Worshipers from displaced church congregations took their anger to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's door on Sunday, calling for him to take a leaf out of Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo's book and stand up against religious intolerance.
Congregations from the shuttered Yasmin church in Bogor, West Java, and the Filadelfia Church in Bekasi, also in West Java, voiced their concerns after a Sunday service held in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta.
Yasmin church spokesman Bona Sigalingging slammed the president's reluctance to deal with a dispute over the church's permit, vowing the protestors would return to the palace every other Sunday until their case was resolved.
"SBY should learn from Jakarta's governor in his tackling of the ward chief case in Lenteng Agung. Joko was able to set aside intolerant sentiments," Bona said, as quoted by Kompas.com.
Bona was referring to recent protests in the South Jakarta ward of Lenteng Agung regarding the appointment of Susan Jasmine Zulkifli as the new ward chief.
Some local residents opposed her appointment on the basis that she was a woman, and non-Muslim to boot. They claimed that in selecting a woman, the government had not taken into account the sociocultural history of their district, saying she would not be able to participate in men-only activities and adding that her religion set her apart from the majority of residents.
Governor Joko and his deputy Basuki Tjahaja Purnama showed moral leadership by speaking out strongly against the discriminatory protests. Joko emphasized the administration had elected Susan strictly based on her capability and competency, while Basuki threatened to legally process protesters should their rally take a violent turn.
Such leadership has, however, been conspicuously absent in the case of discrimination against non-Muslim places of worship in Bekasi and Bogor.
Members of the Yasmin church in Bogor have been locked out since 2008 as municipal authorities stubbornly ignore two Supreme Court rulings and an order by the government ombudsman to reopen the church's doors.
Similarly in Bekasi, district authorities have since 2007 denied a permit for the operation of the Filadelfia church, forcing members to worship on the street, where they have been subject to assaults.
Yudhoyono's home affairs minister, who exercises authority over regional heads, has repeatedly claimed he is powerless to compel the Bogor and Bekasi administrations to abide by Supreme court rulings, citing the principles of regional autonomy.
When it came to the hot-button issue of Aceh province wishing to adopt the flag of the disbanded Free Aceh Movement, however, the Ministry did not hesitate to intervene.
Bona said the demands made at Sunday's protest could be simply met. "All we want is to once again to worship in our church. We are not asking for much. All we're asking for is to have our church unlocked so we can worship."