Faith Under Fire....
Christian church leaders stabbed, assaulted in Indonesia
* From: NewsCore
* September 13, 2010 1:02AM
A CHRISTIAN church leader was stabbed in the stomach and a reverend was
beaten up in an attack on a group of worshippers in Indonesia yesterday.
The Christian church leaders were attacked as they prayed in a field in
Bekasi, West Java, the Jakarta Globe reported.
The attack followed tension between the congregation and Islamic
extremists in the region.
The hard-line religious group the Islamic Defenders Front (FDI) and
Bakasi Mayor Mochtar Mohammad even prevented the Christian congregation
from holding religious services in their local church, which was sealed
shut.
The group to was instead forced to hold services in a field.
Saor Siagian, a lawyer representing the Batak Christian Protestant
Church's (HKBP) Pondok Timur Indah congregation, told the newspaper
that the church leaders were stabbed by unknown motorcyclists during
yesterday's service.
"[Congregation leader] Sihombing was leading the congregation for
Sunday Mass when he was stabbed by someone riding a motorcycle,” Mr
Saor said, adding that Reverend Luspida Simandjuntak was also assaulted.
In August, a group calling itself the Jaya Muslim Forum (FUI) injured
eight members of the Christian congregation in another attack.
“Since then, members always go in groups for Sunday prayers,” said Mr
Saor. “Sihombing was leading one of the groups when the stabbing
occurred."
Sihombing was taken to a local hospital in serious condition.
The Jakarta Post reported that police have since arrested two as-yet
unnamed people in relation to the attack.