Indonesian President: Hit Back at West Java ‘Anarchy’

July 31, 2010
Camelia Pasandaran

Police form a line between Ahmadiyah protestors who want their mosque reopened and mainstream Muslims who want to make sure it stays closed. (AFP Photo/Yonda)

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Indonesian President: Hit Back at West Java ‘Anarchy’

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Jakarta. Amid rising tensions in Kuningan, West Java, following the closure of Ahmadiyah mosques there by security officials, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Friday called for firm police action.

Djoko Suyanto, coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, said the president had instructed him to order the police to take resolute action against the unrest.

“In my opinion, anarchy — no matter by whom or where — should be handled firmly,” the minister quoted Yudhoyono as saying.

The Kuningan Police have already been told of their duties, Djoko said, adding that he had confidence they would be able to contain the situation.

Police officers, acting on orders from the Kuningan district head, on Thursday sealed off Ahmadiyah mosques in Manis Lor village after having failed to do so on Monday due to resistance from the group’s members.

But as the protesters blocked police attempts to shut down their mosques, groups of hard-line Muslims flocked to the village and scuffles have broken out. Police have since been busy preventing an escalation in violence.

Amid pressure from Muslim groups, the government in 2008 prohibited members of Ahmadiyah from practicing their faith in public or proselytizing, but stopped short of banning the sect that many mainstream Muslims consider deviant.

Unlike other Muslims, members of Ahmadiyah recognize the sect’s founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, as a prophet.

While ordering the police to be firm, Djoko recognized they also faced difficulties in containing the situation. “If there are only five officers up against 500 people, they cannot be firm,” he said. “So they have to adjust to the conditions in the field.”

Kuningan’s district head, Aang Hamid Suganda, who had ordered the mosques sealed, called on all parties to avoid violence.

“We must make all Kuningan people feel secure,” Aang said. “Violence is not the best way to solve problems, so let us discuss it and go through legal channels.

Dedeh, a resident of Manis Lor, said it had been four days since villagers had boarded up their windows to protect them from stones being thrown by protesters.

According to Dedeh, Thursday’s clashes were relatively minor compared to the violence that occurred last year and in 2007.

The Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) on Friday urged the government to punish people who resorted to violence or infringed on freedom of worship.

“It is not only about the right to have a religion or faith, but also about the right to feel secure, to be protected, to be free from discrimination, and the right to be protected as a minority,” said Nurkholis Hidayat, LBH’s director.

He said both the central government and regional administrations should be responsible for protecting and promoting human rights, as well as all religions and faiths, including Ahmadiyah.

The Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy also said on Friday that the state should safeguard freedom of religion.

“The president should be embarrassed if there are citizens who are unable to worship because of pressure from unruly masses.”


Additional reporting by Antara

Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe

URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/sby-hit-back-at-w-java-anarchy/388732

Ahmadiyah Clashes Continue in Indonesia

July 30, 2010
Nurfika Osman, Ronna Nirmala & Camelia Pasandaran

A group of people believed to be Ahmadiyah followers fight back as Indonesian mainstream Muslims try to attack their mosque in Manislor village, Kuningan district, on Thursday. (AFP Photo/Yonda)

Ahmadiyah Clashes Continue in Indonesia

As the standoff between West Java villagers and followers of the Ahmadiyah sect entered its fourth day, the Ministry of Religious Affairs said it was trying to mediate the week-long dispute, which flared into violence again on Thursday.

Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said the tension was essentially a “political problem.” He did not elaborate further but urged the warring parties to settle their dispute peacefully.

“Differences of opinion over religion should not be solved with violence but through discussion,” he said.

The Ahmadiyah is perceived as a deviant sect by mainstream Islam. The government has stopped the group from worshiping in public but has fallen short of banning it altogether.

After a failed attempt to seal the sect’s mosques in a village in Kuningan on Monday, police and the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) followed through with the closures on Wednesday, meeting fierce resistance.

“Government officials have an obligation to protect citizens without looking at their beliefs,” Ifdhal Kasim, the chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) told the Jakarta Globe on Thursday. “Sealing their house of worship is against the Constitution.”

Ahmadiyah followers and security forces clashed again on Thursday as groups opposed to the sect joined local police and Mobile Brigade (Brimob) units trying to close several mosques.

Groups claiming to support a pure form of Islam against the Ahmadiyah gathered around the entrance to Manis Lor village in Kuningan in the morning, following the sealing of eight Ahmadiyah mosques in the village, a local police officer said.

“At first, the anti-Ahmadiyah groups pelted the mosque with stones. The followers of Ahmadiyah were angry because their mosque was attacked, and there was fighting,” the officer said of Thursday’s violence, which reportedly stopped just after midday prayers. Ifdhal said Ahmadiyah followers were the real victims in the violence.

“They face many forms of discrimination. Their access to education and livelihood is limited and at the same time they are facing a government that facilitates the discrimination,” he said.

Bonar Tigor Naipospos, deputy chairman of the Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy, said the state should guarantee religious freedom to all, including the Ahmadiyah.

The group is often a target of orthodox Muslims worldwide because of its claim that the sect’s founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, is the last prophet, a view many consider blasphemy.

The government passed a decree in 2008 prohibiting the sect from practicing its faith in public or trying to convert others to its beliefs. [**]

According to Setara, which monitors religious tolerance, the past month has seen a sharp increase in acts of violence against the Ahmadiyah, especially in West Java.

“The use of public pressure and regional government power has been a systematic pattern in violations of religious freedom recently,” Bonar said.

The Kuningan district government has used pressure groups to back its effort to close the Ahmadiyah mosques in Manis Lor, but Bonar doubts they are local villagers. “According to our sources, these people did not come from Kuningan, but from other areas such as Ciamis and Tasikmalaya,” he said.

Bonar urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to show his commitment to pluralism by speaking out against the violence.

The statement is erroneous. Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian did not make any such claim of being last prophet. Please visit Alislam.org/messiah for further info.

Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe

URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/ahmadiyah-clashes-continue-in-indonesia/388538

Indonesia mob attacks Muslim sect

UPDATED ON: Thursday, July 29, 2010 21:18 Mecca time, 18:18 GMT

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NEWS   Asia-Pacific

Indonesia mob attacks Muslim sect

The mob stoned the mosque of Ahmadiya sect, whose beliefs contradicts mainstream Islam [AFP]

Indonesian police have clashed with about 200 people trying to attack a mosque used by a minority Islamic sect known as Ahmadiya.

The mob hurled stones at the mosque in Manislor village in Kuningan district in West Java, prompting an hour-long confrontation with police, a local Ahmadiya official said.

“About 200 people pelted stones at our mosque and clashed with the police for about an hour. It is not clear yet who was the organiser of the mob,” Nurahim, the local general secretary of the sect, told the AFP news agency.

“The police were able to secure the mosque and handle the people. The situation, however, is still tense now.”

Nurahim said the village’s 3,000 Ahmadiyah followers were ready to help the police if needed but would not respond to the violence.

“We had a similar experience before in 2007, in which our mosque and houses were attacked. A house was burned and several were damaged at the time,” he said.

The Ahmadiyah sect, which claims 500,000 followers in Indonesia, believes that its founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was the final prophet and not Mohammad, contradicting a central tenet of mainstream Islam.

Ahmad claimed to be a reincarnation of Prophet Mohammad, a claim rejected by Muslim authorities and scholars.

He also claimed to to be the Christian messiah. His sect believes that Jesus did not die on the cross, but he moved to India where he died at the age of 120.

Indonesia’s top Islamic body issued a fatwa in 2008 describing the sect as “deviant”.

Ahmadiyah has had a presence in the country since the 1920s.

Aljazeera.net/english 2003 - 2010 ©

URL: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2010/07/2010729151640257216.html

Hundreds attack mosque

	July 29, 2010 Thursday Updated 11.17 pm

SE Asia

Home » Breaking News » SE Asia » Story

Jul 29, 2010

Hundreds attack mosque

JAKARTA - INDONESIAN police clashed with about 200 people on Thursday as the mob tried to attack a mosque in West Java belonging to a minority Islamic sect.

The crowd hurled stones at an Ahmadiyah mosque in Manislor village in Kuningan district, leading to an hour-long conflict with police, said local general secretary of the Ahmadiyah sect, Nurahim.

‘About 200 people pelted stones at our mosque and clashed with the police for about an hour. It’s not clear yet who was the organiser of the mob,’ Mr Nurahim, who goes by one name, told AFP.

‘The police were able to secure the mosque and handle the people. The situation, however, is still tense now,’ he said.

Mr Nurahim said the village’s 3,000 Ahmadiyah followers were ready to help the police if needed and were not carrying out counter-attacks.

‘We had a similar experience before in 2007, in which our mosque and houses were attacked. A house was burned and several were damaged at the time,’ Mr Nurahim said. – AFP

URL: www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_559341.html

Situation in Manis Lor Remains Tense as Ahmadi Hold Firm

July 29, 2010

Situation in Manis Lor Remains Tense as Ahmadi Hold Firm

The stand-off between locals and followers of the Ahmadiyah sect in Manis Lor village, Kuningan, West Java, is continuing.

On Thursday, 300 Islamic activists from Kuningan, Ciamis and Indramayu districts gathered at the village to protest against the continued existence of the Ahmadiyah community.

Ahmadiyah is seen as a deviant sect by mainstream Muslims. The government has banned the group from holding its rituals in public but has stopped short of banning it altogether.

Metro TV reported that Kuningan district head Aang Suganda arrived at the village to meet with both sides of the dispute.

He urged the parties to discuss their differences peacefully and avoid resorting to violence.

Meanwhile, in front of the An-Nur Mosque, 200 Ahmadiyah followers remained on guard, along with Kuningan Police and local Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officers.

Many villagers were forced to erect signs in front of their homes. The signs read: “The residents in this house are not Ahmadiyah and please do not damage our house.”

Two previous attempts by local authorities and police to close the mosque have failed after they were met with fierce resistance.

The Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy recorded 33 cases of attacks against Ahmadiyah members last year and well as many other cases of religious discrimination against Christians.

Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe

URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/situation-in-manis-lor-rem...hmadi-hold-firm/388381

In Indonesia, Muslims, Ahmadis in standoff

In Indonesia, Muslims, Ahmadis in standoff

From Kathy Quiano-Castro, CNN
July 29, 2010 -- Updated 1355 GMT (2155 HKT)

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Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) – Sectarian tensions rippled through an Indonesian town Thursday, where groups squared off over the closing of a minority group’s mosques.

Groups of Muslims and Ahmadis threw rocks at each other in the West Javan village of Kuningan, with police standing guard between the two groups.

Indonesian TV showed scenes from the village and quoted police and others about the tensions.

The violence flared after the local government ordered the sealing and closing down of several Ahmadi mosques.

Ahmadis, a religious group loathed by many in the Muslim world, are considered heretical and have been persecuted.

Sunni and Shiites do not consider the Ahmadis part of Islam because they do not regard Mohammed as the last prophet sent by God. [**] As such, they have been targeted by Islamic extremists.

The Indonesians haven’t banned the group but have issued a decree banning the religion from holding public gatherings and spreading their beliefs. An Islamic council there also issued a fatwa against the group.

After the mosques were ordered closed, Ahmadis resisted, hurling rocks at police deployed there. Islamic activists came to the scene and demanded the closings.

Anti-Ahmadi protesters tried to break through the police barricade to get to the mosques. Residents fearing more attacks have put up signs in front of their homes, saying they’re not members of the Ahmadiya group.

Police officer Yoyo Indayah, from the Kuningan police, says officers were trying to persuade the activists to leave the site after evening prayers.

Slamet Effendy, head of the commission on inter-religious harmony in the Indonesian Islamic Clerics Council, said in a TV interview that he hopes for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

“Our security officers are still guarding the sealed mosques,” a police commander, S. Priyono, said on TV.

The statement is erroneous. Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian did not make any such claim of being last prophet. Please visit Alislam.org/messiah for further info.

© 2010 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
URL: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/29/ind...#fbid=c78-j6zQYaU

Hundreds attack Ahmadiyah mosque in Indonesia

INTERNATIONAL

Thursday ,Jul 29,2010, Posted at: 15:08(GMT+7)

Hundreds attack Ahmadiyah mosque in Indonesia

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JAKARTA, July 29, 2010 (AFP) — Indonesian police clashed with about 200 people Thursday as the mob tried to attack a mosque in West Java belonging to a minority Islamic sect.

The crowd hurled stones at an Ahmadiyah mosque in Manislor village in Kuningan district, leading to an hour-long conflict with police, said local general secretary of the Ahmadiyah sect, Nurahim.

“About 200 people pelted stones at our mosque and clashed with the police for about an hour. It’s not clear yet who was the organiser of the mob,” Nurahim, who goes by one name, told AFP.

“The police were able to secure the mosque and handle the people. The situation, however, is still tense now,” he said.

Nurahim said the village’s 3,000 Ahmadiyah followers were ready to help the police if needed and were not carrying out counter-attacks.

“We had a similar experience before in 2007, in which our mosque and houses were attacked. A house was burned and several were damaged at the time,” Nurahim said.

The Ahmadiyah sect, which claims 500,000 followers in Indonesia, believes that its founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was the final prophet and not Mohammed, [**] contradicting a central tenet of mainstream Islam.

Indonesia’s top Islamic body issued a fatwa in 2008 describing the sect as “deviant”.

Ahmadiyah, which many conservative Islamic leaders in the Muslim-majority nation describe as their enemy, has had a presence in the country since the 1920s.

The statement is erroneous. Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian did not make any such claim of being last prophet. Please visit Alislam.org/messiah for further info.

The statement is erroneous. Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian did not make any such claim of being last prophet. Please visit Alislam.org/messiah for further info.

© Copyright 2005 SGGP English edition

URL: www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/International/2010/7/84302/

Tense Standoff in W. Java as Police Close Ahmadiyah Mosques

July 29, 2010

Tense Standoff in W. Java as Police Close Ahmadiyah Mosques

Jakarta. After having failed on Monday to seal off mosques belonging to the Ahmadiyah sect in a village in Kuningan, West Java, police and public order officers followed through with the closures on Wednesday but met with strong resistance from sect members.

An attempt to shut down the mosques on Monday failed after hundreds of men from the local Ahmadiyah sect blocked police from carrying out the operation.

“This morning, we returned to seal the mosques and we were assisted by other security forces such as the Mobile Brigade [Brimob], and the Public Order Agency [Satpol PP],” Comr. S Priyono, from the Kuningan Police, said on Wednesday, adding that about 250 personnel had been deployed.

According to Priyono, who heads the police’s operations division, the district chief, Aang Hamid Suganda, had ordered that the eight Ahmadiyah mosques located in Manis Lor village be shut down.

Ahmadiyah is seen as a deviant sect by mainstream Muslims. The government has banned the group from holding its rituals in public but has stopped short of banning it altogether.

Its followers believe its founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, was a prophet of Islam, a claim that contradicts orthodox Muslim beliefs.

The police succeeded in sealing the mosques early on Wednesday morning, but Ahmadiyah followers soon closed ranks and some began throwing sticks and rocks at the security forces.

A scuffle ensued and tear gas was used to disperse the crowd.

“Our security officers are still guarding the sealed mosques,” Priyono said, adding that tensions remained high between the security officers and Ahmadiyah members.

The Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy recorded 33 cases of attacks against Ahmadiyah members last year.

Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe

URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/tens...madiyah-mosques/388321

Tense Standoff in West Java After Police Attempt to Close Ahmadiyah Mosque

July 28, 2010
Jakarta Globe

In this file photo, protesters from Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) shout slogans during a rally to ban Ahmadiyah in front of Presidential Palace in Jakarta. (JG Photo/Jurnasyanto Sukarno)

Tense Standoff in West Java After Police Attempt to Close Ahmadiyah Mosque

Kuningan, West Java. Violent scenes erupted in Kuningan, West Java, early on Wednesday morning when police and local government security officers attempted to seal a mosque belonging to a branch of Islam considered deviant by mainstream Indonesian Muslims.

As police and Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officers moved in on the Ahmadiyah mosque in Manislor village, enraged followers began pelting them with rocks and sticks.

Ahmadiyah is a controversial sect that believes its founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, was the last prophet of Islam [**], a claim that contradicts mainstream Muslim beliefs.

Outnumbered, policemen and Satpol PP finally withdrew but the group chased them to the village boundary.

According to Metro TV, the order to seal the mosque came from Aang Hamid Suganda, head of Kuningan district.

As of 10 a.m. this morning, the sect followers were still guarding and blocking the street leading to the mosque.

It was the local government’s second attempt to seal the mosque in the past three days. On Monday, the officers were forced to abort the plan because hundreds of people blocked the street.

On Monday, the Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy released a report saying that the government’s one-way system of monitoring religious harmony was ineffective.

“It seems that people and the government do not realize that the right to worship, as stipulated in the Constitution, comes with the right to have a house of worship,” Setara’s Bonar Tigor Naipospos said.

The statement is erroneous. Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian did not make any such claim of being last prophet. Please visit Alislam.org/messiah for further info.

Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe

URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/tense-st...hmadiyah-mosque/388168

The Sealing of Eight Ahmadiyya Mosques in Manis Lor Village is Postponed

Translated from Indonesian by Lisa Latief

The Sealing of Eight Ahmadiyya Mosques in Manis Lor Village is Postponed

Monday, 26 July 2010 | 14:27 WIB

Jamaat Ahmadiyya of Kuningan, West Java, smeared their faces with toothpaste while obstructing the closing of their house of worship. TEMPO/ Widodo Djatmiko

TEMPO Interaktif, Kuningan — The sealing of the mosque belonging to Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Manis Lor Village, Jalaksana Subdistrict, Kuningan Regency, West Java, is finally postponed after holding dialogue. However, some members of Jamaat Ahmadiyya are still worried if their house of worship will be closed.

Today the government of Kuningan Regency planned to close and seal eight mosques belonging to Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Manis Lor Village. The closure is based on the warrant from Kuningan regent number 45/.2/2065/Satpol PP containing the order to close and seal eight mosques belonging to Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Manis Lor Village. This is based on the recommendation of Indonesian Ulema Council number 38/MUI-Kab/VI/2010 dated on June 24th 2010.

Based on that warrant, the Head of Civil Service Police Unit, Indra Purwantoro, along with other members came to Manis Lor Village to close up the mosque.

However, before they could reach the mosque, hundreds of Jamaat Ahmadiyya men blocked the way to the village. They also smeared their face with toothpaste in order to save themselves from effects of tear gas and held each other’s hands to block the way to the village.

They collected the blocks of beams and tires and placed behind the lines of human; while the women were reading Koran and praying in An Nur Mosque, the biggest mosque belonging to Jamaat Ahmadiyah in Manis Lor village.

One member of Jamaat Ahmadiyya managed to grab the warrant of Kuningan regent, Aang Hamid Suganda. He took it and wanted to tear it but the head of Civil Service Police Unit, Indra Purwantoro quickly chased and saved the warrant.

The Head of Ahmadiyya Center Security Commission, Deden Sujana said that they can not accept the sealing of the mosque which is the House of God before the dialogue started. “Mosque is the house of worship, why should it be sealed?“ he said.

Therefore, his side demanded for dialogue first, to know the reason of sealing of their mosque. Deden also claimed that whenever they had insistence from other groups, they always are blamed. “Why is it us to always be insisted?“ he asked.

Deden denied that it was Jamaat Ahmadiyya that opened the seal attached by Kuningan regency government in December 2007. “It was Litbang Depag, not us.” He said.

However, Indra Purwantoro denied that there was no dialogue before. “The dialogue has been held many times,” he said. But the result of the dialogue was that the order to seal the Ahmadiyya mosque was released by Kuningan regent.

Beside, Indra also said that in Ahmadiyya Articles of Association and bylaw, there is an article stating recruitment to convert to Ahmadiyya. “It has violated Indonesian Joint Ministerial Decree, because it is prohibited to recruitment from another religion,” he said.

Indra denied that the sealing happens because of the insistence from other Islamic groups. “I think it is not an insistence. It is an aspiration,” he said. Kuningan government, Indra thinks, should accommodate every aspiration. About the opening of seal by Litbang Department of Religious Affair, Indra admitted that he has not received any warrant yet from the department.

After holding tough dialogue for more than an hour, it was finally agreed that the dialogue will be conducted first and the sealing of the mosque is cancelled.

IVANSYAH

Original Indonesian Version

TEMPO Interaktif, Kuningan — Penyegelan masjid milik Jemaah Ahmadiyah di Desa Manis Lor, Kecamatan Jalaksana, Kabupaten Kuningan, Jawa Barat, akhirnya ditunda setelah dilakukan dialog. Namun sejumlah anggota jemaah Ahmadiyah masih was-was jika rumah ibadahnya akan ditutup.

Hari ini Pemerintah Kabupaten Kuningan berencana menutup dan menyegel delapan masjid milik jemaah Ahmadiyah di Desa Manis Lor. Penutupan tersebut didasarkan pada surat perintah Bupati Kuningan Nomor 45/.2/2065/Satpol PP yang berisi perintah menutup dan menyegel delapan masjid milik jemaah Ahmadiyah di Desa Manis Lor. Penutupan tersebut didasarkan pada rekomendasi Majelis Ulama Indonesia Nomor 38/MUI-Kab/VI/2010 tertanggal 24 Juni 2010.

Atas dasar surat perintah itulah Kepala Satuan Polisi Pamong Praja Kuningan, Indra Purwantoro, mendatangi Desa Manis Lor bersama dengan anggota lainnya untuk menutup masjid.

Namun sebelum sampai di masjid, ratusan kaum lelaki jemaah Ahmadiyah menutup jalan masuk ke desa. Mereka juga mencoreng muka dengan menggunakan odol, untuk menghindari jika dilempar gas air mata, serta bergandengan tangan untuk menutup jalan masuk ke desa tersebut.

Mereka pun mengumpulkan bongkahan balok dan ban yang diletakkan di belakang barisan manusia. Sedangkan para wanita terlihat mengaji dan berdoa di Masjid An Nur, masjid terbesar milik jemaah Ahmadiyah di Desa Manis Lor.

Sempat terjadi saling kejar saat seorang jemaah Ahmadiyah mengambil dan hendak merobek paksa surat perintah Bupati Kuningan, Aang Hamid Suganda. Namun Kepala Satuan Polisi Pamong Praja Indra Purwantoro segera mengejar dan mengamankan surat perintah tersebut.

Ketua Komisi Keamanan Ahmadiyah Pusat Deden Sujana mengungkapkan mereka tidak terima jika masjid yang merupakan rumah Tuhan disegel sebelum dilakukan dialog terlebih dahulu dengan mereka. “Masjid itu tempat ibadah, kenapa harus disegel,” katanya.

Karena itu, pihaknya pun menuntut dilakukan dialog terlebih dahulu untuk mengetahui alasan dilakukan penyegelan terhadap mesjid milik mereka. Deden pun mengklaim jika setiap ada desakan dari kelompok lain, merekalah yang selalu disalahkan. “Kenapa kami yang selalu didesak?“ tanyanya.

Deden pun membantah jika Jemaah Ahmadiyah Manis Lor yang membuka segel yang sudah ditempel Pemerintah Kabupaten Kuningan pada Desember 2007. “Yang membukanya Litbang Depag, bukan kami,” katanya.

Sedangkan Indra Purwantoro membantah jika belum dilakukan dialog. “Dialog itu sudah berkali-kali dilakukan,” katanya. Namun hasilnya tetap surat perintah untuk penyegelan masjid Ahmadiyah tetap dikeluarkan oleh Bupati Kuningan.

Selain itu Indra pun mengungkapkan jika dalam anggaran dasar dan rumah tangga Ahmadiyah terdapat klausul yang menyatakan perekrutan untuk masuk ke Ahmadiyah. “Ini sudah melanggar SKB 3 menteri. Karena tidak boleh ada perekrutan terhadap agama lain,” katanya.

Indra pun membantah jika penyegelan dikarenakan adanya desakan dari kelompok Islam lainnya. “Saya kira itu bukan desakan. Tapi aspirasi,” katanya. Setiap aspirasi menurut Indra harus ditampung oleh Pemkab Kuningan. Mengenai segel yang dibuka oleh Litbang Departemen Agama, Indra mengaku selama ini belum pernah menerima surat dari Litbang Departemen Agama tersebut.

Setelah dialog yang alot, hingga memakan lebih dari 1 jam, akhirnya disepakati jika dialog akan dilakukan terlebih dahulu dan penyegelan mesjid dibatalkan.

Ivansyah

Copyright © 2010 TEMPOinteraktif

URL: www.tempointeraktif.com/hg/bandung/2010/07/26/brk,20100726-266332,id.html

Blocking the Road to Village, Jamaat Ahmadiyya of Kuningan refuses to get their Mosque sealed

Translated from Indonesian by Lisa Latief

Blocking the Road to Village, Jamaat Ahmadiyya of Kuningan refuses to get their Mosque sealed

Monday, 26 July 2010 | 10:00 WIB

Some of Jamaat Ahmadiyya members held Id Prayer 1429 H in Al-Kautsar Mosque, Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on Wednesday (1/10). Until now, Jamaat Ahmadiyya Indonesia in West Kalimantan has 500 members and they hold Id prayer and daily activity as usual. FOTO ANTARA

TEMPO Interaktif, Kuningan — Hundreds of members belonging to Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Manis Lor village, Jalaksana Sub district, Kuningan regency are preparing to prevent the sealing of their Mosque by Kuningan Government, on Monday (26/7) today.

Based on what is observed, hundreds members of Jamaat Ahmadiyya, most of them men, seem to be blocking the roads leading to their village. The blockage is specially managed on the main road to their mosque.

Nur Rahim, General Secretary of Ahmadiyya Manis Lor, Kuningan explained that they just defend the house of God. “We defend the House of Allah,” he said.

They, Nur Rahim continued, will defend the house of Allah to the death. Kuningan government will seal it today. “We hope there will be no conflict, but we will definitely defend our house of worship till the end,” he said.

Meanwhile, according to what is seen, hundreds of policemen are still protecting the entry road to Manis Lor village. However, until now, the officials of Kuningan government who will manage the sealing have not been seen yet.

Ivansyah

Original Indonesian Version

TEMPO Interaktif, Kuningan — Ratusan jamaah Ahmadiyah di Desa Manis Lor, Kecamatan Jalaksana, Kabupaten Kuningan bersiap-siap menghadang penyegelan yang akan mesjid yang akan dilakukan Pemerintah Kabupaten (Pemkab) Kuningan, Senin (26/7) hari ini.

Berdasarkan pantauan, ratusan jamaah Ahmadiyah yang rata-rata terdiri dari kaum lelaki terlihat memblokir jalan masuk ke desa mereka. Pemblokiran dilakukan terutama sebelum jalan masuk ke mesjid mereka.

Nur Rahim, Sekretaris Umum (Sekum) Ahmadiyah Manis Lor, Kuningan,menjelaskan mereka hanya mempertahankan rumah Allah. “Kami hanya mempertahankan rumah Allah,” katanya.

Mereka, lanjut Nur Rahim, akan mempetahankan habis-habisan rumah Allah yang rencananya akan disegel oleh Pemkab Kuningan hari ini. “Kami tidak berharap terjadi kerusuhan, tapi yang pasti kami akan mempertahankan habis-habisan rumah ibadah kami,” katanya.

Sementara itu berdasarkan pantauan ratusan polisi pun masih berjaga-jaga di jalan masuk Desa Manis Lor. Namun hingga kini aparat dari Pemkab Kuningan yang akan melakukan penyegelan belum terlihat.

Ivansyah

Copyright © 2010 TEMPOinteraktif

URL: www.tempointeraktif.com/hg/bandung/2010/07/26/brk,20100726-266224,id.html

Islamic organization's Anti-Ahmadiyya Demo

Islamic organization’s Anti-Ahmadiyya Demo

Google Translated Version
14/07/2010 22:12

Liputan6.com, Garut: Hundreds of people from various Islamic organizations rallied at the Simpang Lima Tarogong, Garut, West Java, on Wednesday (14/7). They demanded the agency to clean the area from the Ahmadiyah congregation.

Action of the protesters turned into riot, when they sealed a number of agency offices in the area, such as Parliament’s office, Board of Trustees, and the Department of Education. The police tried to block the action.

Not satisfied sealing government office, protesters staged a theatrical to illustrate the role of local officials for being followers of Islam. (IDS / SHA)

Original Indonesian Version

Liputan6.com, Garut: Ratusan warga dari berbagai ormas Islam berunjuk rasa di Simpang Lima Tarogong, Garut, Jawa Barat, Rabu (14/7). Mereka menuntut pembersihan instansi di daerah itu dari jemaah Ahmadiyah.

Aksi para pengunjuk rasa sempat diwarnai kericuhan, ketika mereka menyegel sejumlah kantor instansi di daerah itu, seperti kantor DPRD, Badan Pengawas, dan Dinas Pendidikan. Polisi pun berusaha menghalangi aksi tersebut.

Tidak puas menyegel kantor pemerintahan, pengunjuk rasa menggelar aksi teatrikal untuk menggambarkan peran pejabat setempat selama menjadi pengikut Ahmadiyah. (IDS/SHA)

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URL: http://berita.liputan6.com/daerah/201007/286280/Ormas.Islam.Demo.Anti.Ahmadiyah

Cops Asked To Take a Hard Line With FPI

July 14, 2010
Farouk Arnaz

Cops Asked To Take a Hard Line With FPI

The National Police should no longer tolerate religious hard-liners such as the Islamic Defenders Front, which are using violence and intimidation under the guise of piety, a number of rights groups — including Muslim organizations — said on Wednesday.

“We are worried about several recent incidents and the fact that the police have not done anything to stop the violence and uphold the law, no matter which group is involved,” said Usman Hamid, a coordinator from the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), who was among those meeting National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri at his office to air their concerns.

Rumadi, a program coordinator from the Wahid Institute, another rights group taking part in the talks, said Bambang gave his personal guarantee that the police would crack down on violence committed by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI). “It was a positive meeting,” he said.

Aside from Kontras and the Wahid Institute, activists also present at the meeting included those from the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (Elsam), Arus Pelangi, Imparsial, Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH), Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI), Setara Institute and Jamaah Ahmadiyah Indonesia.

Usman said the FPI not only attacked people of other faiths but also human rights activists and those with unorthodox sexual orientations. “This can no longer be tolerated,” he said.

The activist groups, he said, had agreed the FPI had caused social instability and undermined the authority of the state, and that the police should move to uphold the law.

But the police have denied accusations that they have not done enough to prevent hard-line groups, including the FPI, from conducting illegal raids to intimidate others, such as a sweep on a meeting hosted by lawmakers in Banyuwangi, East Java, last month.

The June 24 meeting, called by Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) legislators Ribka Tjiptaning Proletariati and Rieke Dyah Ayu Pitaloka, was broken up by as many as 15 members of the Islamic People’s Forum because they believed it to be a communist meeting. The FPI is said to have incited the raid.

The incident was reported to the police and has led to numerous calls from civil society and political organizations to disband hard-line groups.

Usman said Bambang had vowed to take action against the Banyuwangi Police chief for his lack of action over the incident, although he would discuss the issue with the legislators first.

Maman Imanulhaq, an Islamic scholar from Nahdlatul Ulama, the country’s biggest Muslim organization, went as far as saying Bambang should dismiss local police chiefs who allowed hard-liners to use violence and intimidation tactics.

I Wayan Sudirta, a member of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) from Bali, said the activists hoped the meeting did not produce more rhetoric.

“We need concrete action, not just promises,” he said.

Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe

URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/cops-asked-to-take-a-hard-line-with-fpi/385881

Hostility in Bogor Puts End to Ahmadiyah Plans

July 13, 2010
Zaky Pawas & Ulma Haryanto

Hostility in Bogor Puts End to Ahmadiyah Plans

In the latest attack on the rights of minority religions, hundreds of public order officers in Bogor on Monday demolished the foundations for a planned mosque for worshippers from the Ahmadiyah sect.

“We had to dismantle the foundations, which were steel pillars, and the base framework, because the mosque had been rejected by local residents,” Adj. Comr. Roni Mardiatun, police chief for Ciampea subdistrict, told the Jakarta Globe.

According to Roni, residents had objected to the plan to build the mosque in Cisaladah village, claiming it violated a 2006 decree by both the ministries of religious affairs and home affairs on the establishment of houses of worship, which require the approval of local residents before they can be built.

The Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), the country’s highest authority on Islamic affairs, has labeled Ahmadiyah a deviant version of Islam and called for it to be banned.

The government has stopped short of banning the group, but has forbidden it from conducting its rites publicly. Ahmadiyah members recognize their sect’s founder as a prophet, which contradicts a tenet of mainstream Islam that sees Muhammad as the last prophet.

“The local residents think that the mosque will be made into a place to spread Ahmadiyah, and besides, the mosque doesn’t have a permit from the local administration,” Roni said.

The building’s foundation had already been built on the 500-square-meter property in preparation for a two-story mosque, he added.

About 400 police officers stood guard in front of a nearby existing Ahmadiyah mosque. Residents and police scuffled earlier on Monday because residents also wanted the smaller mosque pulled down.

Roni said 50 more police officers were dispatched after the foundations had been demolished in order to secure the area.

The head of the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) in Bogor, Dace Supriadi, said his officers removed the foundations following a decision by the Ciampea Council of Leaders, which included the heads of the local administration, police and military.

“The Ahmadiyah mosque was still just some pillars and a foundation. We had to dismantle it before the building could be built,” he added.

Cisaladah village elder H Deden argued that Ahmadiyah’s activities in the area had been banned under a 2007 decree from the subdistrict administration.

“The decree states that no activities on behalf of Ahmadiyah should be allowed in the region. Apparently they ignored the decree,” he said.

Deden also said villagers wanted the existing Ahmadiyah mosque torn down.

“The residents’ demands cannot be negotiated and must be carried out,” he added.

According to Deden, 40 local community leaders had sent the Bogor administration an ultimatum to destroy the mosque within two weeks. “If not, we fear residents could run amok,” he added.

Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe

URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/hostility-in-bogor-puts-end-to-ahmadiyah-plans/385508

Social Order Will Never Exist Until We Establish the Supremacy of the Law

---Jakarta Globe, Indonesia    

April 19, 2010 | Johannes Nugroh

Social Order Will Never Exist Until We Establish the Supremacy of the Law

Horrific scenes during last week’s riots in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, have led to a welter of accusations of human rights breaches and oppressive conduct by public order officers. The riots also made it patently clear to the world that the supremacy of the law is a long way from realization in Indonesia. Furthermore, the violence was a clear indication that many of our citizens hold the judicial system in contempt, preferring the concept of “might is right” over rational orderly protest.

The fact is that the riots started as an attempt by the Jakarta government to clear illegal settlements surrounding the historic tomb of a revered religious leader. It was, by any definition, a large operation, involving around 2,000 officers, and it resulted in an orgy of violence. It was both a public relations disaster and a blunder for the government, and it was an incident that will cast a long shadow.

That the operation was poorly planned and managed is a foregone conclusion, apparent by the fact that the majority of local residents were under the impression that the officers were there to tear down the hallowed mausoleum. It is galling that the government failed to explain the objective of the operation before sending in thousands of officers in full riot gear. What is more astounding is that the large show of force proved to be such a huge flop.

Knowing that the site had religious significance and that militant groups such as the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) were involved, the government should have used both diplomacy and intelligence before conducting the operation. It was also evident from the presence of Molotov cocktails and the gathering of thousands of rioters in such a short space of time that the residents were well-prepared to counter the operation.

The Tanjung Priok debacle will set back efforts to ensure the supremacy of the law in Indonesia. It will also send the signal that government agencies, accustomed to intimidating ordinary citizens, only cower when people turn the tables on them through violent resistance. Either way, it is bad news for law enforcement, and a blow to moves to establish a civil and democratic society.

Evidence of a new sense of caution is already at hand. The day after the riots, the Surabaya municipal government postponed a scheduled operation to clear illegal buildings. Last week in Sampang, Madura, public order officers confessed to being nervous when carrying out a court order to seize a disputed property, fearing copycat resistance by local residents.

N or is this the first failure to uphold property laws in the country. A court order to seize almost 10 hectares of land in Tandes, Surabaya, has so far come to nothing despite repeated attempts in 1999, 2000 and 2001 because local residents occupying the property threatened the government with a bloodbath.

On a larger scale, the failure of the government to protect followers of Ahmadiyah, a minority Islamic sect, from assault by religious fanatics is also testimony to the way Indonesian law enforcers cower helplessly before mob rule. That the police officers allowed organizers of a recently proposed gay and lesbian rights international conference to be physically assaulted by protesters is further proof of this selective treatment by the state of its citizens.

The fact remains that the attackers of minority groups are indeed criminals, but so far they have escaped justice, either due to the cowardice of our law enforcers or because, on a more sinister level, our police officers are biased when it comes to interpreting the law.

This is perhaps a recurrent theme in the history of law enforcement in the country. The law is still seen by many not as a tool to guarantee the rights of the people, but rather as a tool of the state to oppress, and a useless paper tiger in the face of mob rule.

This may explain why the Tanjung Priok residents chose armed resistance to impose their will on the government, in spite of the fact that they were illegally occupying the disputed land. This alone may explain why the battered gay rights activists in Surabaya recently chose not to file charges against their attackers. Why bother? Police officers were indeed present during the assault but no arrests were made.

One major hurdle to unbiased law enforcement in Indonesia is the pervasive tendency by state officials to opt for political expediency. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono himself rebuked the provincial government of Jakarta for the riots, saying that any government action, although legally correct, must not go ahead if the circumstances appear unfavorable.

Although there is much pragmatic wisdom in this approach, the president is also signaling that the law discriminates in its treatment of citizens. Justice is no longer blind, but a prudent opportunist that strikes most efficiently when the majority are clapping, but looks on indifferently when an unpopular underdog is trampled upon.

Another equally insurmountable hurdle is the integrity of government officials in the eyes of the people. With the recent sensational exposure of the workings of the judicial mafia, and corruption within the ranks of the National Police, Indonesians as a whole have very little faith in the law.

This distrust only leads to conspiracy theories against government officials, with the public suspecting that the government is only enriching itself and at the same time making fools of ordinary Indonesians. And when this happens, the people are easily provoked into going on the rampage against what they perceive as deliberate injustice against them by a corrupt government.

Perhaps the government did try to explain to the people of Tanjung Priok why it wanted to clear the area of illegal settlements. After all, a revitalized international port at Tanjung Priok could only be good for the country. But where did the message get lost along the way? The answer may well be a matter of trust. Whatever the government says, the people simply no longer trust it, and it will remain that way until they see evidence to the contrary.

Johannes Nugroho is a writer based in Surabaya.

Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe
URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/social-o...acy-of-the-law/370343