Radical Muslims oppose Carmelite prayer centre
ICC Note: Muslims protest the presence of a Catholic compound in their part of Indonesia . Although no violence occurred, there are concerns that their may be violent efforts to have the compound removed.
7/23/07 Indonesia (AsiaNews) More than a thousand Muslims staged a protest today against the Carmelite Praying Centre in Cikanyere Hill, Kota Bunga, in Cianjur Regency (West Java), some 100 km south of Jakarta . They were held at bay by police deployed around the religious compound but their action presaged a campaign to drive the religious institution away.
Calling themselves the Islamic People of Cianjur, the white-clad protesters marched from the Siti Hajar Mosque compound towards the Carmelite centre, which is located at least one kilometre away. Muslims from other towns like West Javas provincial capital of Bandung also joined the marchers…
Demonstrators loudly protested against the use of the compound for mass and other liturgical ceremonies; some even objected to the presence itself of the Carmelite centre.
Police armed with sticks and shields tried to block the main gate so as prevent angry protesters from entering the compound.
Known also as the Lembah Karmel of Cikanyere, the Carmelite centre was set up about 20 years ago by Fr John Indra Kusuma OCarm as a place for the contemplative life to serve Carmelite sisters and brothers
Now that local Islamic extremists have targeted it for protests there are growing fears that it might become the focal of even more disturbing action .
