15 Feb Disputed Churches in Jakarta
“This small book is based on research by the Paramadina Foundation’s Research Team: from Paramadina Foundation, the Masters of Peace and Conflict Resolution program of Gadjah Mada University (MPRK UGM) and the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP), into controversies concerning the construction of churches in Jakarta and the surrounding areas. This research seeks to further examine the dynamics of this issue and to discover what can be learnt from the cases where disputes over the construction of churches have been resolved.”
The English edition of this book is published in cooperation with the Asian Law Centre and the Centre for Islamic Law and Society at the University of Melbourne, The Paramadina Foundation (Jakarta) and the Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies (CRCS), Postgraduate School, Gadjah Mada University (Yogyakarta).
Disputed Churches in Jakarta
Ihsan Ali-Fauzi, Samsu Rizal Panggabean, Nathanael Gratias Sumaktoyo, Anick H. T., Husni Mubarak, Testriono and Siti Nurhayati
Translated by Rebecca Lunnon
Edited by Tim Lindsey and Melissa Crouch
ISBN: 978-602-96257-3-8
“I wish to congratulate the Paramadina Foundation research team, led by Pak Ihsan Ali-Fauzi, for a very detailed and thorough piece of research. Crucially, this research on Muslim-Christian relations was conducted by Indonesian Muslims, which means that the perspective they bring to this report gives the reader an insight into the daily, lived realities of inter-religious relations in Indonesia.”
(Melissa Crouch)
Issues over the construction of churches have long disturbed harmonious relations between religious communities in Indonesia. Various government regimes have come to power, yet problems with the construction of churches have always existed, and at times have led to social tension and even violent conflict. Available data shows that more than 1000 cases have occurred from the middle of 1969 to 2006, with the majority occurring under the New Order regime, which – ironically – placed great emphasis on harmony.
After the regime collapsed and there was greater space for the expression of freedom and diversity, the construction of churches continued to be a crucial issue of religious freedom. This is evident from the annual reports on religious freedom produced by the Wahid Institute, Setara Institute, Paramadina Foundation and MPRK UGM, the Moderate Muslim Society and CRCS UGM. These reports show that the tension surrounding the construction of churches is still high, particularly over the last five years.
The government has indeed made several efforts to address the issue. In 2006, the government issued the Joint Regulations of the Minister for Religious Affairs and the Minister for Internal Affairs (PBM) Nos. 9 and 8 to replace Joint Decree (SKB) No. 1/Ber/MDN-MAG/1969, which had been deemed discriminatory. Legally, the Joint Regulations give greater legal certainty than the Joint Decree. In addition, the government established the Inter-Religious Harmony Forum (Forum Kerukunan Umat Beragama, FKUB) through the Joint Regulations, which the government expected to play a constructive role in maintaining harmony. These efforts were, however, unable to resolve the issues surrounding the construction of places of worship.
A research team from Paramadina Foundation, the Masters of Peace and Conflict Resolution program of Gadjah Mada University (MPRK UGM) and the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP), set out to study the issue by conducting research into the controversies behind the construction of churches in Jakarta and the surrounding areas. Although this study is only a preliminary analysis and the sample of churches studied was limited (only 13 churches, seven Catholic and six Protestant), several of the conclusions provide valuable lessons about the need to enforce “civic pluralism”.
“Civic pluralism” requires an initiative by citizens to build a network of friendships and mutually negotiate differences so they can develop a rulebook that collectively benefits all groups. Cases involving the construction of churches rarely pay much attention to this aspect. People often focus attention on formal rules or state regulations. Our research in Jakarta and the surrounding areas shows that informal friendship networks are, in fact, an effective tool through which to resolve issues that arise during the construction of churches.
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