Ulma Haryanto, Jakarta – Police should not overlook the roles played by local clerics in inciting violence against a Christian congregation in Bekasi, human rights watchdogs have said.
Both the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace and Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) lauded the arrest on Wednesday of Murhali Barda, head of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) chapter in Bekasi, in connection with the attack on Sunday of two leaders from the Batak Christian Protestant Church (HKBP) Pondok Timur Indah, in which one church elder was stabbed.
However, the organizations also said police should not overlook the roles played by two other clerics – Syahri and Syahid Tajudin – who were believed to have led demonstrations against the HKBP congregation in Mustika Jaya subdistrict.
Indra Listiantara Putra, a researcher for Setara who has been monitoring the protests against the Christians in Bekasi, told the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday that Syahri and Syahid had often been joined by Murhali during demonstrations.
"Members of the congregation have also filed a police complaint against these individuals for provoking residents and making inflammatory statements during their speeches against the church members' ethnicity and creed," he said.
A police complaint was filed against Syahid, who is a leader for the Islamic People's Forum (FUI) in Mustika Jaya, two months ago, accusing him of violence and desecration.
Robert Keytimu, a lawyer for the church, in July said Syahid had been reported over an incident in early June when he and his followers forcibly sealed off a house being used for church services by the HKBP congregation.
The closure followed violent demonstrations by hard-line Muslim organizations.
Meanwhile, Rimin, the village head in Ciketing, where the stabbing on Sunday took place, said local tensions had been fanned by Syahid and Syahri, both residents of the village.
"The field that was used by the congregation was actually located next to Syahri's house," he said. "He said it was an insult to have a church built next to his house."
Rimin said the HKBP's gatherings were at first only opposed by the pair. "But slowly it began to catch on with the local residents. And suddenly people outside the village started to join the demonstrations," he said.
According to Rimin, both Syahri and Syahid were contract teachers at a private school.
Separately, PBHI chairman Hendrik Sirait told the Globe on Wednesday that Syahid, Syahri and other local clerics who had participated in demonstrations against the church should be questioned by police.
According to Hendrik, Syahid was not just a member of the FUI, but also a member of the local FPI branch. He said Sunday's attack was not purely a criminal case and had been building since Syahid began intimidating the congregation.
"I am not sure if the stabbing was a spontaneous or random act. I have a strong suspicion that the entire thing was pre-planned," he said.
During the attack, unknown assailants stabbed church elder Asia Sihombing in the stomach and hit Rev. Luspida Simanjuntak in the head with a stick. The incident happened two days after Islamic holiday of Idul Fitri.
"These clerics should have known about this. If they knew and did not report it, that in itself is a crime," Hendrik said.
Mohammad Asad, a sociologist from Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, said religious leaders and local clerics were often viewed as key persons in regional areas such as Ciketing.
"From my experience, influential figures in such communities would be teachers or educated figures, religious leaders and village officials. Residents look up to these people," he said.
Asad said he believed the local clerics played a significant role in preventing – or inciting – clashes in their communities. He added "irrational fears," such as apprehension about Christianization, might have been used to trigger the violence in Ciketing.
Meanwhile, Syahid defended leading the protests against the HKBP congregation, saying it had been done in compliance with the law. He also denied triggering the conflict.
Syahid's FUI Web site contains posts warning Mustika Jaya residents of Christianization in the area.
Syahid also denied involvement in Sunday's attack. "I wasn't there on Sunday, I was at the hospital visiting a relative," he said. Syahri could not be reached for comment.