Responding to a call from Muslim scholar Azyumardi Azra, Yaqut promised Thursday affirmative moves to uphold the rights of people of Shia or Ahmadiyah faith, who have been subject to discrimination and criminalization by both the authorities and communities. On the same day, Yaqut visited a church in the Central Java capital of Semarang and wished Christians across the country a merry Christmas.

There is no question about Yaqut’s support for religious tolerance, given the fact that he is part of the “blue blood” of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country’s largest Muslim organization that promotes moderate views. To a certain extent, his defense of tolerance has turned into a fight against intolerant groups, as in the burning of now-outlawed Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia flags two years ago by members of NU youth wing Ansor that he leads and his demand for tough action against Islam Defenders Front (FPI) last month.

"I don't want members of Shia and Ahmadiyah to be displaced from their homes because of their beliefs. They are citizens [whose rights] must be protected," Yaqut said.

Hundreds of Shia and Ahmadiyah followers have sought refuge in Sidoarjo, East Java, and Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, respectively for years after being expelled by hardline Muslim groups. In the case of Ahmadiyah, the state itself sponsored the persecution through the 2008 joint decree signed by the religious affairs minister, home minister and attorney general, which bans the spreading of Ahmadiyah teachings. The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has declared Ahmadiyah heretical, and some of its provincial chapters have issued a fatwa calling Shia deviant.

Since taking office in October 2014, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has never addressed the Ahmadiyah cause or other cases of intolerance. The joint decree on the Ahmadiyah ban remains effective, and so does another joint decree on the construction of places of worship inherited from the previous administrations.

Indonesian and international human rights watchdogs have long expressed their concern about the state’s failure to uphold the freedom of religion, partly because of the persecution of Ahmadiyah and Shia and the discrimination of other religious minorities, despite the Constitution stipulating their rights.

Human rights group Setara Institute recorded 199 cases of persecution against churches, followed by mosques (133), Buddhist monasteries (15), Confucian (10) and Hindu (8) temples and one against a Jewish synagogue as well as 32 cases against other houses of worship from January 2007 to November 2019. The acts of intolerance partly stem from a 2006 joint ministerial decree that requires a congregation to obtain 90 signatures from its members and another 60 from other residents before building a house of worship.

Just a day after making the bold remarks on Ahmadiyah and Shia, Yaqut toned down his statement, clearly due to the sensitivity of the matter. While he needs to tread carefully in dealing with the establishment, his intention to protect the minorities deserves support from us all.

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