 | NATIONAL Tue, 03/22/2011 3:40 PM |
‘Bad intentions’ in Ahmadi rebuff of govt meeting: Minister
The Jakarta Post
Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali says he regrets that Ahmadis have refused to attend a discussion with the government about Ahmadiyah in the country and its interactions with others.
The discussions are scheduled for four days starting today.
“It is very regrettable that they decided not to attend. This can been seen as them having bad intentions,” Suryadharma said Tuesday.
Suryadharma said the government was hopeful that Ahmadiyah representatives would come and explain their religion. “We would like to hear their Islamic beliefs so that we can solve this matter together,” he said.
The secretary-general for the ministry, Bahrul Hayat, said the dialog was initiated by the government. He said the government was the one who wanted to listen, “not them listening to us,” he said.
Erna Ratnaningsih from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, which represents Ahmadiyah congregations across the country, said her clients refused to participate in a “biased dialog”.
The discussions are scheduled for four days starting today.
“It is very regrettable that they decided not to attend. This can been seen as them having bad intentions,” Suryadharma said Tuesday.
Suryadharma said the government was hopeful that Ahmadiyah representatives would come and explain their religion. “We would like to hear their Islamic beliefs so that we can solve this matter together,” he said.
The secretary-general for the ministry, Bahrul Hayat, said the dialog was initiated by the government. He said the government was the one who wanted to listen, “not them listening to us,” he said.
Erna Ratnaningsih from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, which represents Ahmadiyah congregations across the country, said her clients refused to participate in a “biased dialog”.
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