Blind to the Law
By Tanya L. Green
November/December 2000 Family Voice

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2)

Indonesian Christians are fleeing for their lives. They are running to the mountains and the seas, with Muslim extremists (fighters of the jihad or “holy war”) in hot pursuit. But escape routes are becoming scarce for the refugees. Those who take to the mountains face food shortages and isolation from the outside world. Others are losing their lives in the seafaring journey to safety. Refugees who manage to reach ports are refused sanctuary for fear of the violence that trails them.

Since late July, the Christian population on Ambon (an island in the Moluccas, also called Maluku; formerly called the Spice Islands)—which had been predominately Christian—has been on the run. That’s when fighters of the jihad issued the inhabitants an ultimatum: leave the city before the end of the month—or be killed.

About 90 percent of Indonesia’s 210 million people are Muslims, making it the world’s most populous Islamic nation. Still, religious tolerance had been part of its history for more than 200 years. Under Dutch rule, Chinese Christians enjoyed a privileged status. After Indonesia became an independent republic in 1945, nationalist Muslims moved to gain prominence in the Moluccas.

After Suharto resigned in May 1998 amid allegations of corruption, the tense coexistence began to unravel. Details about the conflict’s origin are sketchy. The conventional story says, in January 1999, a Muslim and a Christian argued over bus fare. Within an hour, violence erupted—an unusual occurrence since the two groups lived in relative peace until then. Some said the altercation flared out of control, fueled by long-brewing animosity.

“During the Suharto years, the military put all the problems under the carpet. Nothing was solved in an open or transparent manner,” Azyumardi Azra, a professor at the State Islamic University in Jakarta, said in The Washington Post. “So when he fell, all of these old problems that were never fixed, mixed with economic deprivation and political struggles, started to erupt.”

Ken Van De Griend is ministry director of Indonesia at The Bible League, an interdenominational ministry that uses the Bible as a tool for evangelism and discipleship. “Basic antagonism against [Christians] brought about church burnings,” he said. Van De Griend has seen the persecution’s aftermath: burned-out buildings, the word “Muslim” splashed in paint on doors.

It does appear an undercover plan is at work. Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-Pennsylvania), who traveled to Indonesia in May to investigate the attacks, said, “The continued unrest and violence seem to be a result of the ‘old guard’ Suharto regime, working with the extremist Islamic groups trying to destabilize and undermine [Wahid’s] leadership and presidency.”

Some see the two sides playing tit for tat for perceived wrongs by one side against the other. “There’s blame on both sides,” said Todd Nettleton of Voice of the Martyrs-USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting the persecuted church worldwide. “But by the same token, those [who profess to be] Christians are burning mosques [emphasis added].”

Whatever the reasons, tensions have escalated in the past 23 months with devastating results. Islamic supporters have burned and looted shops and homes. Christians have been savagely beaten and murdered. Some were even beheaded and their heads paraded on poles through the streets. Over half a million people—mostly Christians—have fled their homes. To date, Muslim extremists have killed nearly 3,000 Christians and destroyed 455 churches. Yet, the Indonesian government seems powerless to confront the problem.

Rep. Pitts also received reports that Indonesian soldiers were seen fighting in the jihad on Ambon. He said the fighting “has only happened through complicity of members of the military who have allowed a mass influx of men and arms into Ambonese communities.”

The British Broadcasting Corporation released TV footage in July that seems to confirm Pitts’ report. It reveals Indonesian security forces providing weapons to militants and uniformed soldiers on Ambon. Some attribute the division in security forces to religious differences in its own ranks.

This consortium leaves Christians virtually defenseless against a government that is supposed to protect them.

“Churches are growing and [becoming] strengthened,” said Mr. Nettleton. “There’s a renewal to the call of holiness, right living and Biblical Christianity. [They] are willing to give up their lives,” he said, calling it “a hardy brand of Christianity”!

Rep. Pitts said many Christians who suffer persecution, including Indonesians, are more versed in the Scripture than those who’ve attended seminary. Indeed, the Indonesians’ faithfulness is powerfully influencing their tormentors. “Christians [who don’t retaliate give] a powerful testimony to nonfanatical Muslims,” observed Mr. Van De Griend. “Many are coming to know Jesus because of it.”

He called for a reappraisal of U.S. military aid to Indonesia and said U.S. sanctions could be imposed if the government or military is aiding in religious persecution. He encourages Americans to promote the religious freedom of Indonesian Christians by writing their senators and representatives to express their concern. Americans may also write letters directly to those imprisoned for their faith. He strongly emphasizes building relationships with Indonesians.

“Religious freedom is a fundamental right,” stated Rep. Pitts. For this reason, American Christians must be concerned about the persecution of Indonesian brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. Even more, we must act.

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