Release International

A church leader imprisoned for alleged proselytising through her Sunday School is being allowed to hold worship services in jail.

Dr Rebekka Zakaria, who was convicted with her co-defendants Eti Pangesti and Ratna Bangun in September, has been permitted to hold a weekly church service in the prison courtyard -- despite the fact that radical Islamists forced her previous church to close a year ago. Compass Direct reports that some 35 members of her church are allowed to attend each Sunday.

Compass also reports that Dr Zakaria had prayed that she would be released from jail by Christmas. However, the three women's appeal was rejected in mid-November.

Their lawyer Posma Rajagukguk is planning to take their appeal to a higher court in the new year. Sources report that there is still hope the women's three-year sentence might be reduced Zakaria, Pangesti and Bangun were arrested after allowing Muslim children to attend a Christian education programme they were running. These children's parents had given their consent for this -- but were too frightened to testify for the defence when Muslim radicals took the case to court under Child Protection legislation in June.

'I never imagined I would be in prison -- never,' Zakaria told Compass. 'But I will submit to whatever God wants for me.'

Zakaria's daughter is reportedly allowed to bring food for her mother almost daily -- and the women cook on a small gas stove brought in by another visitor, for themselves and for others in their cell block.

Meanwhile, the huge security operation to protect Indonesian churches over Christmas appears to have been successful. There were no reports of violence at the time of writing.

• Pray for Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti and Ratna Bangun as they come to terms with having spent Christmas away from their friends and families. Thank God that prison guards have allowed Dr Zakaria to continue to minister to her congregation, even in jail.
• Thank God that Christmas celebrations in Indonesia have apparently passed without instances of violence and persecution.

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