http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/home-affairs-minister-saddened-by-rumored-demands-for-church-closures-in-aceh/524196 Home Affairs Minister Saddened by 'Rumored' Demands for Church Closures in Aceh Ezra Sihite | June 13, 2012
Two Acehnese girls hold candles during the celebration of Christmas at the Hati Kudus Church in Banda Aceh on Dec. 24, 2011.The Aceh police have shut down 16 Christian "undung-undung" places of worship, which are smaller than churches and have no cross, on the grounds that they lacked permits to operate. (EPA Photo/Hotli Simanjuntak) Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi said that he was disheartened by "rumored" demands to close 20 churches in Aceh, explaining that local residents need to accept that Indonesia is a pluralistic nation with more than one recognized religion. The minister was responding to a rumor that residents of the conservative Islamic province have demanded the closure of 20 churches. Last month, 16 storefront churches — locally called “undung-undungs” — were shut down in the Aceh Singkil district amid demands from local Muslim groups. Gamawan warned Aceh residents to resist religious intolerance. "Let people of a different religion build a place of worship if they want to," Gamawan said. "The majority shouldn't force their views on the minority. Tolerance should continue to exist." The minister heard the rumor from Aceh's newly-elected governor Tarmizi Karim. The two men have discussed the issue and share similar opinions on the matter, Gamawan said. "The governor told me about this issue. I said, 'please obey existing regulations,'” Gamawan said. “We live together. We’re pluralistic, and there is more than just one religion in this country." Aceh, Indonesia's westernmost province, practices a local version of Shariah law that bans everything from unmarried couples fraternizing after dark to skinny jeans. BeritaSatu/JG [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
