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View all search resultsTangerang church disruption rekindles fears among minorities
Kinari, a Protestant from South Tangerang, feared that allowing intimidation to end with an apology could encourage more serious acts in the future. She also pointed to what she saw as a double standard in the treatment of religious minorities.
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Police officers conduct a security check at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral Church, known locally as the “Hati Kudus Yesus“ church, on Christmas Eve in Surabaya, East Java, on Dec. 24, 2025. (AFP/Juni Kriswanto )
T
he latest intimidation of members of a Christian congregation in Tangerang, Banten, which ended with a public apology but no legal proceedings, has revived the sense of insecurity and anger among religious minorities, who say such incidents have become all too familiar.
For Nainggolan, a Catholic from Tangerang who asked to be identified by his last name, the incident was another reminder of the difficulties Christians can face in practicing their faith in the Muslim-majority Indonesia.
The 29-year-old recalled his community’s struggle to build a church in Ciledug, saying the congregation faced difficulties securing the necessary permits. Even after obtaining them, the community was confronted by protesters from outside the area.
“Suddenly buses of people from some random area somewhere in Java would arrive and protest the construction of the church, even though the Muslims living in the area had already approved of it,” he told The Jakarta Post earlier this week.
He also recalled reading reports about restrictions on Christmas celebrations in different parts of the country, saying such incidents often resurfaced around the holiday.
“I have seen this growing up as a teenager almost my whole life,” he added, expressing hope that religious communities in Indonesia could find common ground and break the cycle.
Read also: State turns blind eye to rising intolerance
