West Java city outlaws Ahmadiyah sect

By Yuli Tri Suwarni

Cimahi municipality in West Java has followed Sukabumi and Kuningan regencies in banning the Islamic sect Ahmadiyah, despite no formal ban from the central government.

Mayor Itoc Tochiya issued the order on May 6, a day after the local chapter of the Coordinating Board for the Supervision of Mystical Beliefs in Society (Bakor Pakem) recommended municipal authorities ban the sect for heresy.

Head of the Cimahi chapter of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Hafidz Sayuti, said the council urged the municipality to issue the ban “to protect sect members”.

Sukabumi and Kuningan regencies, also in West Java, earlier issued orders banning the sect. These local actions come as the central government considers a nationwide ban on Ahmadiyah.

A mosque belonging to the sect in Parakan Salak, Sukabumi, was burned down on April 28 by Muslims demanding the government outlaw the group.

More than 50 families who are followers of the sect have been evicted from their villages in Ketapang, West Nusa Tenggara, and are now staying in temporary shelters at government buildings in Mataram.

Sayuti said the Cimahi chapter of the Indonesian Ulema Council had investigated the sect and found they continued to treat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as a prophet and that their teachings deviated from mainstream Islamic tenets.

“Wouldn’t it minimize social tension if they stopped their activities?” Sayuti said Wednesday.

Cimahi is home to thousands of Ahmadis, one of the biggest concentrations of members in West Java, along with Sukabumi, Kuningan, Bogor and Bandung.

The ban was greeted by protests not only by Ahmadiyah members but also by an interfaith group, AKUR, which accused municipal authorities of ignoring human rights and violating the Constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom.

AKUR coordinator Yaman Didu said the ban was contrary to the Constitution, which protects the rights of citizens and enshrines freedom of religion.

“We demand the mayor revoke the decision and retract statements published in the media,” Didu said.

Head of the Bandung region Ahmadiyah youth wing, Zaki Firdaus, said the mayor had acted arbitrarily.

“We believe we have been carrying out our responsibilities as good citizens, so please treat us correctly,” Zaki said.

He urged the central government to settle this issue fairly and wisely, in line with the Constitution and human rights. (The Jakarta Post)

Govt drafts joint decree to outlaw Ahmadiyah

By Desy Nurhayati

The government is preparing a joint decree to outlaw “heretical” Islamic sect Jamaah Ahmadiyah, following a recommendation by a government board.

The recommendation was discussed Thursday at a meeting led by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo Adi Sucipto.

Widodo said the decree would be drafted by the Religious Affairs Ministry, the Home Ministry and the Attorney General’s Office.

“The government will formulate the joint decree based on the 1965 law on the prevention of misuse and disgrace of religion,” Widodo said after the meeting at his office.

Attorney General Hendarman Supandji, Justice and Human Rights Minister Andi Mattalata, Indonesian Military chief Gen. Djoko Santoso and National Police chief Gen. Sutanto attended the meeting.

The Coordinating Board for Monitoring Mystical Beliefs in Society (Bakor Pakem) recommended on Wednesday the government ban Ahmadiyah for failing to commit to the 12-point declaration it signed in January.

The declaration acknowledged mainstream Islamic teachings and abandoned the sect’s “deviant” beliefs. This included recognizing Muhammad, not Mirza Gulam Ahmad, as the last prophet.

Widodo ordered the police to tighten security to prevent potential violence and anarchism following the ban on Ahmadiyah.

“The decree should consider various aspects, especially stability, so as to be alert to potential conflict stemming from various groups’ dissatisfaction,” he said.

The recommendation has sparked debate among Islamic groups. Most have come out in support of the ban even though Ahmadiyah is a nonviolent sect.

Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, the country’s two largest Muslim organizations, said the government has the authority to ban Ahmadiyah.

They said the government must ensure the safety of Ahmadiyah members following the recommendation.

“In Islam, Ahmadiyah is deviant. It is the government’s domain to outlaw it or not for stability reasons,” NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi said.

Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin said there should be efforts to persuade Ahmadiyah followers to return to mainstream Islamic teachings.

“It won’t be easy to ban Ahmadiyah. The government may disband any sect legally and formally, but culturally their beliefs may continue to exist.

“Thus, a persuasive dialogue is the best way to convince them,” Din said.

The Islam Defenders Front and the Muslim People’s Forum are using the recommendation by Bakor Pakem to pressure the government to dissolve Ahmadiyah immediately.

The Maarif Institute for Culture and Humanity said banning Ahmadiyah would violate the Constitution, which respects freedom of religion.

Institute executive director Raja Juli Antoni said the government should not intervene in religious matters and urged the President to annul the decision.

The move against Ahmadiyah was also condemned by the Alliance for Religious and Belief Freedom.

Ahmadiyah spokesman Fazal Mujeeb said the group would continue its activities and would not respond to the ban.

“The government has no reason to ban our activities. They simply don’t want to listen to us and have based this decision on a one-sided view,” he said.

“We are on the right Islamic path. We are part of the Muslim community, even though we have some different opinions.”

Facts about Ahmadiyah

* An Islamic sect founded in Qadian, Punjab, India, in 1889 by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1839-1908), who claimed to be the mahdi — a figure expected by some Muslims to appear at the end of the world.

* The group is guided by a Khalifa (Caliph), its spiritual leader, who claims to commune with the Almighty and be the successor to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

* Ahmadiyah entered Indonesia in 1925.

* There are two groups of Ahmadiyah in Indonesia — Jamaah Ahmadiyah Indonesia (JAI), also known as Ahmadiyah Qodiyani, and Indonesian Ahmadiyah Movement (GAI), also called Ahmadiyah Lahore.

* JAI believes Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was the last prophet after Muhammad, while GAI only considers Mirza to be a reformer.

* The Indonesian Ulema Council declared both JAI and GAI heretical sects.

* Attacks on Ahmadiyah increased following the council’s fatwa.

Source: Various sources (The Jakarta Post)