Indonesia: Imam Attacked Delivering Antiviolence Sermon During Friday Prayers

This speaks volumes when a teacher of the ‘religion of peace’ can’t even preach a sermon that promotes it …

“An imam preaching against violence in Aceh was attacked and beaten as he delivered his sermon during Friday prayers, a report said.

Saiful Bahri was speaking out against election violence allegedly committed by local politicians and former members of the disbanded Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Pidie, AcehKita reported.

‘Elections make us kill people, shoot people,’ he told the congregation in the Keumala Grand Mosque in Indrajaya subdistrict. ‘God will not forgive you for killing people unless you seek forgiveness from the victims’ families,’ he said.

The topic angered one member of the congregation, who stood up and demanded Saiful end his sermon, the news agency reported.

‘Get off the podium! Don’t campaign here,’ said the man, later identified as a former GAM member.

Saiful said he would end his sermon but as he did so, a number of other congregation members rose and the situation deteriorated.

In the midst of the chaos, an unidentified man approached the preacher and attacked him.” Read more.

Indonesia: TV Station Pulls Film Promoting Religious Tolerance … Because ‘Offended Muslims’ Threatened to Riot – “‘We regret SCTV’s decision to not air the movie. The movie has passed the censorship requirements and it doesn’t violate any regulations,’ broadcasting commission official Ezki Suyanto told AFP. ‘It seems the station is just afraid of the FPI. SCTV should not have given in to them. This is a bad precedent for other groups to do the same to TV stations.’ The movie was directed by Muslim filmmaker Hanung Bramantyo, who has made several feature films on Islam, such as the box-office hit ‘Ayat-Ayat Cinta’ (Verses of Love). FPI secretary-general Sobri Lubis said the movie tried to incite hatred toward Islam and disgraced the religion by suggesting Muslims could live together harmoniously with people of other faiths in one country.” Read more.