Son of Christian Bombing Victim in Indonesia Says He Forgives Killer Family
An Indonesian Christian, Kurnianto, lost his mother in a spate of suicide bombings that was carried out by the members of one family last Sunday. At her funeral, the son declared he has forgiven the bomber family, which included children.
"On behalf of my mother, I apologize if she made any mistakes during her life, and please pray for her, she is now in heaven," Kurniato was quoted as saying by The Jakarta Post. "And as for the perpetrators, we forgive them and I believe my mother is in the House of the Lord."
His mother, Lim, was killed in the explosion at Saint Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in East Java's Surabaya area. The attack was part of a series of suicide bombings done by six members of the family of a person identified as Dita Oepriarto. The family killed at least 13 people and injured over 50.
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Dita detonated a bomb at the Surabaya Pentecostal Church, known as GPPS, killing eight people. His two sons carried out the explosion at Saint Mary Immaculate Catholic Church, killing five people; and his wife and daughters killed one person at Diponegoro Indonesian Christian Church, known as GKI. The attacks were claimed by the Islamic State organization, also known as IS, ISIS, ISIL or Daesh.
Kurnianto's mother was standing next to the bomber's motorbike in front of the church when the explosion took place, according to the CCTV footage. "When I saw the CCTV, I don't know, perhaps it was God's beautiful plan," he was quoted as saying. "When Mama arrived at the gate, she did not enter the church [and] she stayed there about five minutes."
Kurnianto appealed to the public not to "judge any religions, because no religion asks (the believers) to do evil things."
He added, "We believe the government has done their best for the nation and state. And finally, God please help Indonesia."
The country's counter-terrorism squad has arrested dozens of terror suspects in East Java as well as Sumatra, according to The Straits Times.
Just days after the bombings, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence met with Kyai Haji Yahya Cholil Staquf, the leader of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Supreme Council, the Indonesia-based world's largest Islamic organization, to stand in solidarity for religious freedom and peaceful coexistence.
"It is quite an amazing thing to see the vice president of the United States and the leader of the largest Muslim organization in the world who is very intent on the promotion of religious liberty and the combating of extremism," Johnnie Moore, an evangelical communications executive and international religious freedom advocate involved in the meeting, told The Christian Post.
