Indonesia police fire tear gas on Muslims protesting church

Indonesian police fired tear gas on Friday to disperse hardline Muslims 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 Muslim Friendship staged a rowdy demonstration in front of the Santa Clara church in Kaliabang, a neighbourhood 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.

Muslim-majority Indonesia recognizes six religions, but militant 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.

Ismail Ibrahim, a cleric and organizer of the protest, said they would not disperse until authorities cancel the church’s construction permit.

The church in the northern part of Bekasi has been the target of protests by hard-line Muslims since it obtained its permit in June 2015.

Some claim the church’s leaders used false identity cards to get the permit.