As understood in social sciences and proven by history, a society is created by diverse elements that are connected to each other.

Like a glass, society is a system with a vulnerable structure, easily broken. Like a net, all elements collectively sustain the whole. If one thread is damaged, the whole system is in peril.

Some members of Ahmadiyah, three of whom were killed, were stabbed. Their wounds are felt by all Indonesians.

The nation is mourning the victims. The grief is now engraved on Indonesia’s history and will continue indefinitely. The failures and the successes in appreciating the existence and role of certain groups, ethnicities, religions, sects or any other kinds of groups within this society will determine the longevity of this nation.

If minority religious groups such as Ahmadiyah, a Christian sect or the Lia Eden community are repeatedly harassed, whereas other groups whose belief and faith are considered in line with those of the majority are protected, there is no guarantee that we ourselves will not be considered deviants who, sooner or later, will be persecuted.

Protecting a vulnerable group means protecting ourselves. Any persecution on the grounds of faith, ethnicity, religion or race must thus be stopped.

The recent attack on an Ahmadiyah group in Banten must be condemned. Blame should not be directed merely at those who specifically executed the attack, i.e. hardliners motivated by their “own truth claims” or provocateurs who fired up the emotions of villagers.

 The local authority and the central government are together responsible for failing to protecting their own citizens.

For sure, the Indonesian judicial system begs revision. Blasphemy laws should be revised. As often reported, those who commit atrocities hide under the law.

Therefore, it is an urgent call that protection of all religions and beliefs embraced by all citizens should be enshrined in the law.

Then the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) would no longer have any room to support crimes committed by those who hold power. The MUI never dares to side with the powerless.

The current government should show a more serious commitment to guard the diversity of this archipelagic country or else history will record their failure.

Historically speaking, different religions have emerged from the same tradition. The semitic religious tradition served as a background against which Judaism, Christianity and Islam were born.

The same religion gave birth to different sects. From the seventh century — when Islam emerged — to the present, countless sects came and went. Ahmadiyah is only one of them.

Those who argue that Ahmadiyah’s main teachings are un-Islamic and therefore the sect has no right to exist in this country are entirely misguided.

This claim has neither historical nor theological justification. Nor does this “dangerous” belief fit with a modern pluralistic society.

This claim is likely motivated by short-term political interest. Those who hold this belief want to appear in the public as the most “Islamic figure” with “pure” Islamic beliefs. In this country, religious piety has become a political commodity.

This land should be proud to be a place where various religions thrive. Freedom of religion should prevail. Persecution and oppression must be condemned. The criminals must be punished.

Historical records testify that Ahmadiyah had existed in this archipelago before the independence of this nation.

India, the place where the Islamic sect was born, has close relations with Indonesia both culturally and religiously.

Hindu and Buddhist traditions developed in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Java. The many extant temples and shrines attest to this.

In the beginning, Islam in Indonesia did not come directly from Middle Eastern countries. Trade routes took Muslim traders bearing goods, and the seeds of Islamic tradition, through Gujarat and on to Indonesia.

That is how Indonesian Islam originated. Thus, Indian traders played a vital role. Arriving in Indonesia, Islam then blended with many local beliefs and faiths — a recipe that cannot be found in other Muslim countries.

Ahmadiyah is perhaps the last import from India. It cannot be eradicated, nor can its traces be wiped out.

Ahmadiyah, like any other beliefs and traditions from India that have mingled with Indonesian indigenous practices, should receive equal appreciation and treatment.

In the early 20th century, works by Ahmadi scholars introduced Indonesian intellectuals to progressive thinking. Many Indonesian leaders, such as HOS Tjokroaminoto and Sukarno, read the Koran that was translated into English by an Ahmadi scholar Mawlana Muhammad Ali.

Likewise, they were familiar with the works of Mushir Hosain Kidwai.

It is interesting that Indonesian Muslim intellectuals, who played a great role in awakening the
awareness of nationalism in this country, did not depend entirely on Arabic tradition.

However, they often studied Islam via sources written in Dutch or English, some of which were penned by Ahmadi scholars.

Unsurprisingly, our first president Sukarno showed gratitude to and warmly welcomed the contribution of Ahmadiyah to the new country.

Equally, Mukti Ali, the minister of religious affairs known for his initiative and effort in the field of interreligious dialogue, appreciated the role of the Islamic sect in the Muslim intellectual world.

Amien Rais, the former chair of the People’s Consultative Assembly, never fails to mention this fact.

For sure, we owe a lot of thanks to this minority group in many respects. Ahmadiyah’s contribution to this country is priceless.

But, we are not sure how we can pay this back. Only ungrateful people who are ignorant of history can harm, not to mention to kill, their fellow citizens. Will the government and those in authority put an end to this?


The writer is a lecturer at Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University in Yogyakarta.

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