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bobdina
09-13-2010, 02:02 PM
Indonesian Christians beat on their way to prayers

By IRWAN FIRDAUS
Associated Press Writer


BEKASI, Indonesia (AP) -- Indonesia's president ordered police to arrest the assailants who stabbed a Christian worshipper in the stomach and beat a minister in the head with a wooden plank as they headed to prayers.

Neither of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

Indonesia, a secular country of 237 million people, has more Muslims than any other in the world. Though it has a long history of religious tolerance, a small extremist fringe has become more vocal - and violent - in recent years.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who relies heavily on Islamic parties in parliament, has been widely criticized in the media for failing to crack down on hard-liners.

But he immediately called on authorities to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for Sunday's attacks.

Police have said they know who the perpetrators were, though they would not comment further. Suspicion immediately fell on the Islamic Defenders Front, Muslim hard-liners who have repeatedly warned members of the Batak Christian Protestant Church against worshipping on a field housing their recently shuttered church.

But the front, which is pushing for the implementation of Islamic-based laws, denied involvement in the attacks, ordering its followers to help police investigation, group leader Rizieq Shihab told reporters.

The front is known for smashing bars, attacking transvestites and going after those considered blasphemous with bamboo clubs and stones. Perpetrators are rarely punished or even questioned by police.

In the last few months, they have thrown shoes and water bottles at church members, interrupted sermons with chants of "Infidels!" and "Leave Now!" and dumped piles of feces on the land.

"We've questioned nine witnesses and have already identified the perpetrators," said local detective, Capt. Ade Arie. "But it's too early to comment or speculate on a motive."

Local Police Chief Imam Sugianto said Asia Sihombing, a worshipper, was on his way to the field when assailants jumped off a motorcycle and stabbed him in the stomach.

The Rev. Luspida Simanjuntak was smashed in the head as she tried to come to his aid.

"I was trying to help get him onto a motorcycle so we could get him to a hospital," she told reporters in the industrial city of Bekasi, 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Jakarta.

The Islamic Defenders Front pressured local authorities early this year to shutter the Batak church, located in a densely populated Muslim area, saying the permit was granted without the required approval of residents.

The Christian worshippers have refused to back down. Every week, about 20 or so return to the field to pray, defying threats and intimidation.

Most people in Indonesia practice a moderate form of Islam and abhor violence. But the Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy, a human rights group, said attacks on religious freedom by hard-liners were steadily increasing.

It said there have been 64 incidents - ranging from physical abuse to preventing groups from performing prayers and burning houses of worship - in 2010, up from 18 in 2009 and 17 in 2008.

"It's largely because Yudhoyono's administration is always so slow to step in," said Hendardi, a Setara activist, pointing to recent attacks on the Islamic minority sect, Ahmadiyah.

"If he doesn't take immediate steps to address this problem, then the blame lies with him."
http://ap.stripes.com/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDONESIA_CHRISTIANS_ATTACKED?SITE=DCSAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-09-12-09-44-38

tankmanbrad
09-13-2010, 03:39 PM
"Most people in Indonesia practice a moderate form of Islam and abhor violence."

and i say they are worthless shits if they do not find it in their hearts to take in and protect the Christians when this happens, or step in the way and calm their fucking asswhipe brethren down from doing these things...

hey they grab their huge rabbit bred and sized families and shield terrorist houses in palestine/gaza when the aircraft start circling over head to take out the criminals inside, dont they? when in any moment of time past or present did they surround the house of the Christians and say 'you cannot be allowed to harm these people'? Being as they dont GIVE A SHIT, the answer is 'never'... and prove it if Im wrong.

As pointed out before in other articles and times in the past, Christians are like Jews in that regard... fully expendable, nothing to get concerned about, who gives a damn its not my neighborhood, its the In thing to do (kicking over gravestones, defiling churches, attempting to murder worshippers, etc etc).

AGAIN, silence is the golden tell that they are all ok with it and are scared shitless of getting their own heads cut off... what a spineless useless cult this is... humanity means nothing to them, civility means looking out for only yourself and fuck other religions, and getting away with as much as you can. And when its pointed out they arent doing a THING to better anyone elses lives than their own, they milk the whole PC thinking world with cries of oh woe is us, you racist pigs hurt our feelings, and death to america etc etc.