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property compound belonging to the Shiite community in Sampang, Madura, was allegedly burned down by Sunni followers, the majority Islamic group in the country. The incident serves as a caution for the nation’s inter-religious relations.

East Java Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rachmat Mulyana said on Thursday that the incident took place at 9:30 a.m. in the Karang Gayam village, in Sampang, Madura.

No casualties were reported.

“Police officers who tried to secure the scene were blockaded by a number of people holding sharp weapons,” he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

“While brandishing their weapons, they [the blockaders] shouted at police officers, who had been deployed from the local police station.”

Rachmat said police officers chose to withdraw to avoid a potential clash with the group, opting instead to negotiate directly with Rois, a local figure who allegedly led the group that attacked the compound.

“At 1 p.m., police finally gained access to the boarding school’s compound, located in a secluded area on a hill, following negotiations [with Rois] that were facilitated by the Sampang regent and the Indonesian Military [TNI],” Rachmat said.

He said police were still investigating at the scene, while hundreds of officers were standing guard to maintain security.

Human Rights Watch activist Andreas Harsono said those involved in the incident should be subjected to the legal process. “This is not a religious issue. This is a crime,” Andreas said.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Discrimination Islamic Network criticized the inability of law enforcers to protect the public. The organization urged the National Police chief to dismiss the East Java Police chief and the Sampang Police chief.

Thursday’s incident was not the first of its kind targeted at the Shiite community in Sampang. Just hours after midnight on Dec. 17, a house belonging to Shiite follower Mohammad Siri, 56, in Bluuran village was burned down.

In February, a mob of about 100 people attacked an Islamic boarding school in Pasuruan, East Java, on the day when Muslims in the country commemorated the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.

Four students at the YAPI Islamic boarding school, identified as Miqdad, Ali Reza, Abdul Qadir and Abultaz “Baraqbah”, suffered serious head injuries during the attack.

Commenting on Thursday’s incident, Iklil al Milal, an advisor to the Shiite community, said other forms of intimidation and violence had also occurred in 2006 and 2009. “We won’t retaliate. We seek legal protection for our community of 170 families,” he added.

Ghazali Said, a cleric with Nahdlatul Ulama in Sampang, said the violence was a result of a family conflict connected to marital affairs. “The two groups have also engaged in rivalries of influence. It has grown into a bigger conflict,” he said.

According to him, the roles of the leaders were crucial because the Madurese traditionally followed orders from their leaders. “The mobs know nothing about [political motives]. They only follow the orders of their leaders,” he said.

He suggested that Sunni and Shiite leaders in Sampang act as facilitators for a discussion to tone down the tension and prevent conflict in the future.

Separately, the Sunan Ampel State Islamic Institute (IAIN) rector Nur Syam regretted the conflict, saying that today, the Shiite sect was not as exclusive as it was in the past, when its followers tried to export the political ideology from Iran to Indonesia.

“I think they do not consider followers of other beliefs as enemies. If there is a conflict, something must be discussed,” he added.

Local conflicts involving primordial issues would only worsen the situation, he said.