The recent spate of attacks against Christian places of worship could be blamed on a culture of intolerance fostered over the past decade, according to observers.

Ulil Abshar Abdalla, a Nadhlatul Ulama member and the founder of the Liberal Islam Network (JIL), blamed the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) for the rise of conservatism and radicalism in Indonesia.

"They issued an edict in 2005 forbidding pluralism. This makes interreligious dialogue difficult and stigmatizes the people working toward it," he said, adding that much of the MUI board was conservative.

"Conservatism is a lot easier to digest because it's simple and doesn't require much thought. It also gives a false sense of protection from the outside world."

The country's socio-economic situation played a role in this too, according to University of Indonesia anthropologist Iwan Meulia Pirous. He said religion had an absolute authority, and the recent economic crisis made people turn to religion.

"People cling to religion in times of crisis, and radical groups use this to mobilize the people, especially those in economic hardship," he said.

Groups like this also succeed by fomenting a culture of fear and intolerance, Iwan said. "The government fears poverty could also nurture socialism, so it allows the religious right to thrive. That's why it's hard to disband such groups, because they're being nurtured by the government."

Ulil said the government and Islamic organizations often underestimated groups that promoted intolerance toward other religions.

One hard-line group that has grabbed headlines is the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI). Even with founder and chairman Habib Rizieq jailed for 18 months in October 2008, its ranks are not dwindling.

FPI secretary general Sholeh Mahmud Nasution told the Jakarta Globe on Sunday that the organization would always fight against what it deemed was wrong, and blamed its poor reputation on subjective media coverage that focused only on conflicts rather that their underlying reasons.

"Everything has a process. The FPI now is different. We're more principled, we accommodate discussion first, and then resort to force, but only if our disappointment has peaked," he said.

"The public is never told that the FPI tries to pursue peaceful mediation. And sometimes there are provocateurs from outside who want us to riot."