Christians Forced To Flee Amid Violence Threats
A surge of blasphemy accusations in Indonesia, primarily against Christians, has led several individuals to seek refuge abroad. Edwin Hutabarat, a Christian apologist known as “Metatron,” fled to the Netherlands after being reported by the Anti-Blasphemy Community Alliance to the Cyber Unit of the East Java Police on November 7, 2024. Hutabarat was targeted for his YouTube channels—Suara Sejati, Blesmigad, and Sang Debaters—which the group accused of spreading content offensive to Islam and misrepresenting the Quran, as reported by AyoJatim.com. Basori Alwi, one of the complainants, claimed that the videos falsely portrayed the Islamic prophet Muhammad as engaging in immoral behavior.
In addition to Edwin, his co-host, known as Agatha of Palermo, also faced legal action for blasphemy due to comments made during an October 2024 livestream on her YouTube channel, Benteng77. Agatha has since fled to Italy after being reported to police by Johan Muhamad Junaedi of Indonesia Islam Apologetics. Agatha was accused of making derogatory statements about Muhammad, including claims about his treatment of women.
Other Christian apologists from Indonesia have sought refuge abroad and continue to use social media platforms to voice their critiques of Islam. Dewi Bulan, for instance, shares her views from the United States on her TikTok account, @WeareforMurtadin. Abraham Ben Moses, previously known as Sjaifuddin Ibrahim, a former Muslim scholar turned Christian pastor, also fled to the U.S. to avoid further persecution. Moses had been imprisoned from 2018 to 2022 for blasphemy and later faced new charges after suggesting the removal of 300 Quranic verses he viewed as hostile to non-Muslims, sparking outrage among hardline Muslim groups. Another apologist, Sofia al-Hayat, has also reportedly escaped to the U.S.
In Indonesia, Christians often face persecution, with the state rarely intervening to protect them, according to Pastor Nicky Jefta Wakkary of the Protestant Church in Indonesia (GPdI) in West Java. “The state is absent when minorities are persecuted, but it acts when Muslims in the Muslim-majority country are confronted,” Pastor Nicky told Morning Star News. Despite the challenges, he believes the efforts of Christian apologists abroad have some positive effects, as they continue to advocate for religious freedom from safer locations.
Bonar Tigor Naipospos, deputy chairman of the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, emphasized the difficulties faced by Christian apologists in Indonesia, where they risk physical threats and criminal charges for blasphemy. He explained that these debates often arise in response to fundamentalist Islamic groups that attack Christianity as a false doctrine. According to Bonar, the growing tensions are fueled by efforts to portray Christianity as a threat to Islam, especially as churches expand in the country.
Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim nation with 83.3% of the population adhering to Islam, has seen a rise in Islamic extremism. Christians, who make up 11.43% of the population, face increasing risks, particularly those involved in evangelism, according to Christian support organization Open Doors.