Bruce Gale
The Straits Times
Publication Date : 09-07-2010
The Tiga Mojang (Three Ladies) statue in Bekasi was dismantled last month after protests by Muslims who said it represented the Christian Trinity. (Photo by The Jakarta Post)
"I demand the government start taking action now, before it is too late," Indonesian Democratic Party - Struggle (PDI-P) legislator Eva Kusuma Sundari told a press conference on June 28.
She was referring to the increased religious tension in Bekasi, a satellite city to the east of the capital, Jakarta.
Late last month, a joint congress of hardline Muslim organisations in the area demanded that the Bekasi regency and municipality administrations immediately implement syariah (Islamic) law to deter the growth of Christianity in the area.
The meeting, which was held at one of the biggest mosques in the city, also called for the establishment of a Laskar Pemuda (Youth Troops) paramilitary group.
The rapid development of the residential and industrial zones in Bekasi, together with an influx of Christian Indonesians from the outer islands in the archipelago looking for work in the capital, has increased the cultural diversity of the largely Muslim area, making it more vulnerable to religious conflict.
Most tension in the past centred on allegations of Christian proselytising among Muslims and the construction of allegedly unauthorised churches. But the targets have sometimes been strange.
For example, the Protestant Filadelfia Church in Bekasi, which was closed down by a Muslim mob in January, held its services in the North Sumatran Batak dialect, a language that is unintelligible to speakers of local Javanese. On May 8, a Catholic school was attacked.
The more recent campaign against the erection of a statue near the Kota Harapan Indah residential complex was simply bizarre.
The Tiga Mojang (Three Ladies) sculpture, argued the militants, was objectionable because it symbolised the Christian Trinity. Commissioned by the developer, the tall copper and brass statue is of three women dressed in traditional Javanese clothes facing three different streets.
Contacted by The Straits Times, sculptor Nyoman Nuarta was at a loss to explain how the militants had come to the conclusion that his artwork had religious significance. A Balinese Hindu, Nuarta told me he "just wanted to create something that would make the environment more pleasant".
Although the statue was constructed in 2008, the militants did not voice their objections to it until about six months ago.
'"hey spray-painted a message on the statue," he said. "But I did not understand what it said because it was written in Arabic."
The location of the statue in a new upmarket residential area also casts doubt on militant claims that they were local residents attempting to protect the Islamic character of the area.
The issue was resolved last month when the Bekasi municipal administration instructed the developer of the residential complex to dismantle the sculpture. Unfortunately, the way the decision was made does not bode well for the fate of future controversies.
Nuarta said the municipal administration did not bother to ask him to explain the meaning of the statue.
Hardline groups involved include the Bekasi Islamic Missionary Council and the Bekasi branch of the Islam Defenders Front. In recent years, members of the latter organisation have become known for their violent annual raids on nightclubs, bars and other entertainment venues in Jakarta during Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month.
Despite the disapproval of their respective national leaderships, the local branches of more moderate national groupings such as the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah attended the June congress that demanded the immediate introduction of syariah law.
One reason for the lack of any official action against the militants is that the nation's predominantly secular political parties have been preoccupied with controversies involving their own leaders. Power struggles within the NU, the country's largest Muslim organisation, have also distracted Muslim leaders at the national level.
Some observers, such as sociologist Andi Sopandi, have urged the government to promote more intensive dialogues between local Muslim and Christian leaders in order to resolve outstanding issues. Last week's call for the formation of an Islamic paramilitary group, however, suggests that efforts in this direction have so far been unsuccessful.
Could Jakarta's outer suburbs become a religious battleground? Theo Bela, president of the Jakarta Christian Communication Forum, is optimistic.
"If I know of a threat beforehand, I can ask the police to help, and they are very good," he told me.
Key national Muslim leaders are also beginning to speak up. On Sunday, for example, Muhammadiyah leader Yunahar Ilyas called on the militants not to resort to violence.
Bekasi Mayor Mochtar Muhammad is also believed to be a sympathetic moderate.
But Indonesia's complex administrative system is such that his authority does not extend to some of the worst-affected areas.
Meanwhile, there has been no attempt to break up the militant groups. The reluctance of local governments to issue building permits to churches is also complicating the issue. Several churches have gone to court to seek redress, and some have received favourable rulings.
"This is the way to resolve the matter," Bela said. "Indonesia is ruled by laws."
Let's hope it remains that way.
The Straits Times
Publication Date : 09-07-2010
The Tiga Mojang (Three Ladies) statue in Bekasi was dismantled last month after protests by Muslims who said it represented the Christian Trinity. (Photo by The Jakarta Post)
"I demand the government start taking action now, before it is too late," Indonesian Democratic Party - Struggle (PDI-P) legislator Eva Kusuma Sundari told a press conference on June 28.
She was referring to the increased religious tension in Bekasi, a satellite city to the east of the capital, Jakarta.
Late last month, a joint congress of hardline Muslim organisations in the area demanded that the Bekasi regency and municipality administrations immediately implement syariah (Islamic) law to deter the growth of Christianity in the area.
The meeting, which was held at one of the biggest mosques in the city, also called for the establishment of a Laskar Pemuda (Youth Troops) paramilitary group.
The rapid development of the residential and industrial zones in Bekasi, together with an influx of Christian Indonesians from the outer islands in the archipelago looking for work in the capital, has increased the cultural diversity of the largely Muslim area, making it more vulnerable to religious conflict.
Most tension in the past centred on allegations of Christian proselytising among Muslims and the construction of allegedly unauthorised churches. But the targets have sometimes been strange.
For example, the Protestant Filadelfia Church in Bekasi, which was closed down by a Muslim mob in January, held its services in the North Sumatran Batak dialect, a language that is unintelligible to speakers of local Javanese. On May 8, a Catholic school was attacked.
The more recent campaign against the erection of a statue near the Kota Harapan Indah residential complex was simply bizarre.
The Tiga Mojang (Three Ladies) sculpture, argued the militants, was objectionable because it symbolised the Christian Trinity. Commissioned by the developer, the tall copper and brass statue is of three women dressed in traditional Javanese clothes facing three different streets.
Contacted by The Straits Times, sculptor Nyoman Nuarta was at a loss to explain how the militants had come to the conclusion that his artwork had religious significance. A Balinese Hindu, Nuarta told me he "just wanted to create something that would make the environment more pleasant".
Although the statue was constructed in 2008, the militants did not voice their objections to it until about six months ago.
'"hey spray-painted a message on the statue," he said. "But I did not understand what it said because it was written in Arabic."
The location of the statue in a new upmarket residential area also casts doubt on militant claims that they were local residents attempting to protect the Islamic character of the area.
The issue was resolved last month when the Bekasi municipal administration instructed the developer of the residential complex to dismantle the sculpture. Unfortunately, the way the decision was made does not bode well for the fate of future controversies.
Nuarta said the municipal administration did not bother to ask him to explain the meaning of the statue.
Hardline groups involved include the Bekasi Islamic Missionary Council and the Bekasi branch of the Islam Defenders Front. In recent years, members of the latter organisation have become known for their violent annual raids on nightclubs, bars and other entertainment venues in Jakarta during Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month.
Despite the disapproval of their respective national leaderships, the local branches of more moderate national groupings such as the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah attended the June congress that demanded the immediate introduction of syariah law.
One reason for the lack of any official action against the militants is that the nation's predominantly secular political parties have been preoccupied with controversies involving their own leaders. Power struggles within the NU, the country's largest Muslim organisation, have also distracted Muslim leaders at the national level.
Some observers, such as sociologist Andi Sopandi, have urged the government to promote more intensive dialogues between local Muslim and Christian leaders in order to resolve outstanding issues. Last week's call for the formation of an Islamic paramilitary group, however, suggests that efforts in this direction have so far been unsuccessful.
Could Jakarta's outer suburbs become a religious battleground? Theo Bela, president of the Jakarta Christian Communication Forum, is optimistic.
"If I know of a threat beforehand, I can ask the police to help, and they are very good," he told me.
Key national Muslim leaders are also beginning to speak up. On Sunday, for example, Muhammadiyah leader Yunahar Ilyas called on the militants not to resort to violence.
Bekasi Mayor Mochtar Muhammad is also believed to be a sympathetic moderate.
But Indonesia's complex administrative system is such that his authority does not extend to some of the worst-affected areas.
Meanwhile, there has been no attempt to break up the militant groups. The reluctance of local governments to issue building permits to churches is also complicating the issue. Several churches have gone to court to seek redress, and some have received favourable rulings.
"This is the way to resolve the matter," Bela said. "Indonesia is ruled by laws."
Let's hope it remains that way.
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