Indonesia (MNN) — United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) published a report in January 2024 on the state of religious freedom in Indonesia. USCIRF recommends that Indonesia be placed on the U.S. State Department’s special watch list “for committing or tolerating serious violations of religious freedom.”
Local law enforcement
Although the Indonesian constitution protects some minority religions, including Christianity, Bruce Allen, with IGF says: “One of our partners (a pastor) on the island of Java says: “While laws are made to protect the equality of allincluding religious equality, the problem is that at the level of implementation, it is uneven.‘”
Indonesian believers worshiping (Photo provided by FMI)
For example, it is relatively simple to obtain permission to build a mosque, but it can take years of bureaucracy to obtain permission to build a church.
“In June last year, Catholics in Pinang town were finally able to open the doors of their church after 33 years of struggle,” says Allen.
Another example comes from the school system.
“In some districts, the Indonesian education system requires you to wear a hijab if you are a student, even if you are not Muslim. Failure to comply may mean that students may be prevented from attending classes.
The lack of consistency in enforced laws is partly due to the fact that Indonesia is a nation with more than six thousand inhabited islands.
“There’s so much variety, so many different cultures on these different islands that what happens locally is much more important than what the federal government says,” Allen says.
So, even if the Constitution speaks of equality, “At the local level, it doesn’t always happen that way.”
Upcoming federal and policy changes
Besides local governments, which Allen said are “increasingly codifying discrimination against religious minorities,” another concern over religious freedom comes from a law passed in 2022.
At the federal level, Indonesia has a new penal code that is expected to take effect in 2026. Among other changes, it will further criminalize blasphemy laws, which are already used against Christians. (Read the full plan in the USCIRF Report concerns that this code raises.)
Indonesia, July 2019 (Photo provided by IMF)
Also today, Indonesian believers face political pressure.
“What worries Christians is that it’s an election year. Their presidential elections will take place on February 14. Among the three leading candidates, one of them openly wishes to move towards a more radical Islamic orientation for the nation. The other two are a little more moderate.
Pray for civility and non-violence in the upcoming elections, and that leaders will be chosen who will protect the rights of all Indonesians. Ask God to enable believers to confidently persevere in Christ, “as overcomers and not as victims,” Allen says.
“Pray for the Lord’s favor in these matters of obtaining permission for the construction of a church site. FMI was honored to be able to contribute to five of these projects last year. There are others in the works.
Click on here to learn more about how FMI partners with local church planters in Indonesia and around the world.
Header photo courtesy of FMI.
