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TechnoratiIndonesia and India have elections this month that could be "pivotal" for the religious liberty of the growing churches there, warned a religious freedom watchdog this week.
(Photo: AP / Tatan Syuflana)Posters advertising profiles of local legislative candidates are seen along a road on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, March 17, 2009. Indonesia will hold its parliamentary election in April and the second direct presidential elections in July.
(Photo: AP / Irwin Fedriansyah)Workers fold ballots on the outskirt of Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, March 16, 2009. Indonesia will hold its parliamentary election in April and the second direct presidential elections in July.
On Apr. 9, Indonesians will go to the polls to determine the makeup of Indonesia's 550-seat parliament, as well as its regional representation council, provincial, county and city assemblies.
One week later, on Apr. 16, India will kick off a long election season that will collect up to 714 million votes through May 13.
Currently, there are two coalitions competing for power in India – the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), which has been in government for the past five years, and the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“In Indonesia the issue arises because fundamentalist Islamic parties, whilst too small and unpopular to win power in their own right, could secure the balance of power giving them an influence far beyond any mandate,” says Elizabeth Kendal of the World Evangelical Alliance’s Religious Liberty Commission (RLC).
“In India the past four years of aggressive Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) campaigning has been aimed at converting the traditionally animist tribal Indians to Hindutva to outstrip Indian Christianity,” she informed concerned Christians through RLC’s online network. “This has been very effective in securing religious-political conversions and in generating explosive sectarian tensions.”
The RLC is urging believers to pray for the balance of power to be held in the two democracies so that Islamization cannot freely advance in Indonesia and Hindutva cannot freely advance in India.
“[P]lease pray that God ... will raise up voices in society, government, media and the Church to challenge religious totalitarianism, intolerance and hatred, and to support religious liberty, for the sake of the Church he loves and the nations he created,” the commission adds.
According to the CIA World Factbook, Muslims make up around 86.1 percent of Indonesia’s population while Protestants and Catholics make up 5.7 and 3 percent, respectively.
In India, Hindus make up around 80.5 percent while Muslims and Christians make up 13.4 and 2.3 percent, respectively.
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