Padang: attack on Christian prayer house leaves two children injured
Indonesian Christians are concerned after intolerant Muslim neighbours attacked a house where Sunday prayers were underway last Sunday. The local mayor claims it was merely a "misunderstanding" among residents. In an open letter to President Prabowo, Rev Fu Kwet Khiong writes that the incident was an attack on the “nation’s conscience,” calling for “religious tolerance” to be “a real policy, not just rhetoric.”
Padang (AsiaNews) – The attack on a house used for worship by the Indonesian Faithful Christian Church (GKSI), an Evangelical group, is raising concerns among Indonesian Christians.
Two children were injured in the incident, which occurred last Sunday afternoon in a location in Koto Tangah, a district in Padang City, West Sumatra province.
The building used for worship suffered serious damage as well. In the videos showing the aftermath broken chairs and tables can be seen, the entrance gate torn down, four window panes shattered, and religious material scattered around.
Padang City Mayor Fadly Amran described the incident as a "misunderstanding" on the part of residents, claiming that the building was not a formal church, but a house used for Christian religious education.
But Rev Fu Kwet Khiong, founder of the Fellowship of Prayer, Word, Truth, and Life (SDFKK), expressed concern about such acts of intolerance recurring across the country.
In an open letter addressed yesterday to President Prabowo Subianto, he writes: “When children are injured during worship, it is not just a house of prayer that is under attack – it is the nation’s the conscience.”
In the same missive, the clergyman expresses three demands: arrest and prosecute all those responsible, including those instigating the attack; provide comprehensive and lasting protection for minority houses of worship; and have the government make concrete commitment to enforce religious tolerance as a real policy, not just rhetoric.
The Indonesian Catholic Scholars Association (PP ISKA) echoes Rev Fu's concerns. Its chairperson, Restu Hapsari, spoke to AsiaNews, stating that the incident was clearly an act of intolerance, not simply a misunderstanding.
“The scale of the damage clearly shows intent. This is a violation of the constitutional right to worship freely,” Restu said.
For her, it is urgent to provide coordinated responses, including the restoration of the facility and psychological support for the affected worshippers.
"This is not just about one house of worship. It is a test of the collective commitment to preserve peace and pluralism in Indonesia," she added.
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