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Indonesia: local Muslims demand Ampana church to be demolished

A church in Sulawesi, Indonesia, has been repeatedly asked to shut down due to local Muslim group’s protests.

 

The Islamic Defenders Alliance (ABI) of Tojo Unauna Regency, demanded the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) to destroy one of their buildings in the Ampana shopping complex on Jalan Yos Sudarso. Members of ABI held a demonstration in front of the church, pressured local government and police to demand the closure of the church, and accused church authorities of not having a building permit.

On the 11th of  March,  ABI coordinator Touna Rusli Aksa Patundu, at a quadrilateral meeting between representatives of ABI, GKI, the Regional Government and the Police at the Touna Regional Office of Kesbangpol, said that the building has been used as a church from 2017 to 2020. “We, from the alliance, demand that the church be demolished as soon as possible (…)” he stated.

In response, the GKI representative, Agung claimed that the building in question was not a church, but a gathering place for the GKI congregation in Ampana. In fact, the GKI has addressed the objection of the GKI building by removing the crucifix and the GKI signboard from the building, in a hope to calm ABI’s anger.

Source: persecution.org

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