Radical Muslims destroy Indonesian church

A Protestant church in the Indonesian province of West Java has been destroyed by a group of 250 "radical Muslims" according to Open Doors.

The Muslims from the "Anti Apostasy Movement Alliance" (AAMA) entered the Pasundan Christian Church in the South Bandung area of West Java by force.

Although no one was in the church at the time the husband and children of Pastor Cristine Yohanes were forced to hide nearby, according to Open Doors.

The militants held an Islamic prayer service in the church before proceeding "to destroy the interior with sticks and knifes", said Pastor Timorason, leader of the West Java branch of Christian Communication Forum, which is an umbrella group of Indonesian churches, reports BosNewsLife.

The attack destroyed the sound installation, glass works and chairs. The church has been attacked before by the AAMA, which claims to have 300 members.

In 2005, Christians were forced to close their buildings when local authorities said they did not have the proper documents to operate.

Despite the arrest of two suspects, Pastor Timorason has said that the police are reluctant to act against the militants.

He said, "We urge the government to take this case seriously because we have heard that a dozen other churches have been nominated [by extremists] for attacks in the coming weeks," according to BosNewsLife.

Over 100 churches have been closed in West Java in recent years due to concerns that radical Islam has been on the increase. According to Open Doors 2007 alone 25 Christian places of worship were forced to close, attacked or destroyed by militants. The perpetrators of the attacks are usually not apprehended by the authorities.