Pope Visits Indonesia, Where Muslim-Christian Harmony Is Under Strain

The hallelujahs rang out on Sunday from a small hall on the outskirts of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. The sounds from the Christian service could be heard within the green and orange mosque across the way, as a group of young girls in hijabs walked by.

On the surface, the scene was a reflection of the interfaith harmony that Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, is proud of. But the Christians were not in their own church. Earlier this year, their congregation’s building was stormed by dozens of angry Muslims, and now they were temporarily gathering in a government-owned building in a different area.

This is the complex reality awaiting Pope Francis as he begins a four-day trip to Indonesia on Tuesday, which will include an interfaith dialogue at the national mosque. There are many vibrant examples of how Christianity and Islam coexist in Indonesia — a dynamic that Francis wants to encourage — but at the same time, religious minorities face discrimination.

By and large, Indonesian Muslims practice a moderate brand of Sunni Islam that is tolerant of other faiths. But other branches of Islam, notably the Shias and Ahmadiyyas, have long felt marginalized. And conservative strains of Islam have spread here in recent years, with one province, Aceh, having enforced Shariah law for nearly a decade.

In dozens of cities, young girls are pressured, bullied, and harassed to wear hijabs at schools and public spaces, Human Rights Watch has documented.