Indonesian Muslims are worried about a growing Christianization drive in the world’s most populous Muslim country led by Indonesian Chinese, the economic heavyweights.
Executive Director of Dewan Dakwah Islamiyah Indonesia, believes that Christianization is a major problem persisting in Indonesia and that one of its chief reasons is poverty. Siddiq, whose group leads the fight against this drive, said Christians use social services to spread their message. He added that tsunami-ravaged Aceh was a prime example with missionaries pouring into the area to deliver aid and their message. The same pattern occurred in other places including Yogyakarta after a devastating earthquake last year.
Siddiq said people disaffected by abject poverty coupled with frequent natural disasters and little knowledge about their own religion have created similar scenarios.
The PKS, an Islamic political and social activist group, says Indonesians are very open and accepting people, thus easily influenced. If someone comes and treats Indonesians well, giving them money, jobs and food as some missionary groups do, their hearts become attached to the person. Many Indonesian Muslims look up for wealthy Muslim countries to help them withstand such temptations.
Christianity experienced an exponential growth that peaked in the 1960’s and 70’s when over a relatively short period of time millions converted to Christianity. In 1971, Muslims made up 87.5 percent of the Indonesian populace and Christians 7.5 percent. In 1990, the Muslim percentage went down slightly to 87.2 while the Christian increased by 2.1 per cent to reach 9.6.
INDONESIAN MUSLIMS FEAR CHRISTIANIZATION
Indonesian Muslims are worried about a growing Christianization drive in the world’s most populous Muslim country led by Indonesian Chinese, the economic heavyweights.