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Building of seminary on hold

Muslims objections 'have intimidated local authorities'
Building of seminary on hold
Published: June 01, 2012 10:34 AM GMT
Updated: June 01, 2012 11:00 AM GMT

Construction of the first minor seminary planned for Pangkalpinang diocese in the capital of Bangka-Belitung province has been halted due to opposition from local Muslims, Church leaders in the area claimed today. Following a standoff with authorities that has already seen the proposed site of the building move to a neighboring village, a member of the construction committee, Father Fenansius Marianus Manse, said there was no legal basis for the delay. “We submitted all necessary requirements to the district administration in early March but we haven’t obtained a building permit yet,” he said. Authorities have since asked the committee for the Mario John Boen Minor Seminary to submit a recommendation from the district’s Interfaith Harmony Forum (FKUB) and an environmental review of plans for the two-hectare plot in Mangkol Village. “That is ridiculous,” said Fr Manse, adding that an FKUB recommendation is only necessary for a place of worship, while an environmental review does not apply on a plot of less than five hectares. Indonesian law states a building application for a seminary must meet 10 requirements including recommendations from the village head and residents, all of which are in place, said Father Manse. The seminary building, which would be the first of its kind in Pangkalpinang diocese, has faced problems ever since a building committee was formed in March 2010. Fr Manse said residents in Air Mesu and Cambai villages, central Bangka district, joined the district administration in rejecting their proposal, events which prompted the decision to move the site to Mangkol Village. Muslims from other villages have also protested against the new plan since April, he said, claiming they had been influenced by Islamic organizations including the Communication Board of Mosque Teenagers-Youths in Indonesia, the Indonesian Ulema Council and the Brotherhood of Indonesian Hajj. Theophilus Bela, secretary general of the Indonesian Committee on Religion and Peace, said the district administration had been left powerless in facing these organizations. “We can see that the committee has completed all the requirements,” he said. The district head Erzaldi Roesman asked for more time to resolve the problem. Related reports Rights groups condemn intolerance Church attacked with stones, urine: pastor

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