A Christian apologist whose comparisons of Christianity with Islam were widely disseminated on his blog and YouTube channel has disappeared since his arrest in December, Morning Star News reported.
Nothing has been heard from Gratia Pello, a professor at a small Christian theological school in East Java Province, since a crowd of police officers ransacked his house in Malang and arrested him on Dec. 6, according to online news outlet Sintesa.
Known for controversial debates
The apologist, reportedly a Coptic Orthodox Christian known for debates with Muslim converts from Christianity, was subsequently transferred to Surabaya for interrogation, according to Sintesa. He is known for his widely followed Inyo Manis YouTube channel and his books on apologetics and Islamic and Christian doctrines. His knowledge of Arabic has enabled him to make significant use of Islamic resources.
Prior to his arrest, four police officers visited Gratia Pello’s house on Dec. 6 to question him about the content of episode 248 of his YouTube channel, which officers said had offended Muslims and Islam, according to Sintesa’s Dec. 13 report. Police arrested him later than evening. He is still presumably waiting for trial.
Indonesia ranked 33rd on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2023 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
Indonesian society has adopted a more conservative Islamic character, and churches involved in evangelistic outreach are at risk of being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to Open Doors’ WWL report.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written and originally published by Morning Star News.
