Indonesia - Rebuilding Homes and Lives

Horale once won third place in an island competition for most beautiful village. The Christmas tree in the sea identifi es it as a Christian village. Barnabas Fund is helping to rebuild it after its destruction by a Muslim mob

Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population with a Christian minority of about 20-30 million. It used to be an example to the world of harmony and equality between Christians and Muslims. In recent years, however, the numerical and political strength of the Muslim majority has been harnessed by extreme Islamists, who aim to eliminate Christianity and bring all Indonesia under the rule of sharia law.

The territory of Aceh introduced partial sharia in 2003 and has been expanding it since then. Although the appalling persecution of Christians seen at the turn of this century has eased considerably, they are still subject to violent attacks, which the authorities do little to stop or to punish. The government encourages the migration of Muslims to Christian-majority areas such as Papua; once they are in a majority they can press for autonomy.

The Christian village of Horale in Maluku province was largely destroyed in 2008 by a Muslim mob, who also killed four people. Grants from Barnabas Fund have provided rice, a generator, a village water tank, well and pump, and a bathing and toilet facility. They have also been used to fi nance the rebuilding of homes for 120 families, turning the semi-permanent houses provided by the government into permanent dwellings or building new ones. Each house is being connected to communal generators that provide electricity for one light bulb per home, enabling village life to continue after dark.

Barnabas Fund projects include:

Assistance for Horale village (Ref. 22-753)

Extract taken from Barnabas Fund's Advent prayer booklet 2009