Christians prohibited from choir practice at site in Indonesia

Muslims in a village in Indonesia stopped a church choir from rehearsing on Sunday evening (Dec. 1) for a Christmas service on the false premise that the Christians needed permission from community leaders, sources said.

In the predominantly Muslim Matajang neighborhood in Caile village, Ujungbulu District, Bulukumba Regency, South Celebes Province, the head of the local neighborhood association told members of the Catholic St. Yoseph Station church, “It’s important that the choir practice should be reported to the local government,” according to a video that appeared on TikTok account @sellsellss and on other social media.

The neighborhood association head, Andi Arman, known as Aples, claimed to be mediating between the Catholic choir and the area Muslims, telling choir member in the video, “First, I will tell the [Muslim] neighbors that there will be activities like this. If you ask permission, I can tell them there has been a report to the local government. If it is like this [without permission], I will say there is no permission.”

Later, he told news outlet radarselatan.jajar.co.id, “The residents asked me to come because they thought there was a worship activity. It turned out to be a song practice for Christmas.”

Aples said the Muslim residents and the church had a prior agreement prohibiting the Catholics from worshipping at the site, and that he was trying to protect them from mob violence.

“I came to protect my Catholic friends,” he told the news outlet. “By having permission, I can ensure that other parties would not disturb their activities.”

A parishioner told Morning Star News that the congregation has never used the multipurpose building where they were rehearsing as a place of worship; it was built for church worship but never used because of opposition by the local Muslims.

“We have been holding services in a congregation member’s house far from the Muslim community,” she said. “We do other church activities in this multipurpose building.”

The Indonesian Movement for All, a leading moderate interfaith organization podcast, stated that it was sad to learn of the about the banning of the Christmas choir practice, asserting “The ban is incomprehensible. Since when does practicing choir for Christmas require permission from the local government?”

The institution, which brings together several young Indonesian figures, stated that only the establishment of a house of worship requires people to obtain a permit based on the Joint Decree of the Two Ministers, Chapter 1, Article 3.

“Choir practice needs no permit,” the group stated. “People who prohibit this must be handled immediately.”

Local Muslim leader Ustaz Andi Satria said he regretted the incident.

“Singing practice for Christmas celebrations must be protected, not intimidated,” Andi Satria said. “Islam teaches tolerance as a blessing for all humans, not just for the Muslims.” ​​

Intolerance, he said, arises due to misunderstanding of Islamic teaching.

“We sometimes understand religion too shallowly, so we ask permission even to practice singing. Our job is to protect, not to hinder,” Andi Satria said, adding that local government should be wise in handling reports from residents. “Should the practice require permission, the government should be present as a protector, not as a party that stops the activity. It should be followed by a cool dialogue to find the best solution.”

Stopping religious activities for any reason must be avoided, he said, adding, “Our country is not a country of a particular religion, but a country of law that guarantees freedom of religion.”

The head of St. Mary of Fatima Parish, Immanuel Asi, told Morning Star News, “The problem has been resolved thanks to cooperation with several parties,” but area sources said there has been no resolution, and the conflict continues.

The St. Joseph Station is a part of the St. Mary of Fatima Parish in Bentaeng Regency, South Celebes, and belongs to the Makasar Archdiocese. Serving approximately 50 families or around 215 members, it represents about 50 percent of the entire congregation of St. Mary of Fatima Parish. The station is about 30-40 minutes away by vehicle from the parish.

Indonesia ranked 42nd on the Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. Indonesian society has adopted a more conservative Islamic character, and churches involved in evangelistic outreach are at risk of being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to the WWL report.