Residents in North Jakarta have ordered the pastor of a small congregation to cease holding services in his home, despite a letter of permission issued by the Religious Affairs department.

On Sept. 12 village officials in South Rawa Badak, Koja district called a meeting with  the pastor, Syaiful Hamzah, and his wife Tiolida Sihotang, police officers, and representatives from the village mosque.

At the meeting, officials urged Hamzah and his wife to sign a document agreeing to cease all worship services in their home, effectively rejecting permission granted by Religious Affairs officials.

A sympathetic Muslim cleric, Wasi Sholeh, informed Hamzah that “certain people” had made violent threats against him, and that he could not guarantee Hamzah’s safety if he refused to sign the agreement.

The couple eventually signed the document under duress. Other signatories included an official from the Religious Affairs department.

The violence in India against Christians has continued since the outbreak in Orissa on August 24, 2008.According to the All India Christian Council (AICC), from August 24 to September 30 :

• at least 57 people have been killed,
• two Christian women were gang-raped,
• more than 18,000 have been injured
• more than 4,300 houses,
• more than 150 churches and
• more than13 educational institutions 

     -  have been destroyed.

The violence which spread to at least 14 districts of Orissa has left more than 50,000 people homeless. The attacks began following the killing of the Hindu extremist Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his disciples on August 23 in Kandhamal district. VHP—World Hindu Council)

 Maoists have claimed responsibility for the assassination, but the VHP has persisted in blaming local Christians.

In the southern state of Karnakata at least 19 churches and 20 Christians have been attacked.
In the north-central state of Madhya Pradesh at least four churches and four Christian schools have been vandalized.
In the southern state of Kerala at least four churches have been attacked.
In the national capital, Delhi, two churches have been damaged.                                                  

 On September 29, European Union (EU) representatives spoke to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during an India-EU summit about the government’s failure to prevent a “massacre” of Christians in Orissa and Karnakata states. Manmohan Singh gave assurances that attacks on Christians would be stopped.

On September 29 bomb blasts rocked three guarded Kandmahal relief camps. No casualties were reported, but the explosions left residents of the camps fearing for their lives and for the safety of other relief camps.

Apart from the rape, murder and arson that has plagued the Christians in at least four states, there are continuing reports of false accusations against pastors of “forced conversions”.

In order to stop the spreading of this awful carnage, sufficient units of India’s army must be deployed to Kandhamal district, Orissa and where needed elsewhere..    

 The Hindu fundamentalist leaders, whose inflammatory remarks triggered this action against Christians, must be brought to trial in appropriate state courts.        

It is important that India’s Prime Minister lead a delegation to visit the victims of violence in Orissa.

AICC also recommends that the Presidential Order of 1950 which gave privileges to members of “scheduled castes” be amended to include Dalit Christians, and Muslims who are currently excluded.