A mob of extremists and residents halted a Sunday worship service in Indonesia, protesting the congregation’s new location and alleging the church lacked government permission to meet there.
On May 24, members of the extremist Islamic Jihad Front and some local residents stormed Prosperous Mission Church, which was meeting in a rented building in Panggungharjo village in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, reports Morning Star News.
The mob — wearing masks and Islamic Jihad Front gear and shouting a jihadist chant — invaded the service, made threats and shoved some congregants as police watched, reported Morning Star.
The congregation had been meeting in a hotel but recently changed locations for financial reasons, Morning Star said.
The mob protested the new site, saying the church’s presence in a predominantly Muslim area could upset social harmony, sources told Morning Star. The assailants also claimed the church lacks proper credentials for meeting there.
Referencing information from a regency official, TribunJogja.com said the church has a Reporting Certificate issued by the Ministry of Religious Affairs that allows it to hold services, Morning Star reported.
In a mediation meeting May 25, church leaders agreed to fulfill application criteria for using the new location, and police vowed to keep guarding the site, stated Morning Star.