The compound, which housed the Indonesian Bible Oneness Church, the Indonesian Pentecostal Church (PDI) and the Protestant Batak Christian District (HKBP), was closed down by authorities in 2005, after pressure from a radical Muslim group calling itself the ‘Alliance Against Apostasy,’ Christians said.
Since then, church members have been meeting in homes while seeking a legal solution. However on June 14 some 20 people, including police and Muslim supporters reportedly ripped off a roof, doors, and fences while removing all the chairs and tables to one corner of the building.
Pastors said the action was on violation of a 2005 agreement, but authorities allegedly claimed the accord was no longer valid. District officials reportedly told pastors that they suspected the compound would be used for church services again because "some congregation members" were seen "cleaning the building…"
LEGAL ACTION
The churches are contemplating legal action against the authorities involved in the destruction, said Open Doors, a group investigating reports of Christian persecution.
Pastor Pestaria Hutajulu said in published remarks that, "Jesus taught us to obey the government. Yet, ‘Whoever destroys the temple of God will be destroyed by the Lord.’"
Dozens of churches have been destroyed or closed recently in Indonesia, amid mounting tensions between Muslims and Christians, rights groups have said.
