[ April 25, 2024 ]
Jihad, again. And again and again.
This region of Indonesia was known for its religious harmony. Now, Catholics face growing intolerance.
The city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, was once the “poster child” of pluralism where Muslims and Catholics lived in religious harmony. But recently, that notion has changed as hardline Muslim “pressure groups” have become more active in the area.
By PRI, June 27, 2019:
The Front Jihad Islam (FJI) and Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) are both religious-based “pressure groups” that operate in the greater Special Region of Yogyakarta, promoting anti-vice and anti-apostasy messages. Both the FPI and FJI are considered religious vigilante groups, but FJI is very active in Yogyakarta while FPI maintains a nationwide network.
Story continues below advertisementNingrum Septianda, a Muslim woman, and her best friend, Sister Maria Patrice OSF, a Catholic nun, cross a street together in Yogyakarta. This photo went viral on social media in 2014, reinforcing Yogyakarta’s status as a city of religious harmony.
Despite repeated calls from Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, who is also the governor of Yogyakarta, to uphold religious freedom, incidents of religious intolerance are on the rise in Yogyakarta — from contested burial grounds to a Catholic church attack prosecuted as terrorism.
SETARA Institute for Democracy and Peace, an Indonesian human rights think tank, placed Yogyakarta Province among the least-tolerant cities on its 2017 Tolerant Cities Index.
The think tank has been documenting and reporting the state of religious freedom in Indonesia since 2007.
“…[The] rising intolerance in Yogyakarta isn’t an isolated phenomenon — there are clear indications that the province suffers from rising religious exclusivism, especially in areas where hardline Muslim organizations such as FPI and FJI are present.”
Tigor Bonar Naipospos, vice president of SETARA Institute, says “[the] rising intolerance in Yogyakarta isn’t an isolated phenomenon — there are clear indications that the province suffers from rising religious exclusivism, especially in areas where hardline Muslim organizations such as FPI and FJI are present.”
Several incidences of intolerance in Yogyakarta are linked to FJI, including assaulting a man for holding Rosary beads in his house in 2014, dispersing a Christian school Bible camp in 2015, and pressuring the local government to shut down a transgender Quranic boarding school in 2016.
One of FJI Yogyakarta’s central figures, Abdul Rohman, supports Abu Bakar Basyir, the spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, credited by hundreds of Islamic militants as a “jihad inspirator.” Rohman invited Basyir to give a sermon and his blessings at the group’s official launch in 2006.
Related: The world’s largest Islamic group wants Muslims to stop saying ‘infidel’
Mohammad Iqbal Ahnaf, a faculty member at the Center for Religious and Crosscultural Studies (CRCS) Universitas Gadjah Mada Yogyakarta, says Yogyakarta has a “vigilante groups issue combined with an authority issue,” leaving longtime Catholic and Muslim communities to wrestle with how to cope with the rising tide of intolerance.
An attack on faith
In February 2018, an unknown man armed with a katana burst into Saint Lidwina Church Bedog in Sleman, one of Yogyakarta’s four districts, during Sunday morning Mass, prompting congregation members to flee.
The man attacked and badly injured Father Karl Edmund Prier, along with a few other members of the congregation who tried to protect the priest. The assailant slashed bibles and decapitated statues of Mary and Jesus. After ignoring warning shots from police, they subdued him with two bullets. One police officer was also injured.
Yogya police later identified the man as Suliono, 23, who came to Yogyakarta to study the Quran from Banyuwangi, a small town in East Java.
Police are seen outside the Lidwina Catholic Church after a knife-wielding attacker wounded four churchgoers in Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
In response to the attack, Bernadetta Aryanti, an independent psychologist and a member of Saint Lidwina Church, volunteered to give psychological assistance and support.
“I received a lot of calls from those who suffered fear and anxieties after the attack, so I took the initiative and told my pastor that I want to volunteer in assisting them. Ever since, I received calls from my friends and colleagues who also wish to assist the chapelry,” Aryanti said.
She also worked collectively with dozens of other psychologists to provide psychological assistance some 200 Saint Lidwina members.
“The trauma healing process was hard. It was intended as an 8-day program, but later on, continued for over a year. … Those [who] were wounded during the ordeal have … healed, but psychological healing is a different story.”
“The trauma healing process was hard. It was intended as an 8-day program, but later on, continued for over a year. … Those [who] were wounded during the ordeal have … healed, but psychological healing is a different story,” Aryanti said. She notes that the attack especially affected children, who reported nightmares, the inability to concentrate on studies and fears of returning to the church.
Aryanti attended a few court sessions in Jakarta and observed Suliono’s behavior. She says he confessed, through his lawyer, to decapitating statues because his religion forbids idolatry. Aryanti believes forgiveness is an important key to traumatic healing and that Suliono’s lack of remorse stifled the process for victims.
Related: Mobile technology for Muslims is changing faith in Indonesia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Semarang also called on lawyers to assist through the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation — part of the Archdiocese of Semarang that deals with justice and advocacy for Indonesian Catholics.
“I advised the lead pastor to file a terrorism charge. I don’t normally challenge the authorities, but to call it an assault [was] an understatement.”
Anastasia Suki, a Yogyakarta lawyer, was appointed to lead the defense team for the survivors and witnesses of the attack. “I advised the lead pastor to file a terrorism charge. I don’t normally challenge the authorities, but to call it an assault [was] an understatement,” told Suki to The World in a phone interview.
According to police, Suliono used to live in Poso, Central Sulawesi, a region known for sectarian clashes and as the basecamp for the East Indonesia Mujaheed group, loyal to ISIS. Suliono attempted to join ISIS in Syria but failed to obtain a passport, according to Inspector General Setyo Wasisto from the Indonesian Police to the media. Suliono’s court and police findings show that he had two noms de guerre: Nang Ibrahim al-Maduri and Abdullah Ibrahim al-Jogjawi, both names police say he planned to use in Syria, to fight along ISIS.
However, it remains unclear if Suliono belonged to a local radical or terrorist group. Indonesian police ultimately declared him a “lone wolf,” but Suki believes that online extremist materials and networks might have contributed to his radicalization.
“[In] court, he claimed that he loves watching Islamic lectures on Youtube as well as combat training videos,” Suki said.
In October 2018, Suliono received a 15-year jail sentence for violating Indonesian law No. 15/2003 on terrorism.
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27 Comments
4 years ago
What a load of steaming muslum propaganda. The f’ing Indonesian muslum vermin slaughtered some 200,000 to 800,000 E. Timorese in the 1970’s and the majority of those killed were Catholics.
4 years ago
Reply to
MuhamMUDTheFakeProphet
Agree. If Trump is smart enough , he should pass E.O to ban all terror/crime/illegal/drug linked persons from coming to America and those who advocate for them should lose their assets/citizenship and deported/jailed as terror agents.
Unless this is done there will be never ending cases . And America will become like canada/EU
Like this Left/Liberal Loons Run Country has been turned into ISIS/jihadi base https://tinyurl.com/y74v5327
But corrupt MSM will not talk about it
4 years ago
Muslims use Western communication technology to
spread their insanity. What necessary social deve-
lopments led to this technology leaves them cold.
4 years ago
Reply to
Marc
Marc:
– yes, they are trying to use twitter
– to return to the 7th Century
4 years ago
Reply to
DemocracyRules
Right, Demo, but not just Twitter. Recently, an Arab in his shop introduced me to his newly
installed surveillance system, which he controls with his smartphone. Yesterday they rode
a donkey, today they drive Mercedes. Yesterday they lived in a mud hut, today in an apart-
ment. Health care included. They don’t understand at all what price all this costs, it falls into
their laps for free. So one should not be surprised that they despise us as dumb cash cows.
4 years ago
German Intel Service: Number of Islamists in Germany at Record High
https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/06/german-intel-service-number-of-islamists-in-germany-at-record-high/
– this is what the German tyrant socialists wanted
– Islamists weaken society for subjugation
– they serve as pro-tyrant shock troops
– they cause chaos with terrorist attacks
– they place huge financial burdens on the taxpaying citizenry
– they grab resources away from the German poor
– and that makes the Germain poor worse off
– thus, Islamists are very useful for tyrant socialists
– it helps the tyrants grab all the power and money
– and it subjugates the citizenry
4 years ago
Francis = The Tyrant Pope
4 years ago
Reply to
DemocracyRules
Good points
– ‘pope’ is never mentioned in the Bible
– but the pope closely resembles a Roman Emperor
– he is a ‘god’ on earth, he is ‘infallible’
– he is a pontiff, has a curia, a basilica, etc.
– many titles and systems related to Roman Emperors
– did the Roman empire disappear, or just change its name?
4 years ago
Reply to
DemocracyRules
I wonder what a Jewish carpenter and street preacher from Nazareth would think of a man who wears satin and claims to be his representative on earth?
4 years ago
Reply to
MuhamMUDTheFakeProphet
Good points
– we don’t fully know the answer
– which means we do not know if the pope
– is legitimate or not
– but for sure, when any pope ignores the Bible
– the way Francis does
– then that pope is in trouble
4 years ago
More Sanctions on Iran
U.S. Special Rep. for Iran: We will sanction any imports of Iranian crude oil
June 28, 2019 – by ThePatrioticPost
The Trump administration is giving European nations a choice — do business with Iran or do business with the United States. U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook gave the ultimatum Friday, while speaking to reporters in London.
https://thepatrioticpost.com/trending-stories/u-s-special-rep-for-iran-we-will-sanction-any-imports-of-iranian-crude-oil/
—————————
Iran was threatening to ramp up enriched uranium production
– but Europe shut that down:
Iran backs down on prohibited enrichment
Jun 28, 2019 @ 12:03 Diane Shalem
“Tehran appears to have backtracked on its ultimatum to exceed the 2015 accord ceiling on uranium enrichment as of Thursday, June 27. Sources in Vienna, confirming this, add there is no sign that Iran is preparing to go past the agreed 300-kg limit on low-grade enrichment in the coming weekend. One source suggested that intensified efforts by European governments to de-escalate Gulf tensions may have motivated Tehran to hold off on this step.”
https://www.debka.com/mivzak/iran-backs-down-on-prohibited-enrichment/
– there NEVER WAS a clear agreement with Iran on nukes
– the JCPOA was never signed by anyone
– and the US Congress never approved the JCPOA either
– the UN security council imposed additional restrictions on arms deals. etc.
– and Iran immediately broke those restrictions
– no agreement = no agreement to break
4 years ago
Until non-muslims realize that all muslims live by a doctrine of hate that requires that they destroy, kill and rape all infidels and allow them into their countries this will continue!!!!
4 years ago
Reply to
patd
One pope did say that Muslims live and die by the sword. All MENA’s became upset by this. I’d like to know who invited these “unholy” people over to Europe and all over world for that matter? They act pricey and superior when in reality they are not. They all act black American in talk and manner yuk!
4 years ago
No pope Frank I s very wrong. Allah and our Christian God are both different. Muslims say this to your face “We all believe in one god” but their Allah in Muslims mind is better than God Himself. 2 faced liars. Even Jesus is 2nd after moham-ed, as told by Muslims. It is drilled into child Muslims mind from day they are born you are a Muslim first remember that. How do you change their mind? Or westernized them. When it’s in their blood
4 years ago
Reply to
Petra M
Wrong Jesus is noimportant prophete in Islam. He comes well behind Moses.
4 years ago
This, after your Pope wants you to accept them, mind them and be nice to them. They might like you and leave ME alone.
You are POOP, you know that?
4 years ago
There is no future for non Muslims in Muslim majority countries.
4 years ago
Reply to
Jan Favre
You islamofauxb! How can you write this considering your only evidence is the entire muslum world in the 21st century?
4 years ago
Imagine if Malaysia and Indonesia had retained their older Indian traditions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, instead of embracing Islam…
4 years ago
From these beastly countries everyone is running!! https://www.ndtv.com/world-…https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/dubai-princess-haya-bint-al-hussein-flees-uae-with-money-kids-post-marriage-break-up-reports-2061437
4 years ago
There is no such thing as “moderate Islam”, there is only Islam that is suppressed by a greater force.
