Report documents persecution of Christians in Indonesia

January 14, 2011

Theophilus Bela, president of the Jakarta Christian Communication Forum and secretary general of the Indonesian Committee of Religions for Peace, has prepared a report documenting dozens of recent incidents of persecution against Catholics and other Christians in Indonesia, the world’s most populous predominantly Muslim nation.

The report also provides historical context: of the 1,200 churches burnt down or closed since 1945, only two were burnt down between 1945 and 1967. On the other hand, the situation has improved since a decade ago, when there were mass burnings of churches.

3% of the nation’s 228.5 million people are Catholics, according to Vatican statistics. 6% are Protestant, and 86% are Muslim.

 

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Further information:

• Muslim harassment of Indonesian Christians intensifies (Friends of Indonesia)
• Indonesia: Christian Churches Under Attack (Zenit)