Monday, July 25, 2005
Not a "Happy Week"
No candy from strangers in Indonesia:
As "The Times" story helpfully reminds us:
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Three Indonesian housewives face up to five years in prison for allegedly trying to lure Muslim children into Christianity at a Sunday School "Happy Week"...I actually have problems with trying to covertly convert children, if that indeed is what has been taking place here, but criminalization of proselytizing is truly repulsive.
The three women faced threats from a yelling mob of 150 fundamentalists during a court appearance in West Java last week. It is claimed that the women were teaching lessons in reading and writing to mixed classes of Christian and Muslim children, taking them on trips to parks and swimming pools, and rewarding them with treats such as pencils for memorising Christian prayers and Bible verses. Many of the alleged offences took place at a special Happy Week earlier this year, although the lessons began in 2003.
As "The Times" story helpfully reminds us:
About 10,000 Christians were killed in Indonesia between 1998 and 2003 and about 1,000 churches were burnt down by Muslim mobs, according to campaigners. Although religious conflict has eased in recent years campaigners say that about 100 churches have been closed down in the past five years in West Java.Strangely, I don't recall any Christian suicide bombers blowing themselves up around the world to avenge the death toll that's around three times as much as the number of Palestinians killed in a comparable five year period (2000-05). Can't think either of any youth in Great Britain or France who have been radicalized by this bloodshed. Those Christians just don't care.
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