Indonesia: Orders to close Ahmadiyya Mosque in Manis Lor and attacks by extremists

Manis Lor is a small village, located 45KM south of Cirebon city in Kuningan Regency, with a population of approximately 4,350 out of which 3,000 (70%) are Ahmadis. They have one big and seven small Mosques in Village.

H. Aang Hamid Suganda, Head of Kuningan Regent, vide Warrant Number: 451.2/2065/SAT.POL.PP dated July 22, 2010, ordered Civil Order Police Chief Indra Purwantoro to close and seal all eight Mosques belonging to Ahmadiyah Muslim sect in Manis Lor. This order is in clear violation of constitution, which guarantees freedom of worship to all its citizens.
In the spotlight: People exit An-Nur Mosque, which belongs to the Ahmadiyah sect, after Friday prayer in Manis Lor village in Kuningan, West Java, on Friday.JP/R. Berto Wedhatama

An-Nur Mosque -JP/R. Berto Wedhatama

Reports are that Aang Hamid’s orders are in line with his promise made during his 2008 election campaign to hardliner extremists group. Some analysts also pointed out that religious extremist organization had pressurized him recently to take strict action and stop all Ahmadiyya activities in region.

Acting on orders Civil Order Police Chief tried to seal the Mosques on July 26, 2010, and met with some resistance from Ahmadiyya Muslims, who demanded a valid reason for closure of Mosques and dialogue to settle the issue. An NGO, Fahmina Institute, recorded the whole event. The Warrant and chronicle is reproduced below :-

Image of Warrant issued by Head of Kuningan Regent

REGENT OF KUNINGAN

W  A   R   R  A  N  T
Number: 451.2/2065/SAT.POL.PP

Legal ground :	1.	Law number 32 year 2004 article 27 clause 1 letter (c). That a head of district is responsible to keep the people safe and in order.
	2.	Recommendation of Indonesian Cleric Council (MUI) of Kuningan Regency number 38/MUI-Kab/VI/2010 on June 24, 2010.
	3.	Aspirations from Cleric and Islamic Organizations of Kuningan on June 1, 2010 at Syiarul Islam Mosque and on June 14, 2010 at Meeting Room of Jabar Banten Bank in Kuningan.

Name :	H. AANG HAMID SUGANDA
Title :	Regent of Kuningan

.
I N S T R U C T S :

Name :	INDRA PURWANTORO, SAP
Civil Service ID :	19670519 198603 1 002
Position/rank :	Supervisor (IVa)
Title :	Chief of Civil Order Police Unit of Kuningan

To :	1.	Undertake the closure/sealing of eight Ahmadiyya function buildings in Manislor village, Jalaksana Sub district with provisions below: Day/Date : Monday/ July 26, 2010 Time : 09.00 am till it is finished Place : Manislor village, Jalaksana Sub district, Kuningan
	2.	Have coordination with related security officers.
	3.	Keep the tranquility and public order.
	To be executed with a deep sense of responsibility.

Decided at :	KUNINGAN
Dated On :	July 23, 2010
REGENT OF KUNINGAN
H. AANG HAMID SUGANDA

Fahmina Institute - Cirebon

The Seal and Attack on Ahmadiyya Manis in Lor — Eyewitness Account

Editors :	Alimah and Maman Rohman on July 30, 2010
Location :	Manis Lor Village, Jalaksana, Kuningan
Date/Time :	Monday - Thursday (July 26-29, 2010)

Monday, July 26, 2010

Local government planned to seal the Ahmadiyya mosques at Manis Lor Village, Jalaksana District, Kuningan Regency. The process was backed by Satpol PP, Kuningan Regency Police Resort.

The operation failed after the Ahmadiyya Security Commission, Deden Sujana engaged in dialogue with the local government and Kuningan Police Resort officials. Deden indicated that this order to seal the Mosques was not to be executed immediately but there has to be a dialogue first between the local government and Ahmadiyya.

The order to seal Mosques relies on a Letter (SK) from Kuningan Regent Number 451.2/2065/Satpol PP which mentions that “Eight Mosques belongs to Ahmadiyya Jamaat are to be closed and sealed in Manis Lor Village”. This also relies on Majelis Ulama Indonesia’s recommendation Number 38/MUI-Kab/VI/2010 dated June 24, 2010.

A riot took place once but it was soon dispersed by Kuningan Police Resort.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Sector Police alongwith Police Resort of Kuningan Regency strictly guarded houses and Mosques belonging to Ahmadiyya Community in Manis Lor against anticipated attacks which failed earlier on Monday (7/26/2010).

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Local authorities backed by Satpol PP made another attempt to seal the Ahmadiyya Mosque in Manis Lor.

According to one representative of Ahmadiyya Community, the seal was placed around 06.30am (GMT +07:00) but a Police representative from Kuningan Police Resort on patrol duty in Manis Lor denied and informed tha the seal could not be placed due to resistance from Ahmadiyya Jamaat who prevent and protect their Mosques.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Massive attack on Ahmadiyya in Manis Lor.

Eyewitness Account of attack:

• In the morning around 08.00 AM, the Muslims belonging to various factions of West Java (some of them were from outside of west java such as Wonosobo and other areas) conducted Istighosah (massive prayer) at Al-Huda Mosque, located about 500 meters from Ahmadiyya Mosque in Manis Lor.
• About one hundred persons belonging to varioud factions, mostly radical Muslims, gathered in front of the Al-Huda Mosque. From their appearance and dresses they could be recognized and appeared to be affiliated with Majlis Mujahidin (mainly from Cirebon), GAMAS, GRANAT, FPI, some of male Santri from Islamic boarding schools (Pesantren) Kuningan, leader of Muslim (kyai), communities outside west java, and civilian around Kuningan.
• Most of the Jamaa members alongwith Chairman of Police Resort and Regent were standing in front of the Al-Huda Mosque while hearing orations from Muslim cleric. Under the burning sun, with the fire spirit, they looked ready for one aim only i.e. to attack the Ahmadiyya’s. They called themselves as a ‘Jihad Team’. It was clear and evident, from the beginning, that GAMAS had organized and provoked the attack whose members, wearing black uniforms, were ready with their hitting weapon (stringer made from wood).
• Istighosah started with a speech from clerics of Kuningan Regency. They belonged to Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah, Indonesian Cleric Council (MUI) Kuningan Regency, Chairman of Police Resort and Kuningan Regent. Most of the speech was about denouncing the Ahmadiyya sectand wows to eliminate Ahmadiyya from the region. (According to Fahmina watch, the Istighosah appeared to be only for preparatins to attack Ahmadiyya as it was full with orations denouncing Ahmadiyya.)
• Around 10.30am, Istighosah ended with prayers. Right after that the attack started by the Istighosah jamaa, who form the very beginning, has named themselves as Jihad Force on Ahmadiyya Jamaat.
• The attack, conducted by Jihad Army, continued by pelting big stones, bricks and Acid Gas. The Police struggled to prevent the Jihad Army from crossing the border line that had been made earlier by Police but failed. Jihad Army succeeded in crossing the border line at 11.20am.
• The Jihad Army suffered somr injuries due to stones coming from their members who were behind them as well as the stones thrown by the Ahmadiyya’s counter-attack defending themselves. Also there were some injuries from the Police Department.
• By 12.00 O’clock, the Jihad Force was still pushing itsway to upside area where the Ahmadiyya gathered).
• From 12.30 to 13.00 hrs half of the Jihad Force, calmed down by Police, was present upside while othef half got some rest and prayed at the Mosque. Some of them were standing in the middle of the road. After Police successfully ordered them to go downside, they still gathered at the downside re-grouping themselves to prepare for another attack.
• At 13.11 hrs, the Jihad Force, which consisted of Majlis Mujahidin (MM) Cirebon, GAMAS and others, renewed their attacks twice. Although they almost broke the border-line defense of the Police but failed because the Police, by then, got reinforcements and a Mobile Brigade (Brimob) was moved behind the them.
• Even though Police foiled the repeated attempts of Jihad Force, they did not disperse. They were still trying to empower themselves standing in front of the Mosque and listening orations from their coordinator. That continued till 17.30 hrs.
• At 17.30 hrs they tryied to attack Ahmadiyya again and were now face to face with The Mobile Brigade Police which once again foiled their attempt.

According to Fahmina ‘what we heared during the watch, the conversation between some of the honorable person and Heads of Radical Muslims such as Majlis Mujahidin and FPI, that they will carry out another attack again on Friday (July 30, 2010). The attack will be carried out after Friday Prayers with more militants of Jihad Army.’ They said that the plan is a result of direct instructiond from Habib Riziq.