Indonesia’s long-standing tradition of tolerance and religious pluralism is increasingly under threat. Churches have been targets for violence and local authorities have used blasphemy laws to attack religious minorities. In North Sumatra, a Buddhist woman was jailed for 18 months just for asking a local mosque to turn down its loudspeakers.
Sunday 20 January
Indonesia’s president, Joko Widodo, has chosen Ma’ruf Amin, a 75-year-old Islamic cleric with a history of intolerance, as his running mate in this year’s election. Pray that, if elected, President Widodo would be able to do more to counter extremism and intolerance, and defend religious pluralism.
Monday 21 January
In a recent visit CSW heard from a partner who had asked his 12-year-old son what he’d learned at school: ‘We learned about kafir [infidels],’ his son replied. When his father asked what they had learned about infidels, his son said simply, ‘We learned that they must be killed.’ Pray against the promotion of hatred in Indonesia’s schools.
Tuesday 22 January
In May 2018 three churches in Surabaya were hit with a coordinated suicide bomb attack. The perpetrators all belonged to the same family: the youngest was just six. Thirteen people were killed and dozens injured. Pray for healing for the congregations of Diponegoro Indonesian Christian Church, Surabaya Centre Pentecostal Church, and Santa Maria Catholic Church.
Wednesday 23 January
Following the attacks, Father Aloysius Widyawan, a priest at Santa Maria Tak Bercela Catholic Church, told us that the consistent message from his parishioners was, ‘We must love others, we forgive the attackers, we do not want revenge.’ Pray that this attitude of peace and forgiveness prevails.
Thursday 24 January
Indonesia used to be an example to the international community of harmony and pluralism due to its founding principles known as Pancasila, which promote tolerance and acceptance. Pray that Indonesia would return to its founding principles.
Friday 25 January
CSW has travelled regularly to Indonesia over the last few years and is uniquely positioned to face the rising intolerance. Thank God for our contacts with human rights defenders and churches across the country, and ask God to grant us wisdom and provision as we develop strategies to combat the current intolerance.
Saturday 26 January
Lord, today we commit the nation of Indonesia to you. We pray especially for the congregations of Diponegoro Indonesian Christian Church, Surabaya Centre Pentecostal Church and Santa Maria Catholic Church following the attacks last May, and ask you to give them comfort and healing. Amen.