Indonesia: Official Orders Halt to Beleaguered Church in Indonesia
CDN reports: “A local government official in Bekasi, West Java last week forbid all worship of the Filadelfia Huria Kristen Batak Protestant Church (HKBP) in Jejalan village. Regent Sa’duddin on April 12 ordered a halt to all activities of the church, including worship services that have been held on a strip of roadside land since the government on Jan. 12 summarily sealed the church’s building, which was under construction.”
Indonesian Extremists in Bogor Disrupt Otherwise Peaceful Good Friday
— 1,000 Christians had to pray in restaurant after church services disrupted
— Jakarta Globe: “‘Some 200 young people came to our makeshift chapel and asked us to stop our prayers, which actually were already done. We were terrified, but after they negotiated with our church leaders, the group agreed to move their protest to the Parung district office,’ Gabriel said.”
— “To ensure the safety of the congregation, the church leaders decided to move the Good Friday service to a building owned by the local education office, but a miscommunication forced them to move the venue again to a restaurant owned by a church member.”
Indonesia's Minister of Religious Affairs Suryadharma Ali Defends Blasphemy LawJakarta Globe: "Culture expert Taufiq Ismail testifying during a hearing on the Blasphemy Law at the Constitutional Court on Wednesday." (JG Photo/Safir Makki)
The anti-democracy group Hizb ut-Tahrir, which seeks the creation of a global caliphate, led a protest of thousands in Indonesia on Sunday March 14, 2010 in the South Sulawesi area of Makassar and also in Central Java’s Solo city, regarding the planned visit of U.S. president Barack Obama to Indonesia at the end of March 2010. The anti-freedom Hizb ut-Tahrir group is promoting an anti-Obama campaign throughout all of Indonesia on their web site (see screen shot). The Hizb ut-Tahrir protesters view Barack Obama as “Musuh Omat Islam”which means “Enemy of Islam.”
Mediareports have stated that 2,000 Hizb ut-Tahrir protesters were at various events and marches against Barack Obama in Indonesia. The Jakarta Post reported that one march led by the anti-democracy group Hizb ut-Tahrir against Obama began at a local mosque. AFP reported that Hizb ut-Tahrir spokesman Nur Alam called America “the real terrorists” and stated that while U.S. President Barack Obama may “have a different skin color” from former U.S. President Bush, that Obama seeks to “oppress” Muslims.
Anti-Democracy Group Hizb ut-Tahrir Leads Protests Against Barack Obama -- Waving Black Flags of "Islamic Caliphate"
The Indonesia branch of the extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), describes the “sins of Barack Obama” as the “sins of destruction of ideology” stating America has committed the “sin” of “promoting neoliberal capitalism.” HTI also views Barack Obama guilty of the “sin of history,” and the “sin” of having the IMF and World Bank provide financial support to help Indonesia. Finally, HTI views Barack Obama guilty of the “sins of humanity.”
Many of the HTI signs read “Tolak Obama” which means “Reject Obama.”
Anti-Democracy Group Hizb ut-Tahrir Protests Against Barack Obama
HTI believes that continued protests in Jakarta can possibly disrupt Barack Obama’s visit to Indonesia. HTI urges Indonesian Muslims to chase Obama out of Indonesia and state that “the fact that Obama’s biography that his ancestors were Muslims, according to HTI, can not be the basis for the ‘privileged concern.'”
Anti-Democracy Group Hizb ut-Tahrir Protests Against Barack Obama
HTI states that “In addition to the arrival of Obama’s rejection, in these demos, HTI also call upon all Muslims to truly manifest the life of the Islamic struggle in which Islamic law is applied under the auspices of the caliph.”
Anti-Democracy Group Hizb ut-Tahrir Protests Against Barack Obama
HTI describes an event at an Indonesian Central Library where 1000 attended an assembly of Tribunal Al-Islamiyah Buhuts, where the black flag of the extremist caliphate and the white flag of Dar Al-Salam were hung with anti-Obama banner in the center reading “Tolak Obama”… “Reject Obama.”
Indonesia Central Library Meeting with Flag of Caliphate and Raised Fists Against U.S. President Barack Obama
Summary of Media Reports:
AFP reported that:
— “Around 2,000 protesters from the hardline Muslim group Hizbut Tahrir, which aims to establish a Muslim caliphate, shouted ‘Islam united… will not be defeated. Reject Obama’ and tore printouts of the American flag as they marched around the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar on Sunday.”
— “In Central Java’s Solo city, another 500 of the group’s supporters carried posters saying ‘Expel Obama.. leader of coloniser’ and ‘America.. The Real Terrorists.'”
— “‘There are two types of visitors, good and bad. Obama is bad. He might be of a different skin colour from George Bush, but he still oppressed the Muslims,’ the group’s spokesman Nur Alam said, referring to former US president George W. Bush.”
Anti-Democracy Group Hizb ut-Tahrir Leads Protests Against Barack Obama
The Jakarta Post reports:
— “Two thousand supporters of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) in South Sulawesi staged Sunday an anti-US President Barrack Obama rally in Makassar, rejecting his plan to visit Indonesia.”
— “The rally began at Al Markaz Al Islami mosque and continued to Mandala monument.”
— “The protesters called Obama inconsistent in his promise to work for peace such as by sending more troops to Afghanistan, and injecting a fund to Israel.”
— “Obama is scheduled to visit Indonesia later this month.”
Anti-Democracy Group Hizb ut-Tahrir Protests Against Barack Obama -- Stating "Reject Obama" -- "Enemy of Islam"The Flag of the "Caliphate"
The anti-democracy group Hizb ut-Tahrir has used the opportunity of International Women’s Day (March 8, 2010) to make renewed calls for its caliphate. As R.E.A.L. reported in July 2009 and December 2009, the Hizb ut-Tahrir America organization requires that women sit separately at the back of the room in their functions, as you can see from these photos of Chicago Hizb ut-Tahrir America event:s
Anti-Democracy Hizb ut-Tahrir America December 20, 2009 Meeting at Govt-Managed Facility in Lombard, Illinois -- Women Segregated and Only Permitted to Sit in the Back of the RoomHizb ut-Tahrir Instructs Women to Sit in Back of Conference Room - at July 2009 Event in Chicago
Hizb ut-Tahrir states at khilafah.com that:
“Regardless of the introduction of laws and global women’s organisations, women remain disadvantaged. Some argue that the Gender Equality movement has further entrenched the problems that women suffer since they are now expect to be equal to a man, work as hard as a man, and commit as much as a man. This notion is contradictory since ‘gender’ points to the biological differences between men and women, ‘gender equality’ eliminates gender from the discussion entirely.”
Hizb ut-Tahrir also states at khilafah.com that:
“Upon understanding the real protection and nurturing that a Khilafah state would bring men and women alike, is it any wonder that there is an overwhelming call for its return. The vast majority of those polled in a Gallup survey in 2005 said that they would want to see Shari’ah as the sole source of legislation. It is only the Khilafah that will ensure the rights of all citizens, men and women, Muslim and non- Muslim”
In Chicago at Hizb ut-Tahrir America’s July 2009 event, the pamphlet distributed by Hizb ut-Tahrir condemned efforts at “reforming Islam,” which Hizb ut-Tahrir also stated included “liberalising women” (page 5). Hizb ut-Tahrir also condemns efforts to promote “women’s rights and tolerance” as part of a “US plan” and a “struggle to reform Islam itself” (pages 10,11). Hizb ut-Tahrir condemned a U.S. “Freedom Agenda” giving priority to “Women’s groups engaged in gender equality campaigns.” Hizb ut-Tahrir rejects equality and instead seeks to promote “equivalence” of men and women based on having “equivalent” obligations under its interpretation of Islam. In Hizb ut-Tahrir’s pamphlet distributed at the Chicago July 2009 event, it states that “Equality is not the basis of Islam and never has been in the history of Islamic jurisprudence. This is a term alien to Islam.” (page 64).
The Blog Indonesia Matters also reports that “Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) champions polygamy and rails against gender equality and domestic violence laws.”
— “Hundreds of Muslims from outside the area where a 600-member church meets in West Java staged a protest there to call for its closure this month in an attempt to portray local opposition.”
— “Demonstrators from 16 Islamic organizations, including the hard-line Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), gathered on Feb. 15 to demand a stop to all activities by the Galilea Protestant Church (GPIB) in the Galaxy area of Bekasi City.”
— “The Rev. M. Tetelepta, pastor of the church, told Compass that the church has had the required consent of local residents and official permission to worship since its inception in 1992.”
— ” ‘From the beginning we had permission to worship from both the government and the nearby residents,’ Tetelepta said. ‘We worked on the building permit and had received principle clearance from the mayor of Bekasi. We had also received permission from the Bekasi Interfaith Harmony Forum.’ “
Indonesia: Two Churches Forced to Close in Indonesia
— Compass News reports: “Local governments have ordered the closure of two churches on Indonesia’s Java island.:
— “Under pressure from Islamist groups, authorities ordered Christian Baptist Church in Sepatan, Tangerang district, Banten Province to cease services. In Pondok Timur, near Bekasi in West Java, officials abruptly closed the Huria Christian Protestant Batak Church (HKBP) after delaying a building permit for four years.”
— “Tangerang district authorities issued a decree on Jan. 21 ordering all worship activities to cease at the Baptist church. At a meeting in the district offices, officials pressured church officials to sign a statement that they would stop all worship activities, but they refused.”
