Muslim activists in Indonesia’s West Java province staged a protest on 6 January against a Christian revival worship service held in the city of Bandung, despite the event being attended by a senior government representative.
The demonstration was organised by the Bandung-based Ahlus Sunnah Defenders group outside the FX Sudirman Grand Ballroom, where the Indonesian Evangelical Reformed Church was conducting its service. Protesters arrived with banners and loudspeakers and accused the organisers of using what they described as a public facility for religious activities.
In video footage of the protest, a group representative said they were not opposing Christianity itself but objected to the choice of venue. Some demonstrators, however, claimed the service was an attempt to convert Muslims.
Police were deployed to secure the location. Inside the venue was Gugun Gumilar, special staff member to Indonesia’s Minister of Religious Affairs for Religious Harmony and International Cooperation. He later told journalists that the government fully supports the constitutional right of every citizen to worship freely.
Gumilar said his presence at the event reflected the government’s commitment to religious freedom and to ensuring the service could proceed peacefully. He also described the church’s leader, Reverend Stephen Tong, as a respected national figure who promotes moral values and social harmony.
Bandung’s mayor, Muhammad Farhan, echoed those comments, stating that the city government guarantees equal worship rights for all religious communities and encourages differences to be addressed through dialogue.
Prior to the protest, the Ahlus Sunnah Defenders had submitted a formal letter opposing the service, accusing organisers of promoting the event too publicly and violating religious regulations. The group also claimed the venue should not be used for such gatherings.
However, the civil rights organisation Indonesian Movement for All said no court ruling had declared the service illegal and warned that religious activities cannot be restricted by pressure from non-state groups. It noted that large Islamic gatherings are frequently promoted in public spaces without being considered coercive or unlawful.
Legal expert Santrawan Totone Paparang, head of the Legal Aid Institute for the Greater Indonesia Christian Movement, stated that the demonstrations themselves risked violating Indonesia’s constitution. He confirmed that the ballroom was a privately rented venue and not a public space as claimed by the protesters.
He added that Indonesia’s constitution guarantees freedom of worship and that upcoming criminal code provisions will make it a criminal offence to obstruct or intimidate religious gatherings.
Human rights observers note that Indonesia has seen rising religious conservatism in recent years, with churches engaged in evangelistic work increasingly exposed to pressure and hostility from extremist groups.
Adapted from Morning Star News.
