After a series of suicide attacks on Indonesian Christians, the authorities are alerted. 90,000 soldiers and police officers to protect Christian houses of worship on the festival days. Julian Küng from Sumatra.
Pastor Hermanus Sahar, from the Sacred Heart Church in Banda Aceh
Still in the plane on the way to Banda Aceh, the passengers sprinkling of Christmas songs. To open the “Merry Christmas” and “Jingle Bells” the flight attendants inside the hatch. The contrast to the Exit of the passenger boarding bridge could not be greater. “Indecent” clothing, and Christmas greetings are forbidden in the capital of the province of Aceh on the island of Sumatra. Among the Locals there is also The “balcony of Mecca”, here is the Sharia law for over ten years law. After a 30-year civil war with thousands of Victims granted the liberal-Muslim Central government of the Povinz Aceh in 2005, the special law on Islamic jurisprudence.
What the local authorities use. Three years ago, the Christmas greeting “Merry Christmas has been banned” and the new year celebrations banned from the city. Anyone who disobeys the ban, get it with the patrolling “the Sharia to do the police”. The few churches in the Region to try and, if possible, unnoticed and hidden, to exercise their Faith. One of them is the Catholic “Sacred Heart”Church in the city centre of Banda Aceh.
Crib behind the walls of a Church
Four soldiers sit under the canopy of the Church and tap into their Smartphones. “In the vicinity of a military base is located. We feel, therefore, quite safe,” says pastor Hermanus Sahar. “The crib and other ornaments, we are behind the Church walls, and loud music or singing are taboo prepare outside of the Church.” Also at the nearby Methodist Church seeks the Christmas spirit in vain. Only the cross on the bare concrete walls indicates the Christian house of God. “Clearly, we would spend the days in public, but we have become accustomed to the current Situation,” says school Director Sheilisa Pieter. In your office, a Portrait of the head of State Joko Widodo, the stands for peaceful coexistence of religions.
“We have become accustomed to the Situation,” says school Director Sheilisa Pieter
“Jokowi, as he is called here, is for us a symbol of a harmonious Co-existence between the religions. I hope that he is allowed to run again next year in our country,” says Pieter about the upcoming presidential elections in April 2019. Responded to the series of bomb attacks on churches in East Java this spring, with 25 deaths, or the three churches in the province of Jambi, which were recently closed by local authorities for “administrative reasons”, struggles the school Director with the tears and stares seconds on the wall: “you don’t have to understand, we live in a very fragile environment, which is why I put this incidents of animals better. I want the mood remains calm. But of course, I pray for my brothers and sisters in the South.”
Molotov Cocktails against churches
Around 14 bumpy hours ‘ drive South of the capital Banda Aceh is located on the border with North Sumatra. Here, the percentage of Christians is almost 40%. In the small town of Sidikalang, the houses are richly decorated with Christmas wreaths and strings of lights. In the evening of advent songs sound from the old speakers. On the other side of the border behind the mountain range of Gunung Salak Muezzin chants, and mosques dominate the city of Subulussalam. An explosive mixture for the religiously mixed villages in the border region Singkil. On the ground of Islamic jurisprudence Aceh, several hundred Christians live in the midst of palm oil plantations and jungle wilderness.
A Boy in the mountain village of Suka Makmur points to a pile of painted the vehicle white tires. “This is our snowman.” Behind it is the fire ruin of the Protestant Church Huria Kristen Batak, which was burned by radical Muslims. It still smells burned. “Since the arson attack, we pray tarpaulin under a blue plastic,” said Hadianto Tumangger. “Thousands have fled after the arson attacks to the North of Sumatra. The Sunday masses can only be held under police protection.” At Christmas and new year a large contingent of military and police will guard the ceremony. “In spite of Everything, we are looking forward to Christmas,” says Tumangger. In the whole of the island state of 90,000 forces from the Central government will protect approximately 50,000 churches. Even moderate Muslims will stand guard in front of the measure. The para-military group “Banser”, German tank, want to put a signal against extremism and sends thousands of young Muslims to support the churches.
Snow man made of car tires at Perguruan Kristen Methodist School
No permit for Christian churches
Back in the village of Suka Makmur, the preparations for Christmas are in full swing. Red and green straws to be linked together to form a Christmas tree. An old knattriger trucks turn into the dirt road, it delivers hundreds of plastic chairs for the planned trade fair. A little off the beaten track Rasmen Manik, the carefree young Christians viewed skeptically. The Sexton of the Church of the arson attack of 2015 is still to deep in the bone: “We knew that a caravan consisting of fanatical Muslims was on the way to us, therefore, flanked by police officers guarding in front of the Church,” recalls the Church of the servant. “The attackers were in the Majority. After the first Molotov Cocktail hit the Church wall, we were overrun by the mass of people, many fled to the forests. I stood rooted to the ground, magnetized by the blazing fire of my Holy Church.”
The attack took place after members of the radical Islamist “Islamic Defenders Front” had demanded of the local authorities, the closure of the ten churches in the Region. With the fact that no licences will be available for you. “We have repeatedly tried to get permits from local authorities,” said Manik. A permit may not be granted if 60 Muslims from the area were opposed to this. A popular prevention tactics of conservative forces. After the arson attack, the Mob moved to other churches close to the ground. However, at the next Church, they were already expected by an air-rifle armed Christians, who fired into the crowd. A Muslim was shot fatally. Three more were injured. After the riots President Joko Widodo appealed via Twitter to the people: “Singkil stop the violence in Aceh. Violence, whatever its origin, undermines the diversity of our country.” A call to pluralism, the finds to date, no hearing in the province of Aceh, as a campaign Jokowis last week’s appearance.
The Indonesian President Widodo on his election tour in Banda Aceh
“Jokowi, go home”
The crowd was large at the entrance of the Baiturrahman mosque in Banda Aceh before the Arrival of the President. Quickly a people dammed up grape to the security gate. Each visitor was minutely searched, metal detectors filtered unauthorized objects from the pockets. During the political speech Jokowis many left the place of prayer in advance, “Jokowi, go home,” was occasionally heard from the crowd. “He has done Good for the people”, certificate some of the archived him. “He is not Muslim enough”, is still the most polite Statement, on the question of whether he represent Islam because that is sufficient. “Although my party supports the presidential Jokowis officially, he is not for me and many of my party colleagues selectable” said a local politician of the “Partai Golongan Karya”, the do not want to be quoted. “To many of his Decisions go against the Muslim Faith.” Claims such as the Stress of the denomination of Indonesian identity cards have made Jokowi in the case of conservative voters, circles, unpopular.
But his opponent Prabowo Subianto, has little support among the voting population in the northernmost tip of Sumatra. Subianto is that while fromm, plays with a Muslim head covering skillfully on the keyboard of the new Islamic populism. To appoint a former military General to the head of state, for the citizens of war-torn province of Aceh, but is hardly in question: “As a military General was involved Prabowo in operations in Aceh. The citizens take him here bad,” said the local politician. So Aceh will play regardless of the outcome of the elections, probably more, according to their own strict Islamic rules, and hardly any closer to the more moderate government of Indonesia back.