Indonesia: Group goes to court against places of worship decree

Minority groups of Christians and Muslims are seeking judicial review of the new decree on houses of worship that they say will obstruct them from practicing their faiths.

The request was submitted Tuesday to the Supreme Court by the Defense Team for Religious and Faith Freedom (TPKB), a group of lawyers of different faiths.

“We want it annulled. The decree is against the Constitution, the Human Rights Law and the principles of freedom to exercise one’s religion and faith,” group leader Saor Siagian said after filing the appeal.

The team was set up last year to respond to several cases of church closures and attacks on the Ahmadiyah group, which has been branded a heretical Islamic sect by some Muslim groups.

Ahmadiyah joined the request for judicial review of the decree, which replaced one issued in 1969 by the religious affairs minister and the home minister.

The new decree, issued last week by Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni and Home Minister M. Ma’ruf, rules that the establishment of a place of worship must have congregations of a minimum of 90 people, and receive consent of 60 people of other faiths living in the area.

It also is required to obtain permits from the local administration and the Communication Forum for Religious Harmony.

Saor criticized the consent requirement, saying there were some rural areas, such as remote Papuan villages, which were home to less than 50 residents.

“Does it mean they could not set up a place of worship? Isn’t it the same as prohibiting people from practicing their religion?”

The team also took issue with the communication forum, which consists of representatives from the major religions in the country, as not accommodating minority beliefs.

“Why does it only mention religions and disregard faiths?” Saor said.

The previous decree created similar concern among Christians and other minority religious groups in the world’s largest Muslim nation. They slammed the decree as restrictive and discriminative.

Hasyim Muzadi, who chairs Nahdlatul Ulama, the country’s largest Muslim organization, said Monday the new decree was even “more restrictive” than its predecessor because it accommodated too many interests.

As many as 23 churches in West Java alone were forcibly shut in the past two years on the grounds the buildings lacked permits.

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