A planned church in East Java Province in Indonesia is facing renewed opposition from Muslim residents who argue that an address discrepancy in permit documents should halt construction.
Residents in the Dukuh Kukun area of Babat Jerawat Urban Village, Pakal District, Surabaya, say the address listed on the official permit does not match the church site in the CitraLand housing complex.
“Residents have known about the church construction plan since around 2013-2015. The plan was previously delayed because of community opposition. Now, even though the RW [local neighborhood] head has granted permission, it is once again facing resistance from the community because the address listed for the church is incorrect,” a resident told Morning Star News on condition of anonymity.
Attorney Hartony Edi said protests alone are not sufficient to invalidate a government administrative decision, including the objections raised by local Muslims on Aug. 14.
“An administrative error at the lowest level occurring after the issuance of the Building Permit (IMB) does not constitute grounds for rejection that would invalidate a state administrative decision,” Edi told Morning Star News.
Edi said the permit remains valid because it was issued by the mayor of Surabaya under the 2006 Joint Decree of the Minister of Religious Affairs and the Minister of Home Affairs and was based on the local need for a church.
Another resident, speaking anonymously at the RT 01 RW 05 community hall in Dukuh Kukun, also pointed to a mismatch between the permitted address and the actual construction site, according to Detik.com. The resident said the objection centered on procedure and location rather than opposition to the presence of a church itself.
Pakal District Head Zainuddin Fanani said the resistance resulted from a misunderstanding and that local officials were working with residents to resolve the dispute through dialogue, Detik.com reported.
Religious freedom advocate Permadi Arya, also known as Abu Janda, criticized the opposition and expressed surprise that such resistance was occurring in Surabaya.
“How is it possible to have church opposition like this in Surabaya? I thought the people of Surabaya were all sensible,” he said in a TikTok video. “And yet, they confidently write, ‘Don’t accuse us of being intolerant citizens.’”
Surabaya resident Entras Wahju Djatmiko also criticized the controversy, describing it as an embarrassment to the city. “Let’s find the main perpetrators and the masterminds; I’m sure they aren’t true locals of Surabaya,” Entras posted.
