| Home > South-East Asia >> Indonesia | |
Anti-Shiite mob storm Yogyakarta shelter for asylum seekers
Jakarta Globe - October 20, 2015
Tempo.co news portal reported that the asylum seekers had decorated a hall inside the Ambarbinangun Youth Center in Bantul district, where they had been staying for at least one month, with long, black cloth bearing Arabic writing.
Among the words included were "Karballa," referring to one of Shiite Islam's holiest sites, and "Ashura," a day of mourning for Shiites across the world, which falls on Friday.
Upon hearing of the religious tokens, dozens of men reportedly stormed the compound late Monday evening, telling the group of men, women and teenagers to leave the neighborhood "for proselytizing Shiite teachings," according to an Ambarbinangun staffer named Bangkit.
All but one asylum seeker had traveled from Afghanistan; one woman hailed from Myanmar, Bangkit said, adding that he had never asked any members of the group to state their religion.
The attack caused panic among the refugees, pushing the Myanmar national to "hide herself and cry in the bathroom," Bangkit said. Some 50 officers were deployed to the center in order to evacuate the group, Bantul District Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Daidyo told Tempo.com
The asylum seekers spent the night at the district police's headquarters before being collected by the International Office for Migration the following morning.
Shiite Muslims have long been the victim of harassment, violence and persecution by hard-line Sunnis, who make up the majority of Muslims in Indonesia. However, Monday's incident is the first report of an attack on Shiite asylum seekers for practicing their beliefs.
See also:
 |