The Victims Became the Suspects

The fundamentalist attack was caused by an alleged lack of a building permit (Izin Mendirikan Bangunan in Indonesian), a claim Christians deny. The attack occurred under the watch of the police, who did not do anything to protect the Christians and instead sealed the church after the incident. Instead, the victims were blamed for not having a valid permit for building the church.

In Aceh, where Sharia law is applied, construction of houses of worship requires prior approval after following a set of strict requirements. Over time, the permit to build, renovate, or rebuild a chapel, church, or house of prayer has become a crucial issue for fanatics who have railed and protested, effectively blocking projects already underway.