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| Southeast Asia |
| Indonesia police fire tear gas on Muslims protesting church |
| 2017-03-25 |
| [ABCNEWS.GO] Indonesian police fired tear gas on Friday to disperse hard-line Moslems protesting against the construction of a Catholic church in a satellite city of the capital, Jakarta. Several hundred protesters from a group called Forum for Bekasi Moslem Friendship staged a rowdy demonstration in front of the Santa Clara church in Kaliabang, a neighborhood of Bekasi city, after Friday prayers. Witnesses said police fired tear gas as the protesters tried to force their way into the church, which has been under construction since November. Some also threw rocks and bottles into the site. Raymundus Sianipar, a Catholic priest, said police asked him to leave the area for safety reasons. Moslem-majority Indonesia recognizes six religions, but turban Islamic groups frequently protest against the minority faiths and police often do not intervene. Members of minority religions that aren't recognized by the state face persistent discrimination. |
| Posted by:Fred |