R

ecent attacks against the Ahmadiyah community in East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), which forced more than two dozen Ahmadis to flee their homes, have been described by activists as a form of state-sponsored persecution.

A team comprising Nahdlatul Ulama’s (NU) youth wing GP Ansor, the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) and the Ahmadiyah Indonesia Congregation (JAI) recently concluded its four-day investigation into two separate incidents targeting Ahmadis in Montong Tangi village and Gereneng village.

The conflict between Sunni Muslims — who make up the majority of Muslims in the country — and Ahmadis has had a long history in NTB, and heightened tensions following the recent attacks on local Ahmadis were exacerbated by comments and intimidation made by government agencies, according to YLBHI head of advocacy Muhammad Isnur.

Prior to the attack in Gereneng village, which damaged at least nine houses, six members of the Ahmadi community in Montong Tangi village were forced to leave their home following a meeting sponsored by the village head in mid-May.

According to the team’s findings, the incident began on May 7, when the village head along with local community leaders approached the neighborhood in which the Ahmadis lived and questioned residents on whether they followed to Ahmadiyah teachings — which are not accepted by the majority of Sunni Muslims due to perceived differences in some of the most crucial aspects in Islam.

On May 11, the Ahmadis were invited to join a meeting at a village hall, which was also attended by personnel from the local military command, regional police and community figures, during which they were told to repent.

“During the meeting, the village head essentially triggered the persecution by telling the Ahmadis to repent or their fate would be in the hands of the masses, who were already provoked at the time,” Isnur said on Wednesday.

The meeting ended with an altercation that forced the Ahmadis to seek refuge at the Lombok Police headquarters. They were told not to return to the village or be killed and have their homes destroyed, according to the report.

At the police headquarters, the Ahmadis were reportedly told by officers that they would not have been forced out of their village if they had repented.

Meanwhile, hostility against the Ahmadi community in Grenengan village started in February following the death of a local Ahmadi. Residents refused to bury the deceased in the neighborhood, with a public refusal being announced through the mosque’s speaker.

On May 19, villagers surrounded the Ahmadis’ neighborhood and hurled stones at their homes following reports of provocations by local villagers. Eight Ahmadi families were forced to evacuate the area.

In a mediation held at the East Lombok District Military Command headquarters on May 21, attended by members of the Ahmadiyah West Nusa Tenggara chapter, East Lombok acting regent and officials from the District Attorney Office chastised the Ahmadis for their beliefs instead of focusing on their persecution, Isnur claimed.

GP Ansor Legal Aid Institute Abdul Qodir questioned the slow investigation by the police, who have yet to arrest any suspects two weeks after the attacks.

“If a group of people committed a crime but go unpunished, they will possibly repeat [the crime] elsewhere,” Abdul said.

According to YLBHI data, more than a dozen attacks have been made against the Ahmadiyah community since 1998, which has forced more 700 Ahmadis out of their homes and destroyed some 130 houses.

Think-tank Setara Institute deputy director Bonar Tigor Naipospos said the attacks proved that more often than not, persecution against Ahmadis was sponsored by local government agencies.

“President Jokowi should issue a strict instruction to resolve cases of persecution against the Ahmadiyah community,” Bonar said.