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even years have past since 116 Ahmadis were forcefully evicted from their village in Ketapang, West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), but they will spend yet another Ramadhan at a temporary shelter at Wisma Transito in Mataram.

'€œDespite our difficulties we are experiencing Ramadhan again this year,'€ Syahidin, Ahmadis displaced people coordinator, said.

They were expelled from their village in February 2006 because their beliefs are considered heretical by many mainstream Muslims.

Mainstream Islam consider the minority sect to have deviated from basic Islamic teachings by recog-
nizing Ahmadiyah founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as a prophet. Muslims believe Prophet Muhammad to be the final prophet.

Syahidin said that the community had faced many difficulties such as securing decent employment. Social aid was discontinued in 2008.

The displaced community have even been denied ID cards and as a result cannot get the recent temporary cash assistance (BLSM) initiative issued by the government as compensation for the fuel price hike.

Many of the children have also been denied schooling and babies are unregistered because their parents do not have ID cards.

'€œThe price of food has increased, but we have not had any assistance. The government does not think about us. How long do we have to stay here?'€ Syahidin said.

The shelter is divided by dirty sarongs and used banners, while the kitchen is made of chopped woods and cardboard.

Head of the Ombudsman Commission'€™s Mataram branch, Adhar Hakim, said he was aware the community was facing administrative problems.

'€œWe have helped some of the children to go to the nearby schools,'€ he said.

Meanwhile, the National Commission of Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said the basic rights of the Ahmadis been systematically neglected, such as the shelter, which was deemed not suitable foe
habitation.

'€œThey live in close proximity, separated only by cabinets and curtains,'€ Komnas HAM deputy chief Imdadud Rahmat said on Thursday.

He said Komnas HAM, along with the Witness and Victims Protection Agency (LPSK), the Ombudsman Commission and the National Commission for Women'€™s Rights had met with the West Nusa Tenggara administration, represented by provincial secretary Muhammad Nur, to discuss the allegations of human rights violations suffered by the Ahmadi refugees.

'€œWe recommend the local government relocate them,'€ he said.

Muhammad denied the allegation that the local administration had done little to provide a solution for the Ahmadis, citing a series of discussions and empowerment programs, run by the administration and involving local clerics, to convert the community to mainstream Islam.

Regarding the absence of ID cards Muhammad said he had coordinated with the related agencies to issue ID cards for the Ahmadis.

When asked about the empowerment programs, Syahidin confirmed that they had suddenly stopped.

'€œWe were promised loans but then we found out that it was just an empty promise,'€ he said.