Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 068 | Wed 11 Aug 2010

Note with GRIM NEWS FROM NORTH KOREA:

North Korea Intellectuals Solidarity (NKIS) has learned that 23
residents of Kuwal-dong, Pyungsung, South Pyongan Province, North
Korea, were arrested in mid-May for their involvement in religious
activities. After interrogating the believers, the regime executed
three ‘leaders’ who had reportedly been converted while on business in
China and incarcerated the others in concentration labour camp ‘No. 15
Kwanliso in Yoduk’, where they will surely also die.

Pray for North Korea’s incarcerated Christians in their extreme
suffering, for those grieving the loss of loved ones and for those
gripped by fear. May our ever-present God be their strength, enabling
them to rise above their circumstances (Isaiah 40:27-31; Habakkuk
3:19). May God deliver North Korea (Isaiah 35:4).

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BEKASI, INDONESIA: WORSHIPPERS ASSAULTED
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[For background on the extremely serious situation brewing in West Java
see: Religious Liberty Monitoring http://elizabethkendal.blogspot.com
under ‘Indonesia’; RLPB 063 (07 July 2010) which reported earlier
strife in Bekasi.]

The 1500-strong Batak Christian Protestant Filadelfia Church (HKBP
Filadelfia) in Bekasi has been meeting in homes for the last 15 years
because the local authorities will not grant them permission to build a
dedicated meeting place. Though the church is ethnic Batak and worships
in the Batak language (not Javanese or Indonesian, i.e. not a local
language) local Islamic fundamentalist groups have accused it of
‘Christianisation’. Now the church is not even permitted to gather for
worship in a home because the local authorities claim the local
residents don’t want a church in their area.

Over recent weeks, a small core group from this fellowship has been
meeting for prayer and worship in the open air on the church’s own
land. On Sunday 31 July the group worshipped in the open, guarded by
some 300 police, while a mob of Islamic fundamentalists chanted Islamic
Arabic slogans. The New York Times reported (31 July): ‘As the
congregants filed home, a knot of Muslim men pushed forward with raised
fists at the passing Christians, but were bottled up by a linked-arm
chain of other Muslims.’ So it seems a significant number of local
Muslims are not only happy to have the church meeting in their area,
but are willing to risk their own bodies to defend it.

On Sunday morning 8 August at least 300 militants from the Islamic
People’s Forum (FUI) and the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) pushed
through a police barricade and attacked the 20 Filadelfia Church
Christians worshipping the Lord on the church’s land. The hundreds of
police present were either unable or unwilling to prevent the attack.
Armed with sticks and stones, the militants chased, caught and beat the
fleeing Christians, several of whom required medical treatment for
their injuries. Berliana Sinaga (22) suffered bruises to her face after
several militants caught and beat her. Risma Silalahi (45) is still in
pain after militants beat her around the head. Franky Tambunan (26) was
struck in the face and kicked while trying to protect his elderly
father. The attack was well orchestrated with the militants dispersing
quickly afterwards.

The Islamic fundamentalist and militant organisations are not only
hoping to terrorise the church into submission, they are also testing
the authorities to see how far they can go. The government has to
choose: will it uphold the constitution and guarantee religious liberty
or will it yield to the Islamists? If the government refuses to
guarantee the constitutional rights of Indonesian citizens, if it shows
weakness and buckles in the face of Islamic belligerence, then West
Java’s Christians will be at risk, especially as Ramadan progresses.
This is a watershed moment for Indonesia. The government can no longer
straddle the ridge. It must come down either on the side of religious
freedom and equality before the law, or on the side of Islam and
dhimmitude.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT:

* God will deliver the Church in West Java from this terrible threat,
so the believers can worship in peace, and so West Java might retain
the light, salt, yeast and Good News that the Church brings into its
midst (2 Thessalonians 3:1-3).

* if there is to be no deliverance at this time, then may God fill the
believers with faith, courage and peace, protect and comfort them in
the midst of the persecution and reassure them of his everlasting
love.

* God will take what man intends for evil and use it for his own good
purpose. As Islam shrouds the people in the darkness of
dictatorship, may the light of Christ just shine ever more
radiantly, visibly and attractively.

‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness.’ (2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV)

~~~~

SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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BEKASI, INDONESIA: WORSHIPPERS ASSAULTED

Religious tensions are escalating, particularly in the outer suburbs of
Jakarta, and specifically in Bekasi where Muslim fundamentalists have
threatened war on the Christians. The situation turned violent on
Sunday 8 August, when some 300 Islamic militants pushed through a
police barricade to attack 20 Christians praying on church-owned land.
(They are not permitted to gather for worship in their homes or build a
meeting place.) The police were apparently unable or unwilling to
prevent the attack. The militants, armed with sticks and stones, chased
and beat the fleeing Christians, some of whom required medical
treatment. The government must choose to defend religious freedom and
equality before the law, or it will buckle in the face of Islamic
belligerence and open the door for Islamisation, talibanisation and
dhimmitude. Please pray.

——————–

We suggest that churches and fellowships using the above Summary might
also provide a copy of the listed prayer points to be used in their
worship by people who are leading in prayer.

For more information, updates and helpful links see Elizabeth Kendal’s
blog ‘Religious Liberty Monitoring’
.

This RLPB was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious
Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international
religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC
team. Previous bulletins may be viewed at .