Sibolga Mosque Attack: Youth Killed, Sparking Debate on Mosque’s Community Role

Fatal Beating at Mosque Highlights Shifting Role of Religious Spaces in Indonesia

The arrest and charging of five suspects in connection with the fatal beating of Arjuna Tamaraya, a 21-year-old man, at the Grand Mosque in Sibolga, North Sumatra, has ignited a national conversation about the evolving function and inclusivity of mosques in Indonesia.

“This shift in function stems from a growing narrow-minded fanaticism in understanding religion,” explained Amanah Nurish, an anthropologist from the University of Indonesia, in an interview with BBC News Indonesia. “This is coupled with the appropriation of mosques as spaces of local power by certain groups, which then restricts the mosque from being a more inclusive space.”

The suspects, identified as Chandra Lubis (38), Rismansyah Efendi Caniago (30), Zulham Piliang (57), Hasan Basri (46), and Syazwan Situmorang (40), face charges of murder under Article 338, subsidiary to Article 170 paragraph 3 of the Indonesian Penal Code. Syazwan also faces additional charges under Article 365 paragraph 3 for allegedly stealing Rp10,000 from the victim.

The tragic incident occurred on a Friday night when Arjuna, a fisherman, sought refuge to rest on the front porch of the Grand Mosque in Sibolga. However, his attempt to rest was met with resistance and violence from some local residents. The assault left him unconscious, and he was pronounced dead at Dr. F.L. Tobing Regional General Hospital in Sibolga on Saturday.

Arjuna’s family in Simeulue, Aceh, is demanding justice and a harsh punishment for the perpetrators. “It was excessively sadistic; they had no humanity, too brutal. If possible, if not the death penalty, then life imprisonment,” said Kausar Amin (38), Arjuna’s uncle.

AKP Rustam E. Silaban, the Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Sibolga Police, has vowed a thorough investigation. “We will not tolerate acts of violence, especially those that occur in places of worship,” Rustam stated.

Police reports indicate the motive behind the attack was the perpetrators’ feeling offended that the victim ignored their prohibition. Authorities have emphasized that there are no restrictions on resting in the mosque and assert that this was a purely criminal act. The suspects face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

Sequence of Events Leading to Tragedy

The timeline of events leading to Arjuna Tamaraya’s death paints a disturbing picture of escalating violence:

Friday, October 31, 2025, 01:30 AM (Western Indonesian Time):

Arjuna approached Zulham to request permission to sleep in the mosque, but Zulham denied his request without providing a reason.

02:00 AM: Hasan, who was sleeping on the second floor of the mosque, claimed he heard screams resembling someone possessed. He went downstairs and found Arjuna sleeping on the porch. Hasan tried to wake him, but Arjuna did not respond. Hasan then called Zulham using his phone’s flashlight.

Zulham attempted to rouse Arjuna until he awoke. Arjuna simply stared at them and went back to sleep. Seeing this, Zulham summoned Chandra, Rismansyah, and Syazwan.

Chandra initiated the violence by pulling Arjuna’s shirt, forcing him from a prone position to a standing one. Arjuna woke up and attempted to resist. However, Syazwan immediately kicked Arjuna’s head twice, causing him to fall. Hasan also joined in, kicking Arjuna in the same area.

Syazwan proceeded to stomp on Arjuna’s head and stomach and dragged him out of the mosque by his right leg. As a result, the back of Arjuna’s head struck the steps, causing him to bleed.

Once outside the mosque, Syazwan took Rp10,000 from Arjuna’s pocket, searched his bag, and took one of Arjuna’s sandals, which he used to slap Arjuna’s cheek. Syazwan also threw a coconut at Arjuna and dragged him on the asphalt road.

Rismansyah joined in by stomping on Arjuna’s head again and pouring water on him. Arjuna managed to sit up, but Zulham struck his head and kicked his back, causing him to fall. Rismansyah and Zulham then repeatedly stomped on Arjuna until he lost consciousness.

04:45 AM: A mosque caretaker saw a group of people gathered in the mosque parking lot on CCTV. He and a colleague approached the group and found Arjuna injured and unconscious. The police were called, and Arjuna was taken to the hospital.

05:55 AM: Arjuna was pronounced dead at Dr. F.L. Tobing Regional General Hospital in Sibolga.

‘He Was the Breadwinner’

Kausar Amin (38), Arjuna’s uncle, was overcome with grief. He never imagined that a message he received via social media weeks earlier would be his last conversation with Arjuna Tamaraya (21), who was brutally killed while seeking rest at the Grand Mosque in Sibolga, North Sumatra, on Friday, October 31, 2025.

Kausar is the older brother of Arjuna’s father, who passed away on April 21, 2025. After his father’s death, Arjuna became the family’s primary provider, working as a fisherman.

“He was a good, quiet, and respectful child. Many people in Sibolga knew him, and they all said he was a good person,” Kausar told journalist Nanda Fahriza Batubara, who reported for BBC News Indonesia.

In Kausar’s eyes, the late Arjuna was not just a courteous young man but also someone willing to sacrifice for his family. He was the second of four children. After his father passed away, his mother remarried. As the only son, he automatically assumed the role of breadwinner.

Before his tragic death, Arjuna had left to fish at sea for over a month. He did this not only to meet daily needs but also to help with the tuition fees of his older and younger siblings in Banda Aceh.

“He initially wanted to study fisheries in Aceh as well. But due to limited funds, because his two siblings were also studying, he gave up his dream. So, if there was enough money, he would help with their tuition fees,” Kausar said.

Kausar does not believe that the assault was motivated by Arjuna’s disrespectful behavior. According to witnesses, Arjuna had asked permission to rest in the mosque before continuing his activities.

“Before he wanted to sleep in the mosque, he ate fried rice. He asked the fried rice vendor, saying, ‘Ma’am, can I sleep there for a while? I’m sleepy.’ The vendor replied, ‘Yes, it’s Allah’s house, our house as Muslims too,'” Kausar said.

Almost a week has passed since the tragic event, but the grief of Arjuna’s family is still raw. Arjuna had planned to return to Aceh after fishing. The family hopes that law enforcement officials will impose a just punishment on the perpetrators.

What Should Be the Function of a Mosque?

Yenny Wahid, a member of the expert council of the Indonesian Mosque Council, explained that mosques have historically served as communal and social spaces in addition to their spiritual function. “They have even been spaces for political discussion and education, as well as spaces for the homeless or injured,” Yenny said.

The incident in Sibolga, North Sumatra, Yenny said, contradicts Islamic teachings that prioritize kindness and justice. “The perpetrators must be severely punished for the assault,” Yenny stated.

This aligns with a statement made by the Vice President of Indonesia from 2019-2024, Ma’ruf Amin, during the inauguration of a mosque in Bogor, West Java, in 2021. “The Prophet Muhammad SAW has made the mosque not only a means of ritual worship such as prayer and reading the Al-Quran but also to prosper it with da’wah, education, and social activities,” Ma’ruf said.

So, what if it is used for sleeping or temporary rest?

Yenny does not see a problem with this, especially in the context of someone who is traveling long distances or a traveler.

Amanah Nurish, an anthropologist from the University of Indonesia, agrees with this. Mosques should not only function as houses of worship. Referring to the history of the establishment of the Nabawi Mosque in Medina during the time of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, the mosque was once a place of refuge for those who chose to migrate from Mecca to Medina. At that time, the mosque was also a place for people to learn and deepen their understanding of religion.

“From a historical perspective, in the early days of Islamic civilization, the Prophet built the mosque not only as a place of worship but also as a center of da’wah. This da’wah is not narrowly talking about formal ways of worship,” Amanah said.

However, the process of textualization, the meaning of the mosque, has led to the simplification of the meaning of the mosque as merely a place for prayer. On the other hand, narrow-minded fanaticism also plays a role in the increasingly narrow shift in the function of mosques.

“Again, historically, mosques should be open to all groups. Even in the time of the Prophet, it was open to non-Muslims. Now, over time, especially here, the mosque seems to have shifted to being merely a place of worship that is increasingly narrow and exclusive,” she explained.

She also highlighted the growing number of mosques in Indonesia with beautiful and even magnificent buildings. “The number of mosques increases every year. But does the quality of our social piety increase? No, it is actually declining. So, our people seem to understand that piety is only in formal worship, only ritual piety.”

Social piety, Amanah said, includes loving those in need, oppressed, and unable to obtain justice, as stated in the Al-Quran. “These travelers are in need and should be loved because they have no place to rest. Moreover, this mosque is Allah’s house, and there has never been a problem before,” Amanah said.

A study titled “The Broader Political Significance of Houses of Worship: Theory and Evidence from Indonesian Mosques” written by Nathanael Gratias Sumaktoyo found a similar situation: the rapid growth of mosques is not in line with tolerance and inclusiveness.

Nathanael analyzed the data by combining location data from more than 300,000 mosques, panel data from more than 16,000 respondents, and the 2010 census. From 1990-2022, the number of mosques increased by about 80%, from 155,000 to 280,000. In comparison, Indonesia’s population growth from 1990-2020 increased by about 50%.

The analysis of this growth situation shows that mosques are related to rejection of non-Islamic issues, whether it be neighbors of different religions, other places of worship, or interfaith marriages. The results also show attachment to local groups, so that even those outside the group who share the same religion still have boundaries.

These findings are related to mosques functioning as channels for information and communication within the community. The problem is that this important function of information and communication is often not accompanied by critical discourse and sometimes tends to be one-way. Instead of increasing religiosity or strengthening religious identity, what happens is a form of intolerance and non-inclusiveness.

The Issue of Thuggery in Religious Environments

Looking at the case in Sibolga, UI anthropologist Amanah Nurish calls it one of the phenomena of thuggery in places of worship. In this context, the perpetrators seem to have power over the mosque, prohibiting others from resting or sleeping there, even though the perpetrators are also sleeping inside the mosque.

“We see Indonesia as if thuggery is related to things outside the context of religious affairs or even places of worship, in the form of mass organizations, for example,” Amanah said. “Now, the evidence is that thuggery is happening inside places of worship themselves. The question is, why? I say this is also an impact of the failure in da’wah.”

Amanah explained that places of worship become spaces of power for certain parties. According to her, holding a mosque or frequently being in a mosque is actually a symbolic strength.

“Places of worship in Indonesia, anyone who is attached to the mosque, whether they are administrators, caretakers, or whatever, it becomes symbolic capital as power,” Amanah said. “The problem is, who is in there? It turns out to be thugs. Don’t think that mosques are safe spaces. In my opinion, in Indonesia today, mosques are no longer safe spaces, especially small mosques that are vulnerable to being used as spaces of power.”

Abdil Mughis Mudhoffir, in an article titled “Indonesian vigilantes are voicing a conservative Islam, but they are not becoming terrorists,” said that after the 1998 Reform, many thuggish groups related to religion emerged. Most of them argued for efforts to enforce Islamic morality. Unlike the Soeharto era, thuggish groups generally carried national sentiments and claimed to be defenders of Pancasila.

The strengthening of Islamic conservatism after the reform cannot be separated as a response to increasing economic vulnerability and political disappointment. The progress of the modern era with rapid industrialization is claimed to increase the number of educated middle class who become the backbone of the birth of a secular society and liberal democratic politics.

However, in Indonesia, the progress of the times has actually resulted in socio-economic anxiety. According to World Bank records, Indonesia’s growing middle class is economically vulnerable to falling back into the lower class if a crisis occurs. As a result, this group often chooses to turn to religion as a step.

Instead of promoting secularization, many Muslim middle classes are turning to religion to overcome their socio-economic anxieties. This is increasingly evident among the lower middle class. In the Sibolga case, the perpetrators even dared to take Rp10,000 from the victim’s pocket after beating him to death.

Are There Still Hospitable Mosques?

Anthropologist from UI, Amanah Nurish emphasized that all mosques in Indonesia should be friendly to everyone, as they were decades ago. However, in reality, houses of worship are now limited and even locked and padlocked after prayer times. There are even mosques that forbid women from coming, as well as children, because they are said to disturb the solemnity of worship.

Friendly mosques are now something that is getting attention, such as the At-Tin Million Youth Mosque in Sukabumi, West Java. Anggy Sulaiman, who helped establish this mosque, started from the anxiety and desire to revive a mosque that is friendly to everyone.

“Because mosques are a symbol of how religion lives in the midst of society. So, if the mosque is friendly, it will create a positive atmosphere in the midst of society,” Anggy said. “Mosques and hospitality should not be something special because that is how it should be. Why is this Million Youth Mosque special? Because these days, hospitality is no longer practiced due to fear.”

Anggy said some of the fears include concerns about losing alms boxes and other mosque equipment, which can actually be prevented without having to sacrifice the friendly atmosphere of the mosque.

“Managing a mosque is not just about the building, but also the people,” he said.

For two years, the mosque, which is managed by young people, has provided food every breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Each month, 13,000 free servings of food and drinks are available for worshipers and people who stop by. The food is cooked by local residents, and some of the food is sometimes given to elderly and disabled residents who cannot come to the mosque.

The mosque is also open to travelers and allows them to stay for a maximum of three days. They also provide facilities in the form of folding mattresses and pillows. The number of travelers is only a few dozen and they come and go.

There is also a specific area that allows worshipers to sit for a while after praying, and even those who just want to sit for a moment because they are tired from the road are allowed. “All the good that is done will surely invite other good, all of this is also because there are people who give infaq and alms,” Anggy said.

Currently, the mosque is being renovated to be larger so that it can carry out its functions more optimally. “Mosques should be friendly places and centers of service for the community,” Anggy said.

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