Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Thousands of people affected by the closure of churches will be able to attend Christmas services at schools and other buildings owned by Muhammadiyah, the country's second largest Muslim organization.
Din Syamsuddin, who chairs Muhammadiyah, extended the offer during a gathering of religious leaders at the organization's headquarters in Central Jakarta on Wednesday. "We invite our Christian brothers and sisters to say prayers on Christmas Eve and to celebrate Christmas in our schools and other buildings," Din said.
The gathering on Wednesday was arranged to send a message of peace to religious worshipers across the country ahead of three major holidays: Christmas on Dec. 25, New Year's Day on Jan. 1 and the Islamic Day of Sacrifice on Jan. 10.
Among those attending the gathering were Abdul Wahid Anshar, deputy secretary-general of the country's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU); Rev. Nathan Setiabudi, the former chairman of the Indonesian Communion of Churches; Amidhan, the deputy chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council; Damatedjo from the Council of Buddhist Communities; Budi Santoso Tanu Wibowo from the Matakin Confucianism congregation; and Putu Suarta from the Indonesian Hindu organization.
Over 40 Christian houses of worship, mostly in West Java, have been closed by local authorities since 2004, in response to complaints by Muslim hard-liners about the presence and activities of the houses of worship.
Din said the debate over the right to build places of worship was not yet settled, and he hoped the government would "issue a clear policy" on the matter. "I also call on local communities who live near the closed houses of worship to allow Christians to pray on Christmas in their homes," Din said.
To prevent a repeat of the bloody events of Christmas Eve in 2000, when bombs rocked 29 churches nationwide, killing 19 people, Din asked Muslim youth organizations linked to the NU and Muhammadiyah to help guard churches across the country.
Intelligence authorities have blamed the Christmas Eve attacks on regional terrorist network Jamaah Islamiyah, which also has been blamed for a series of major bombings in the country since 2002.
Indonesia's religious harmony faced its toughest test when sectarian and ethnic conflicts erupted in Ambon in Maluku and Poso in Central Sulawesi between 1999 and 2002, leaving over 3,000 people dead.
The Islam Defenders Front (FPI), a group known for its violent raids on bars and nightclubs, has also offered to help protect churches during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
"We will be directly involved to show that relations between religious communities are good," FPI member Alawi Usman was quoted as saying by Antara.
He said FPI members involved in the security operation would be advised not to get too close to the churches, to avoid raising the suspicion of the police about their intentions.