Relief workers in Aceh accused of attempting to convert Muslims to Christianity

Aceh, the northerly province, that got hammered by a tsunami a year ago, is the strictest province in Indonesia as far as its interpretation of Islam. Sharia law (ancient Islamic law) was imposed there in 1999. Women are forced to were traditional Muslim attire and head scarfs. After the tsunami there were 60 aid agencies working in Aceh, to help out and rebuild the province. I talked to one guy on R&R in Ubud, and he told me there has been some ‘Hollywood construction’, but nothing substantial. Some of those agencies can only survive if they are doing disaster relief and NGO could mean ‘never get out’.

Recently local Muslims in Aceh have accused Christian aid organisations of having a hidden agenda. They claim some aid workers are trying to convert Muslims to Christianity, a tough assignment for sure.

I know a kid from Lake Toba in north Sumatra who converted to Christianity and says he loves it. One of Ika’s aunties in Semarang did the same, with no ill will from the rest of the relatives. Let’s hope the good work being done in Aceh doesn’t create bad will in the long run.