecked it will set a bad precedent for freedom of religion and worship in Semarang.”
Ex-Terrorist Leads Indonesia’s Christian Convert Movement
The married-father-of-three has come a long way since he nearly blew up a Protestant church in Jakarta. Author Ahmad Quraisy, which isn’t his family name, was a commander of the feared Islamic State of Indonesia (NII), an Indonesian militant group. But the former Islamic terrorist now leads an underground movement in Indonesia converting Muslims to Christianity or, in his words, ‘personal faith in Christ.’
Christians in Indonesia suffer wave of Islamic harassment
Indonesia has seen 40 anti-Christian attacks in the first 5 months of 2019, a two-thirds jump from last year, and a quadrupling of the rate from 10 years ago.
‘Defenseless’ Indonesian State Caves to Islamist Pressure as Pentecostal Church Shut Down
A controversial government decree on the construction of places of worship has led to the closure of a Pentecostal church in Indonesia.
Wycliffe Associates Partners with Persecuted Christians to Bring Momentum to Bible Translation
Wycliffe Associates is working to accelerate Bible translation in Indonesia, the largest Muslim nation in the world. Christians there face daily persecution, and many are still without the Bible in their language.
Despite Deadly Attacks, Wycliffe Translators Focus on New Bible Translations in Indonesia
Wycliffe Associates, an international organization involving people in the advancement of Bible translation, wants to begin Bible translation in hundreds of languages in Indonesia in the next six months.
Indonesian Pastor Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Evangelizing to Muslim Cab Driver
An Indonesian court sentenced a Protestant pastor to four years in prison and slapped him with a hefty fine on Monday simply because he shared his faith with a taxi driver.
Islamic Extremist Suicide Bomber Family Attacks Three Churches in East Java, Indonesia
Islamic extremists in Indonesia, including a family of suicide bombers that targeted three churches, launched multiple attacks yesterday and today that reportedly killed at least 12 people not including the assailants.
9,000 Jailed Christians Receive Sentence Reductions for Christmas in Indonesia
Indonesia reduced the sentences of over 9,000 Christian prisoners on Christmas day, including the sentence of a Christian governor jailed on blasphemy charges.
New Indonesian Report Warns Religious Minorities Fear Intolerance
CSW’s new report on freedom of religion or belief in Indonesia warns that religious minorities are increasingly fearful of intolerance.
Indonesia: Authorities attack prayer gathering
Authorities in Indonesia opened fire on a peaceful meeting in Timika, West Papua, as thousands of protesters gathered to pray for an independence referendum on April 5.
Indonesia: Islamists protest church construction
Hundreds of Indonesian Muslims in Java’s North Bekasi District have protested the construction of a church for the district’s Catholic community.
Indonesia: Churches close, but Christianity grows
Official church closures have not stopped the growth of Christianity in Indonesia.
Indonesia: Islamist mob attacks church
Last week, a mob of about 750 Muslims armed with axes set fire to a church in Indonesia’s Aceh province that Muslims alleged lacked the proper building permits.
Indonesia: Churches Protest Wrongful Closings
Two churches in Indonesia have been protesting the wrongful closing of their buildings by holding joint services just outside of the presidential palace in Jakarta.
