T

he Indonesian Ahmadi Congregation (JAI) on Friday unsealed Nur Khilafat Mosque in Ciamis, West Java, which was had been closed by the regency'€™s Public Order Agency (Satpol PP).

JAI leader Syaeful Uyun said that they had sent a letter to Ciamis Regent Iing Syam Arifin on Thursday informing him of their intention to regain access.

'€œWe performed the Friday mass prayer immediately after unsealing our mosque. Around 40 followers were present,'€ Syaeful said over the phone on Friday, adding that they had worshiped in peace.

The Ciamis regent did not respond a number of calls and text messages from The Jakarta Post.

Syaeful said his community wanted to use the mosque to perform its tarawih (extra prayer during Ramadhan) for the rest of the fasting month.

JAI also hung a huge nationalistic banner on the mosque'€™s terrace, which featured the Garuda Pancasila, the national emblem, against a backdrop of the Red-and-White. A statement on the banner read: '€œIndonesia is a Pancasila state and a safe home for all followers of different religions.'€ It also quoted articles 28 and 29 of the 1945 Constitution, which guarantee freedom of religion.

'€œThe banner is to remind people that Indonesia is a safe place for all followers of every religion or sect,'€ Syaeful said.

He said after the prayer on Friday, JAI leaders went to the office of the Ciamis'€™ regency secretary where they met the assistant to the regency secretary overseeing administration, Endang Sutrisna, and head of Satpol PP, Yusuf SA.

'€œWe went there to inform them we had unsealed the mosque. The assistant to the regency secretary said the mosque had been sealed to protect Ahmadis because of pressure from certain groups,'€ Syaeful said.

He said JAI also received help from the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras).

'€œKontras sent a notice [to the police] asking for protection,'€ Syaeful said.

On June 26, officers from Satpol PP sealed the mosque and banned any religious activities in the house of worship.

Banners plastered across the doors said the ban was based on a joint ministerial decree signed by the religious affairs minister, the attorney general and the home minister.

The ban also mentioned West Java Gubernatorial Decree No. 12/2011 on the prohibition of JAI activities in West Java and a Ciamis gubernatorial circular dated March 18, 2011 that was based on the gubernatorial decree.

The posters also warned local JAI to stop disseminating their heretic teachings, otherwise they would face criminal charges.

Coordinator of the advocacy division at Bandung Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Willy Hanafi said a local consultative forum (Muspida), which was not recognized in the state administration system, had ordered the sealing of the mosque.

'€œWe are giving JAI assistance because the joint ministerial decree did not regulate the banning of worshiping,'€ he said.

He said a number of officers from Satpol PP and dozens of police officers were present when JAI unsealed the mosque.

'€œSome Satpol PP officers talked to JAI leaders and threatened them with legal action. But we believe there is no reason to do such a thing,'€ Willy said.