As police looked on, Muslims in West Java Province, Indonesia on December 14 formed a human wall to block Christians from attending a Christmas service, according to local media.
Muslims from outside Jayasampurna village, Serang Baru Sub-District, Bekasi Regency near Jakarta blocked the congregation of the Huria Kristen Batak Protestant Church (Huria Kristen Batak Protestant, HKBP) from celebrating Christmas at a prayer post near the Green Cikarang housing complex.
Videos on social media show police officers and onlookers watching dozens of Muslim men and women holding hands to form the human chain, making anti-Christian comments and shouting the jihadist slogan “Allahu Akbar [God is Greatest).” The Muslims held back and pushed members of the church as they struggled to make their way to prayer post for Christmas services.
“We only want to worship peacefully – we have no intention of disturbing anyone,” a Christian says in one video.
One of the protestors’ banners reads, “We, the Muslim residents of Jayasempurna village, firmly reject the construction of illegal houses in our neighborhood forever,” another video shows.
Muslims from outside the area also blocked the Christians from worship on the two prior Sundays, Dec. 7 and Nov. 30, according to harianterbit.com, which reported the church had used the site for worship for seven years.
Local authorities held a mediation meeting between the conflicting parties on December 15 overseen by the Regent of Bekasi. The parties agreed that the HKBP congregation would hold services temporarily at the Interfaith Harmony Forum office in the city of Jababeka, harianterbit.com reported.
On Thursday December 18, the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs held a mediation meeting between the two parties, resulting in eight agreements, the official Indonesian news agency Antara reported. The conflicting parties agreed to forgive each other and resolve all permit processes for construction of prayer posts, and the Ministry of Religion agreed to help the church celebrate Christmas.
Indonesians on social media lamented repeated violations of religious freedom.
“Kang [meaning brother, referring to West Java Gov. Dedi Mulyadi) Dedi, don’t just stay silent, Bro,” wrote rights activist Permadiarya2. “This kind of intolerance happens too often in your province, Bro. Year 2025 was the worst year in the history of interfaith tolerance in Indonesia…Please, policymakers, don’t turn a blind eye to this persecution of Christians…They are not second-class citizens, Sir. They have the same right to worship, and the state is obliged to protect and defend them.”
Indonesian society in recent years has adopted a more conservative Islamic character, and churches involved in evangelistic outreach are at risk of being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to Open Doors.
