New York Times on Indonesia : Allah protects churches, Islamists attack them

New York Times’ two separate but equally ostentatious articles on the religious zealotry in Indonesia catch the eye of the world : ‘ Indonesia’s Rising Religious Intolerance ‘ by Benedict Rogers, and ‘ No Model for Muslim Democracy, ‘ by Andreas Harsono.

Indonesia’s overwhelmingly Muslim Sunni nation, both articles uncloak, was the stage of a number of hate crimes against minorities such as ‘ Bahais, Christians, Shiites, Sufis and members of the Ahmadiyya faith.’

Churches peculiarly, both pieces point out, have been the primary targets of radical Islamists. Andreas Harsono ‘s article have pressured Indonesian officials ‘ not to authorize the construction of Christian churches or to harass and intimidate those worshiping in ‘illegal’ churches.’ As a consequence, a local mayor has announced a ‘zero church’ policy. Worse, three Christian churches on Sumatra were burnt in 2011 by ‘ Muslim militants.’. Meanwhile it is noteworthy that no Christian militants are ever heard of.

Indonesia : Do radical Islamist know they target other homes of Allah ?

‘ If Allah had not driven some people back by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques, where Allah’s name is mentioned much, would have been pulled down and destroyed,’ (Sura 22, verse 40).

That verse in Quran implies that Allah protects “monasteries, churches, synagogues” along with mosques. Those who attack any of these sanctuaries, in other words, would be going against the will of God. (In tradition, Islamic scholars have discussed the exact meaning of this verse, and the common view has been that it honors “monasteries, churches, synagogues,” by listing them along with mosques. Some scholars, such as Ad-Dahhak, also argued that the definition “where Allah’s name is mentioned much,” refers not only to mosques but also all the temples that are listed.