Recent violence underscores immigrants' plight

SOMERSWORTH — Recent violence against Christians in Indonesia has underscored assertions made by supporters of the local Indonesian immigrant community, including U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., that Christians forced to return to Indonesia will face religious persecution once there.

On Monday, a Muslim family carried out suicide attacks on three churches in Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, killing a dozen people as well as its two young daughters.

The Islamic State initially claimed responsibility for the attacks, according to the group’s news agency, Amaq. A day later, there was increasing evidence that the church bombers were not alone. The police now say there have been at least two more bomb blasts beyond the assaults on the churches, as well as a trove of completed bombs found in a separate housing complex.

Rev. Sandra Pontoh, pastor of the Maranatha Indonesian United Church of Christ in Madbury, said acts of terrorism appear to be becoming more frequent in Indonesia.

"People are afraid to go to church, or any public places, because of that," Pontoh said. "That's just not good."

Pontoh pointed out the messages those behind the recent attacks are trying to send do not represent the feelings of the vast majority of Muslims in Indonesia. However, she noted hardline terrorists are a formidable force in the country.

"They have a lot of power," she said.

Sen. Shaheen said religious persecution and violence is not an abstract threat in Indonesia, and that the state's Indonesian community fled their native country for a reason.

"The horrific bombings of churches over the weekend further underscores why they should remain here in New Hampshire," Shaheen said in a statement.

Shaheen also said the Trump administration should take into account the "dangerous environment" for Christians in Indonesia, and use its discretion to allow the Indonesian community under threat of deportation to stay.

"These are individuals and families that continue to contribute to our economy and our communities and they should be allowed to live their lives without fear,” she said.

Shaheen has long advocated for members of the Indonesian community facing deportation. In 2012, she helped negotiate an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to allow Indonesian immigrants to remain in New Hampshire and obtain work permits in exchange for a commitment to regularly check-in with ICE. This agreement was reversed by ICE under the Trump administration, and these individuals were ordered to begin making preparations for deportation.

On May 9, Shaheen questioned Jackie Wolcott, who currently sits on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, at a hearing on Capitol Hill, regarding Wolcott's nomination to be representative of the U.S. to the Vienna Office of the United Nations.

Shaheen noted Wolcott's commission details continued violations of freedom of religion throughout Indonesia, and asked Wolcott for details as to why the commission listed Indonesia as not welcoming to Christians.

"They're discriminatory against minorities, minority religions, and Christians," Wolcott said. "They have blasphemy laws on the books that are extremely unfair and, frankly, like every country who has them, they should get rid of them."

When asked by Shaheen to explain blasphemy laws, Wolcott said accusations of making derogatory remarks against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad can be used as justification for persecution.

"Somebody can accuse another person of blaspheming the Prophet, for instance," Wolcott said. "And they're arrested and often in jail, and sometimes even on death row for that. So they're extremely egregious laws, really."

The use of children in last week's attacks has been particularly horrifying to people.

“This is terrifying,” said Taufik Andrie, executive director of an institute that runs programs to help paroled militants reject extremism and rejoin society, according to The Associated Press. “This is showing how extremist ideology can entrap children. Children have no choice. They can’t comprehend the decisions involved.”

Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo condemned the attacks as “barbaric” and vowed authorities would root out and destroy Islamic militant networks.

— Material from The Associated Press was used in this report