Don't overreact on Ahmadiyah

M. Husni Mubarok ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 05/12/2008 10:51 AM  |  Opinion

The issue of Ahmadiyah as an Islamic sect has been fiercely debated since it was first broached a few months ago. It's a highly controversial subject which draws strong opinions from Muslims in the country.

Some agree with the government's plan to ban the sect while others oppose it.

It has been argued that the sect violates the core principles of Islamic faith and offends its basic teachings. This is a fair argument because Ahmadiyah followers declare Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as their prophet. This claim clearly goes against the Koran.

In addition, they introduced new teachings by obliging their followers to go to Rabwa and Qodiyya -- not to Mecca and Medina -- for the haj and other rituals.

But unlike mainstream Islam the prophet at the head of this deviant sect is an ordinary man, a writer who sought divine guidance and underwent several weeks of solitude in an abandoned mosque. Compared to the Prophet Muhammad, he is nothing.

The presence of such a sect is not the only issue kindling social unrest. Other problems such as severe poverty, scarcity of staple foods, lack of proper education, unemployment and rampant corruption are among the urgent issues severely affecting people's lives.

Soothing the restlessness and promoting a harmonious society can't be achieved by making a scapegoat of the sect and its followers, but rather by eradicating poverty and ignorance. Hark back to a saying from the Hadiths: Kaad al-faqru an yakuna kufran (Poverty can make anyone lose their faith).

Most of Ahmadiyah's followers are poor and ill-educated, especially in terms of religion. These conditions can lead them to join such a sect -- not only Ahmadiyah but others too -- especially when these new sects' messages coincide with their needs.

Psychologically it represents an expression of their disappointment in their lives. One manifestation of this is their resorting to behavior that is at loggerheads with the majority of society in a bid to attract attention -- by embracing a new religion, for instance

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and its supporters must realize that so many people becoming followers of the new sect is evidence Muslim people's faith is at a breaking point and the MUI has failed to bring Muslims in line with authentic Islamic teaching through education.

The MUI and other mainstream Muslims have to recognize education and experience are the two main influences outside of the Koran for anyone's interpretation of Islamic teaching. This is the reason why people interpret Islam differently.

The MUI should focus more on tackling the poverty and ignorance that led to the establishment of the sect through concrete actions such as handing out business loans or scholarships, instead of merely playing the blame-game.

Simply blaming the sect's followers as "misled people" is neither wise nor effective, and it risks alienating them. As a consequence they will regard mainstream Muslims with hatred, making it difficult to draw them back into the fold. The MUI should engage with these followers to identify and solve the problems at the root of their heresy.

The MUI's edict declaring the sect heretical is useless and ineffective because it will incite people at the grassroots level to acts of violence against the sect. The homes of Ahmadiyah followers were burned down and destroyed by such people claiming to be acting in the name of God.

But the sect is still alive and kicking. It has spread out further and garners sympathy from other communities and international societies because of its role as a suppressed minority. This issue will be a fanfare for those targeting the development of peaceful Islam in Indonesia.

Declaring the sect followers heretical is an outdated practice that needs to be changed. Otherwise it can become a tool for sect followers to accuse the MUI and its supporters of violating human rights. Taking everything into consideration, the harm done by issuing such a declaration far outweighs the benefits.

Denouncing the existence of a sect by issuing an edict as the MUI has done is clearly ineffective and counterproductive. It should be withdrawn because if it continues to stand, the victims, the destruction and the wastefulness will not end.

Our people should have been given a decent religious education and should have been taught to tolerate the opinions, beliefs and religions of others. If the MUI continues with its antiquated and uncivilized methods, it will be remembered as an intolerant, cruel and arrogant religious institution by others here and throughout the world.

The writer is a student counselor at an Islamic school in Bekasi, West Java. He can be reached at: em_husni@yahoo.co.id

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