Seemingly some Muslims feel to embarrassed to be the only one vandalizing and burning Christian Churches in Indonesia, and hence have to invent some stories to "balance" this:
From Wiseman <wiseman@facts.com> Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam Subject: Mosques Are Burnt Again In East Timor Date: Mon Feb 10 23:44:28 EST 1997 Organization: None Message-Id: <5dotfc$alp@usenet.srv.cis.pitt.edu> Though 21 Mosques which are burnt in September riot in 1995 is not fixed yet, because of East Timor Governor Abilio Soares and Human Rights Nobel Prize winner Bishop Belo forbid the reconstruction, more mosques are burnt again in East Timor. On July 1996, several mosques and religion school are burnt. On the next month, one mosque is burnt in Baucau, and on Chrismast 1996, mosque Al Istiqamah is burnt in Kaiwati Village, Viqueque. An East Timor Muslim delegation report that to Muslim leader in Jakarta. After the mosque burning, 70 East Timor Muslim flee to Base Camp Ossu (a military camp). They do not dare to come out, because the fundamentalist Catholics are searching treespasser's ID and torture them if they are not Catholics. If in Situbondo and Tasikmalaya riot, the Christians can rebuild their churches immediately. The East Timor Muslim do not have that privilege. They are not only forbid to rebuild their mosques, but also not allowed to pray in the ruin of the mosques. It is obvious that East Timor Catholics do not have a religious tolerance for other religions and lack of humanity. Perhaps Inquisition has become their way of life. They will do anything to force other people to convert to Catholics. Many East Muslim employees have to move out from East Timor or convert their religion to Catholic for their safety. Is there anybody who will save East Timor Muslims from New Inquisition and Dark Ages in East Timor? (quote from Media Dakwah Magazine February 1997)
Since this sounded too ludicrous to be true I took the liberty to ask some Indonesian friends about it. Here the reply of one of them, he did and I sent it to the newsgroup as well:
From Jochen Katz <jkatz@math.gatech.edu>
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Mosques Are Burnt Again In East Timor
Date: Tue Feb 11 22:58:04 EST 1997
Message-Id: <5drf4c$kvc@usenet.srv.cis.pitt.edu>
Please find below some real info from an informed Indonesian friend.
Best regards,
Jochen Katz
As an Indonesian christian, I dare to testify that the below report quoted from the Media Dakwah Magazine is absolutely NON-SENSE. Let me comment every statement of this fabricated report :
In article <5dotfc$alp@usenet.srv.cis.pitt.edu>,
Wiseman
> Though 21 Mosques which are burnt in September riot in 1995 is not
The September 1995 riot in Dilli, East Timor was instigated primarily by
the social and economic disatisfaction of the young East Timorese against
the central government. The religious content of the riot in East Timor
was sparked by religious slur against Catholicism initiated by a muslim
person. As a result this religious slur sparked the long-lasting
frustrated East Timorese people to a big riot causing the burning of three
mosques (not 21 as claimed by the Media Dakwah magazine), one Pentecostal
Church - (Assembly of God Church) and a market place in the city of Dilli.
So not only mosques were being burnt but also a Pentecostal Church. I
personally disagree with any violent movement used to attack any religious
facilities.
The Nobel Prize Winner-Bishop Bello tried hard to calm down the emotion of
the young East Timorese. Christ never teach people to be violent, and
therefore, violence is not the way to solve the problem of East Timor, he
asserted. Never did Bishop Bello, nor the East Timor Governor forbid the
rebuilding process of those three mosques. It is not true that more
mosques were burnt after the 1995 Dilli incident. This fake report is
made to divert the real issue of East Timor where economic, social
and cultural issues were diverted into religious issue as the main cause.
> On July 1996, several mosques and religion school are burnt. On the
There were no single incident of mosques vandalism, let alone religious
schools burnt after the last Sept 1995 riot. No mosque was burnt in
Baucau in July nor during Christmas season. It is precisely the other way
around where 10 churches were burnt in Surabaya by the muslim mob exactly
on the black Sunday of June 10, 1996 when christians were still at their
worship services. Three months later, in October 1996 the big church
attacks took place in Situbondo resulting the burning of of 23 churches
and several christian schools and five people (the pastor and his family
members) died inside the building.
Not long enough to forget this barbaric incident, anti-christian
riot took place in Tasikmalaya exactly when christians were still
celebrating their second christmas day. As usual churhces and christian
school were attacked by the irresponsible muslims.
In January 1997 exactly during the month of Ramadhan another church
vandalism took place in Rengasdengklok, 60 km from Jakarta. There were
still many church attacks in other areas in the last five years that were
not reported by the mass media due to the so called faked political
stability in the country.
For details of other church persecutions please check the web
site of fica-net under the title "Christian persecution in Indonesia".
I found it hard to believe how this report dare to divert the long
lasting church vandalism during 1996 and replace it with the fabricated
issues of mosque vandalism.
> If in Situbondo and Tasikmalaya riot, the Christians can rebuild their
The above statement is a fabrication of the anti-christian movement using
the media to divert the true situation. Though the government committed
to partially support the rebuilding process of the attacked churches in
Situbondo and Tasikmalaya, most of the financial burden must be borne by
the churches themselves. In reality, not all victimized churches are
allowed to be rebuilt. Again by using fabricated reasons some of
these churches may not be rebuilt because they never obtain licensing
certificate to build a church from the authorities.
The other way around happen where the three attacked mosques in Dilli
obtained instantaneous financial support from the central government to
rebuilt their religious facilities again.
There are no strong indication at all that mosques are prohibited to be
built in the christian areas. It is exactly the other way around that
christians have no privilege to build their churches even in the mixed
cultural society (big cities), let alone in the muslims areas. Often
times christians have to face unfairly treatment in obtaining consent
from the authorities (ministry of religious affairs) to build their
churches regardless the growing number of their congregation.
> It is obvious that East Timor
It is exactly the other way around that most fanatic muslims have no
religious tolerance. If you read the newspaper on the Ramadhan preaching
at many big mosques in the central government, you will notice the
messages from official leaders were stressed to encourage all muslims to
be tolerance and to accept the existence of non-muslims in multi cultural
society. The President State Address in big Islamic Events were focused
on the issue of religious tolerance in order to maintain the unity of
Indonesia. All high ranking officers also called muslims as a majority
to practice religious tolerance towards non-muslim.
There are no evidence that the Timorese would enforce muslims to change
their belief. It is the other way around many poor East Timorese were
adopted by muslim parents ("sistem bapak angkat" or "adoption and
indirect parenting system") from Java and changed their religion from
Catholicsm to Islam.
> Is there anybody who will save East Timor Muslims from New Inquisition
The Media Dakwah Magazine is a bias media which is always used as a
means to provoke religious intolerance against christians. This
magazine is well known by christians as a dangerous media trying to
provoke the muslims to be always suspicious against christians. It
contains a lot of fabricated issues. Only well informed and objective
muslims would be able to clearly see the "objectivity and the truth"
of such articles.
Regards,
" .... "
Sorry, I have to stay anonymous. But that is a consequence of our
reality.
Overview on the rumors and hoaxes
> fixed yet, because of East Timor Governor Abilio Soares and Human Rights
> Nobel Prize winner Bishop Belo forbid the reconstruction, more mosques
> are burnt again in East Timor.
> next month, one mosque is burnt in Baucau, and on Chrismast 1996, mosque
> Al Istiqamah is burnt in Kaiwati Village, Viqueque. An East Timor Muslim
> delegation report that to Muslim leader in Jakarta.
> After the mosque burning, 70 East Timor Muslim flee to Base Camp Ossu
> (a military camp). They do not dare to come out, because the
> fundamentalist Catholics are searching treespasser's ID and torture them
> if they are not Catholics.
> churches immediately. The East Timor Muslim do not have that privilege.
> They are not only forbid to rebuild their mosques, but also not allowed
> to pray in the ruin of the mosques.
> Catholics do not have a religious tolerance for other religions and lack
> of humanity. Perhaps Inquisition has become their way of life. They will
> do anything to force other people to convert to Catholics.
> Many East Muslim employees have to move out from East Timor or convert
> their religion to Catholic for their safety.
> and Dark Ages in East Timor?
>
> (quote from Media Dakwah Magazine February 1997)
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