The Muhammadiyah organisation in Indonesia, the second largest Muslim social group in the country and of a modernist bent, has offered buildings it owns such as schools and halls for the use of Christians on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Said the Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin:

We invite our Christian brothers and sisters to say prayers on Christmas Eve and to celebrate Christmas in our schools and other buildings.

Since 2004 over forty churches in west Java have been forcibly closed by Muslim radicals and the police. The churches were technically illegal in that they did not have all the necessary paperwork in order. However for a church to successfully fulfil all the legal obligations in setting itself up is near-impossible in Indonesia.

While such shows of inter-religious brotherhood are worthy it is incumbent on groups like Muhammadiyah to help find a permanent solution to the problem of church closures and lack of space for Christians to congregate.

Tags: Christian, Christianity, Christians, Churches, Muhammadiyah, Religion, Terrorism