Churches Attacked in Coordinated Effort

(Compass) – Mobs armed with sticks attacked four churches in Banten province, Indonesia , on Sunday June 6, doing minor damage to church furniture and windows. Attackers punched one pastor in the head, although he was not seriously injured. Captain Hamdani of the local police department said the attacks were a reaction to churches meeting in unregistered places of worship. Under Indonesian law, churches must apply for permission to construct a building or meet in privately owned or rented facilities. However, permission is rarely granted, forcing some churches to worship without the required permit. Muslims object to the presence of unregistered churches, and observers believe this is the reason behind the recent attacks. A similar incident occurred on April 6 in Menteng, southern Jakarta , where a clinic operated by the Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (HKBP) church was attacked and church property damaged. Ten churches which met in a shopping mall in Tangerang were forced to close on March 1 because they did not have the required permits.