Margareth S.

Margareth S.

Jakarta – As many parts of the world face growing threats against religious tolerance from radical Muslims, the role of moderate Muslims is much needed, especially to counter such hosti

Ezra Sihite, Febriamy Hutapea & Ismira Lutfia – Officials and rights activists have lashed out at National Police Chief Gen.

Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-164-2012

Dear friends,

Ezra Sihite – National Police Chief General Timur Pradopo's proposal to relocate a Shiite community that has sought shelter following an attack in their home village prompted criticism

Indonesia has made progress in rebuilding its economy and strengthening democracy, but ethnic minorities in Papua and the Moluccas are still left out of the country's changes.

Jakarta – The United States' Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should raise concerns about the safety of religious minorities with the Indonesia government during her visit to the coun

Indra Harsaputra and Apriadi Gunawan, Sampang/Medan/Jakarta – The Constitution guarantees all citizens the right to choose their place to live, therefore, the government has no right to

Peter Alford, Jakarta – There was a characteristic absence in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's response to Indonesia's latest outburst of sectarian violence – any mention of religio

Indra Harsaputra, Jakarta – The government's plan to relocate the Shia community from their homes in Sampang, Madura, East Java, has been rejected outright by Shia group Ahlul Bait Indo

The National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) announced on Thursday that as many as 70 members of a Shiite community in Sampang, East Java are still missing since an attack on S

Farouk Arnaz – Seven people detained in the wake of a deadly mob attack on Shia Muslims in Sampang, East Java, were released on Wednesday due to a lack of evidence or witnesses, East Ja

Jakarta, Indonesia – A watchdog group accuses Shiite attackers have close ties to local leaders and police officials, creating resistance among authorities to reveal the masterminds of

Arientha Primanita, Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Ezra Sihite – The chairman of the country's largest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, on Tuesday distanced his group from the rec

Surabaya – The National Police have only named one suspect out of hundreds of people that participated in an attack on a group of Shiites in Sampang, East Java on Sunday.

Indra Harsaputra and Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Jakarta – Followers of Tajul Muluk, the Shiite cleric sentenced to two years for blasphemy by Sampang District Court in July this year, fled i

Index: ASA 21/033/2012

Dessy Sagita, Amir Tejo & Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Two people were killed and five were injured in an attack on a group of Shia students and teachers in Sampang, East Java, on Sun

Wahyoe Boediwardhana and Sita W.

Sita W. Dewi, Jakarta – Two Shia followers were reportedly killed in a melee involving Shia community members and an anti-Shia group in Sampang regency, East Java, on Sunday.

Sukabumi, West Java – Indonesia's highest clerical body says more than 100 followers of a minority Islamic sect in Sukabumi have apologized for their "misguided" religious practices, fo

Ezra Sihite – The police have arrested 14 people allegedly involved in the killing of a Muslim cleric that triggered a recent attack on a minority Islamic sect in Sukabumi, West Java, a

Jakarta – The police have arrested the leader of the At Tijaniyah sect and evacuated 138 of its members following attacks on the group on Sunday in Cisalopa village in Sukabumi, West Ja

Ezra Sihite – Lawmakers on Wednesday called upon police to be extra vigilant in some districts in West Java, a province with increased incidents of religious violence, after residents a

Fitri – It was a solemn Idul Fitri for the 33 Ahmadiyah families who spent the holiday living at the Haj Transito dormitory in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara.

SP/Natasia Christy Wahyuni – Jakarta is, at heart, a pluralistic city despite the occasional flare-up of hard-line Islamic sentiment, the Indonesian Council of Churches said on Wednesda

Theresia Sufa, Bogor – The origin of the St.

Theresia Sufa, Bogor – Bogor regency administration issued an order on Monday to seal the St. Johannes Catholic church, due to permit issues.

Rahmat – Hundreds of people in Makassar, South Sulawesi, demonstrated on Monday against the construction of a church at a housing complex.

Jakarta – Members of the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) Yasmin and the Congregation of Batak Protestant Churches (HKBP) Filadelfia stage a rally in front of the State Palace to show

Reportage – Following a series of religious violent incidents in recent years, the Religious Affairs Ministry has been criticized for not doing its job.

In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, government protection of religious freedom has been deteriorating, the United States says.

Protestors forced a church in Bandung, West Java, to shut down on Sunday amid claims that it was operating without a permit.

Jakarta – The government needs to show its authority and power in their actions toward religious violence carried out by radical organizations, otherwise minority groups will remain the

Arientha Primanita – Police blamed Bogor's Ahmadiyah community on Tuesday for inciting violence against them by being "introverted" and not being involved in social activities.

Farouk Arnaz – No one will be charged in Friday's mob attack on members of Bogor's Ahmadiyah community, the National Police said on Monday. "There are no suspects," Sr. Comr.

Vento Saudale – An angry mob attacked members of Bogor's Ahmadiyah community on Friday as a team of Dutch journalists tried to shoot a documentary on the beleaguered community.

Ulma Haryanto – The government needs to take back its statement boasting about Indonesia being a tolerant country after a recently released report suggests that cases of intolerance are

Jakarta – A survey by human rights watchdog Setara Institute found that although the number of instances of religious violence this year had dropped, there is still a worrying trend tha

Zakir Hussain, Jakarta – Indonesia says several churches in Aceh were ordered shut not because of deepening religious conflict or intolerance, but because they did not have local permit

Jakarta – Police remain inconsistent in their task of protecting religious freedoms, a study has found, though the National Police reiterated on Thursday their commitment to protecting

Ainur Rohmah, Semarang – Central Java has displayed a unique phenomenon in religious life as, although seeds of tolerance have been growing relatively quickly, signs of intolerance are

Bandung – The administration of Bekasi regency will fight against a court ruling in favor of embattled Batak Protestant Church (HKBP) Filadelfia over the construction of their church in

Bayu Marhaenjati – Bekasi district head Neneng Hasanah Yasin has asked members of the HKBP Filadelfia church to "cool down" and conduct worship at a location provided by the local gover

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – The discovery that a regent in Aceh ordered 20 places of worship closed in April is raising concerns that growing intolerance will trigger communal conflicts

Ezra Sihite – Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi said that he was disheartened by "rumored" demands to close 20 churches in Aceh, explaining that local residents need to accept that In

Jakarta – Twenty churches in Singkil regency, Aceh, have been closed down and are likely to be demolished by the local administration.

Jakarta – Representatives of Christian worshipers from Aceh Singkil regency, Aceh, demanded on Tuesday that the government take action against what they say is the wrongful closure of t

Jakarta – The government claims that the 2006 joint ministerial decree on places of worship was drafted to maintain harmony between subscribers of different faiths.