Church attacks on the rise in Indonesia

CHRISTIAN churches in Indonesia are increasingly coming under attack by Muslim militants, officials say, with more than 20 forced to shut their doors in recent weeks on the island of Java.

The attacks come as Indonesia’s highest Muslim body, the Indonesian Ulemas Council or MUI, issued a series of controversial fatwas - religious edicts that included banning mixed marriages, religious pluralism, and inter-faith prayers - unless a Muslim is leading the service.