Church service disrupted; praying students attacked

SURABAYA, Indonesia – In separate incidents in Indonesia, a house church service was disrupted and a group of praying students were attacked.

In the village of Betiting in East Java province, a Muslim family disrupted the West Indonesian Protestant Church’s service on May 8. One of the troublemakers was a local official, Morning Star News reports.

A worshipper quoted by Morning Star said the three Muslims were shouting, cursing churchgoers and demanding that the service be stopped. Local residents responded to the commotion and tried to calm the situation.

The house church had met for ten years without incident, said the churchgoer.

On May 5, two female students were injured in Babakan village, Banten province, when a Muslim mob, some of them armed with machetes, knives and sickles, attacked a prayer group.

According to Morning Star, the mob was apparently angry that the 15 Catholic students were praying the rosary in a house rather than in a church.

The students were from Pamulang University, a source said.

Some local Muslims tried to protect the students during the attack. One Muslim man was injured.

Indonesia ranks 42nd on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of the 50 most difficult places for Christians to be Christian.