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Ahmadiyah ‘Still Part of Islam’ DPR Told
Markus Junianto Sihaloho | February 17, 2011
Ahmadiyah insists it is a branch of Islam and wants nothing to do with being forced to declare itself a new religion, one of its Indonesian leaders told the House of Representatives Wednesday.
“Ahmadiyah is still part of Islam and cannot be separated from Islam because Ahmadiyah was born from Islam,” Ahmadiyah leader of Abdul Basith said in a hearing with House Commission VIII, which oversees religious affairs.
He the sect recognizes the core tenet of Islam, that there’s no God beside Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.
In the aftermath of recent deadly attacks on Ahmadiyah, Deputy House Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso said last week that the the group should “leave Islam and declare a new religion” if its followers cannot “repent, recognize their mistake and come back to mainstream Islam.”
For Ahmadiyah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who founded the group in 1889, is the last prophet, who came to the earth after Muhammad, he said.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and Ahmadiyah followers never add or reduce the content of the Koran as the Mulsim holy book, Ahmad told lawmakers.
“So what does the Tazkirah mean for you?” a lawmaker asked in reference to a book based on the experiences of the Ahamadiyah founder.
Many mainstream Muslims and organizations like the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) believe the Tazkirah is the holy scripture of Ahamadiyah, replacing the Koran.
Syamsi Ali, a senior member of Ahmadiyah at the hearing, said it is wrong to believe that Ahmadiyah has any other bible beside the Koran.
“Please understand that our holy bible is the Koran, not the Tazkirah,” Syamsi said.
“Ahmadiyah is still part of Islam and cannot be separated from Islam because Ahmadiyah was born from Islam,” Ahmadiyah leader of Abdul Basith said in a hearing with House Commission VIII, which oversees religious affairs.
He the sect recognizes the core tenet of Islam, that there’s no God beside Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.
In the aftermath of recent deadly attacks on Ahmadiyah, Deputy House Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso said last week that the the group should “leave Islam and declare a new religion” if its followers cannot “repent, recognize their mistake and come back to mainstream Islam.”
For Ahmadiyah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who founded the group in 1889, is the last prophet, who came to the earth after Muhammad, he said.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and Ahmadiyah followers never add or reduce the content of the Koran as the Mulsim holy book, Ahmad told lawmakers.
“So what does the Tazkirah mean for you?” a lawmaker asked in reference to a book based on the experiences of the Ahamadiyah founder.
Many mainstream Muslims and organizations like the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) believe the Tazkirah is the holy scripture of Ahamadiyah, replacing the Koran.
Syamsi Ali, a senior member of Ahmadiyah at the hearing, said it is wrong to believe that Ahmadiyah has any other bible beside the Koran.
“Please understand that our holy bible is the Koran, not the Tazkirah,” Syamsi said.
Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe
URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/ahmadiyah...told/423190
URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/ahmadiyah...told/423190
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