Indonesia: Conference of Nuns Postponed by Protest
Aug 07 2007
Postings >> Indonesia

Nuns in West Java have been forced to postpone an international conference at their retreat centre after large crowds of Muslims came out in protest.

Centre spokeswoman Lisa Martosudjito PKarm said that the nuns had followed correct procedures by applying at the local police HQ for permission to hold the conference.

But news of their plans prompted hundreds of Muslims dressed in white to march from a local mosque to the centre which is on a hill about 60 miles south of Jakarta. While some were protesting about the conference, others objected to the retreat centre itself.

The decision to put off the conference followed a 'dialogue' between the centre and a number of Islamic fundamentalist groups. But AsiaNews reports that, far from being a dialogue, the meeting's aim was to pressure the nuns into shelving their plans.

• Pray for the nuns at this West Java retreat centre. Ask God to bless and protect them so they can continue their work.
• Pray that the government would resist calls to close the centre down and uphold the nuns' right to religious liberty.