Govt urged to maintain neutrality on Ahmadiyah

Dicky Christanto ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Denpasar   |  Wed, 05/14/2008 10:32 AM  |  Bali

An alliance for religious freedom protested the government's ambiguous stance toward violence committed by some religious-based groups following a recommendation issued by the Board of Monitoring Mystical Belief in Society (Bakor Pakem) that the government officially ban the Ahmadiyah Islamic sect.

The alliance, during a rally in Denpasar, demanded the government take necessary actions to end the violence and bring the perpetrators to court.

"We are here to remind the government that this country was built by various ethnic and religious groups. This country is not ruled by only one ethnicity or religious group, even though it holds a majority," coordinator Nengah Jimat told the rally Tuesday.

"Besides, who gives these organizations the right to label their fellow citizens as heretics? They (public officials) should remember that the Constitution, which is the highest legal authority in our country, has nothing to say regarding this issue and therefore it is their obligation to comply with the Constitution," he said.

Article 29 of the Constitution states that the government guarantees the right of its people to adhere to any religious and traditional belief.

The Alliance of People for Religious Freedom, which comprises dozens of organizations, including pro-bono lawyers, anti-corruption groups and religious-based and student organizations, rallied in front of the governor's office and the local legislative council building.

The governor's assistant for welfare and religious affairs, Adi Djaya, said the local administration shared the same concerns with the alliance and promised to bring these concerns to the central government.

"We are aware that this country's unity should not be compromised over one group's request and therefore we will tell the central government to pay serious attention to this issue and to not yield to their demands," he told the rally.

Three high-ranking officials - the home minister, the religious affairs minister and the attorney general - are expected soon to issue an official order banning Ahmadiyah, a Muslim sect that has been in the country for decades.

A number of Muslim organizations, including the Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI), accuse the sect of violating the tenets of Islam.

The council issued a fatwa, or religious edict, label-ing Ahmadiyah as heretical around three years ago.

In response to the edict and Bakor Pakem's recommendation, some Muslim hardliners established a forum to demand the central government officially ban Ahmadiyah.

Since this issue first broke about three years ago, Ahmadiyah has been the target of harassment and violence.

Dozens of Ahmadiyah mosques and its followers' houses have been burned down and its followers physically threatened.

Commenting at the issue, lawmaker Made Arjaya, said if the government outlawed the sect it would jeopardize the country's by giving the impression the government was bowing to pressure from a single group.

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