 | ARCHIPELAGO Sat, 10/02/2010 9:54 AM |
Angry mass lays waste to houses of Ahmadiyah followers
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Fire of fury: A police officer is seen in a silhouette stand outside a burning house of an Ahmadiyah follower in Ciampea Udik village in Bogor, West Java on Friday night. A number of houses and a mosque were burned down by attackers, who reject the Islamic sect. — Antara/Jafkhairi
Followers of Ahmadiyah are counting the losses following an attack on their housing complex in Ciampea Udik village in the West Java regency of Bogor by dozens of angry people on Friday night.
A number of the Islamic sect members began to stream into their village at 6 a.m. on Saturday after hours of hiding, only to see their houses badly damaged.
An Ahmadiyah follower, M. Yusuf Karim, said the attackers, mostly youths, had pelted his house with stones, smashing glass windows and home appliances inside. The attackers also set fire to his Kijang minivan.
“All our belongings have gone. Our TV set was destroyed and our wardrobe was jumbled up,” Yusuf’s wife, Siti, told kompas.com.
The night attack forced Mahfudin and his family to seek refuge at a cemetery near the village, along with about 30 other Ahmadiyah followers, including a week-old baby.
“We did not bring anything but our bodies,” Mahfudin said.
When police restored order, Mahfudin found his house was severely damaged and his furniture was burned down.
The attackers also set fire to a mosque.
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