Following the chaotic church construction in Silagon City, Banton, Minister of Religion (Menag), Yakut Cholil Chaumas, HKBP Maranath Silagon and the Church Building Committee were sued by Al-Khairiyah in the Serang District Court. In particular, the Minister of Religion was sued based on his remarks that surrounded the City of Silagon as an intolerant area.
“With regard to his statement which was spread on video and allegedly surrounded the city of Silegon as it seemed intolerable due to the issue of rejection of the place of worship of HKBP Maranatha Silegon Church,” said the Secretary General of Al. -Khairiyah Executive Board, Ahmed Munji, in a written statement, Friday, 16 September 2022.
Then there was a lawsuit against HKBP Maranatha Silgon and the Church Building Committee on the grounds that the building of the church was not procedural, so it had to be cancelled. The rules for church building are contained in the Joint Ministerial Regulations (PBMs) of Minister of Religion and Home Affairs No. 09 and 2006 No. 08, as they ignore the local community.
According to case number 151/Pdt.G/2022/PN.Srg, a case has been registered in the Serang District Court. As Respondent 1, Respondent III of the Committee for Establishment of Places of Worship for Minister of Religion Yakut Chollil Chaumas, Respondent II HKBP Maranatha Silagon and Huria Maranatha Silagon.
In addition, the case also includes Co-Respondent 1, Mayor of Silegon, Co-defendant II Deputy Mayor of Silegon, Co-defendant III President of DPRD Silegon, Co-defendant IV, Vice President 1 DPRD Silegon, Co-Respondent. V, deputy chairman II DPRD Silegon City, co-defendant VI, head of the Ministry of Religion of Silegon City, co-defendant VII, village head of Gerem, co-defendant VIII, Forum for Religious Harmony FKUB Silegon City, co-defendant IX , Eddie Ariadi, former secretary of Silagon City, and co-defendant X, former head of Nasser Gerem Village.
“So that the Minister of Religion, the HKBP and the respondent Bhineka Tunggal refrain from applying the meaning and significance of the Ika and the meaning of the actual religious roles, as the silagon is better without the church but the community is tolerant of each other among religious communities creating places of worship. Stand side by side and be at peace instead of forcing, but most people refuse,” he explained.
Ahmed Munzi explained that it was suspected at this time that the information had been manipulated as if the church’s founding had been rejected. His party claimed that what actually happened were incomplete documents for the establishment of Christian houses of worship and that they could not be coerced.
