Riot Threatens to Burn Down Orphanage

Headlines

Riot Threatens to Burn Down Orphanage

“Why does it matter for them if the building is used for praying?”

Ismoko WidjayaKamis, 9 Desember 2010, 10:59 WIB

Ahmadiyah Spokesperson Zafrullah Ahmad Pontoh (Antara/ Maulana Surya Tri Utama)

VIVAnews - An orphanage belonging to a modern Islamic group Ahmadiyah which is situated in Cicariang, Kawalu, Tasikmalaya, West Java, is threatened to be burnt down by riot. Hasanah Kautsar orphanage has been in the area for around 10 years.

“It’s already inhuman to lock us up in the orphanage not to mention burning [the orphanage] down,” said spokesperson of Ahmadiyah, Zafrullah Ahmad Pontoh, today, Dec 8.

According to Zafrullah, the occurrence took place yesterday as a handful of state officials tried to seal the building. Children of 10-14 years of age were still inside the building when the officials locked the gate.

“A few minutes after, a group of people shouted outside of the complex saying that they wanted to set the orphanage on fire. It’s a social house. We don’t understand their logic,” he said.

The building was owned by a member of Ahmadiyah living in Tasikmalaya. “It’s home of some orphans as well. Why does it matter for them if the building is used for praying?“ he said.

In the meantime, Kawalu and Tasikmalaya police departments have yet to share any information.

Earlier, Minister of Religious Affairs, Suryadharma Ali, requested Ahmadiyah to disband the group. According to Suryadharma, Ahmadiyah has been against a Joint Decree of Three Ministers.

“Ahmadiyah should be disassembled as soon as possible. Otherwise, more problems will keep on appearing,” Suryadharma said on August 30, 2010.

URL: http://en.vivanews.com/news/read/192873-riot-threatens-to-burn-down-orphanage

Students demand closure of mosque

HEADLINES Sat, 11/06/2010 10:35 AM

Students demand closure of mosque

Indah Setiawati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

While Indonesia grieves over a series of recent natural disasters, some college students preferred instead to hold a wanton protest against the existence of an Ahmadiyah mosque in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta. City authorities reportedly voiced their support.

City spokesman Cucu Ahmad Kurnia underlined Friday that any violent actions would not be tolerated, but said “the [Ahmadiyah] sect should be disbanded if it triggers public restlessness.”

Around 20 students staged a protest in front of the Ahmadiyah mosque, located in Kebon Bawang subdistrict, after Friday prayers. They demanded the Jakarta Police close the Nuruddin Mosque down.

The Nuruddin Mosque congregation violates Islamic customs, said protesters from the Islamic college Dakwah Islam, which is also located in Tanjung Priok.

The demonstrators held a plywood placard with the message, “This place is sealed; Ahmadiyah activity is forbidden here”.

The protesters, who wore traditional white caps and Islamic male shirts known as baju koko, accused the congregation of imposing deviations of Islamic custom, mosque employee Hendro Suyono said.

“We asked one of the protesters to check whether our teachings were divergent from Islam. The man later checked our syahadat [creed] which is painted on our pulpit,” he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

However, the protesters continued to demand the mosque must be sealed before eventually leaving the area 30 minutes later — but not before warning that the mosque congregation had one week to comply with their demands. They also said the Jakarta Police had promised them that they would seal the mosque. However, Tanjung Priok Police chief Comr. Budhi Hendro Susianto did not acknowledge the demonstrator’s claim.

Around 50 police officers from the police subprecinct safeguarded the site on Friday.

Mosque worker Hendro told the Post that the mosque had been the object of intimidation for the past week.

“Three men claiming to be from the same crowd came to the mosque last Tuesday. They wanted us to cease our religious activities, and they also accused us of having a different holy book and kiblat [the direction in which Muslims should face when praying],” he said.

Hendro added that last Sunday the mosque had also received complaints from the same crowd. “That time they came with support from the neighborhood and community unit management, asking us to pull down our mosque signpost,” he said, adding that the mosque administration later complied with the demand.

The mosque, which is located inside a residential area, was established 24 years ago. The mosque reportedly now has around 200 followers, including children.

According to resident Siti, 35, there was no conflict in relation to the mosque’s existence before the Friday protest. “I am puzzled as to why the students held a protest against the congregation. All this time, residents and the congregation have lived peacefully,” she said, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

The administration would try to use dialogue as a soft approach to the Ahmadiyah followers, city spokesman Cucu said.

Recently, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo reiterated his administration’s commitment to protecting freedom of religion, so that houses of worship of any religion can be built and maintained, adding that his administration would ensure Jakarta residents could pray without discrimination or disturbance.

“The best asset in our country is interfaith harmony,” the governor said. (ipa)

URL: www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/11/06/students-...sque.html

Ahmadiyah Now Getting Targeted in North Jakarta

NEWS

Ahmadiyah Now Getting Targeted in North Jakarta

Ulma Haryanto & Zaky Pawas | November 05, 2010

Jakarta. After 24 years of peaceful coexistence in a dense neighborhood in North Jakarta, a small Ahmadiyah mosque on Friday faced its first protest by conservative Muslims demanding its closure.

“About 60 people came, claiming to be students from Da’wah Islamiyyah college, one kilometer away from here. They held a demonstration,” Deden Sujana, head of security of the Ahmadiyah community, told the Jakarta Globe on Friday.

But when the protesters arrived at 1:30 p.m., around 60 Ahmadiyah youths had already gathered inside the mosque and scores of police officers were standing by.

There was no violence and the Da’wah Islamiyyah group left about two hours later, after making a number of statements in front of the tightly guarded mosque.

But, they warned they would return if the mosque did not close down.

Police chief of the Tanjung Priok subdistrict Comr. Budhi Herdi Susianto and subdistrict chief Supriyono talked with the protesters and Budhi later said that “the gist was that they want the Ahmadiyah disbanded.”

The Ahmadiyah is a small sect that has incurred the wrath of some mainstream Muslims for claiming, against a tenet of Islam, that their founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was the last prophet.

The minority sect has been the target of attacks and violence in various towns and cities in West Java and West Nusa Tenggara in the past years.

Ahmadiyah’s Deden said the group had already visited last week and demanded that the Nuruddin mosque take down its sign board.

“We obliged because they brought with them the head of the neighborhood and several people claiming to be residents,” he continued.

On Thursday night, several people went to the mosque, warning it to close down.

“We could not oblige. Praying is an obligation in every religion. This is the house of God, they can’t just close it down,” Deden said.

Siti Afiah, 47, a housewife who has been living in the area for three years, said she had never been bothered by the mosque.

“It’s their business,” she said.

Karno, who has lived in the area for 20 years, realized that some of the locals had become somewhat anxious lately.

“Perhaps it’s because people started to see that the congregation was growing and those who came to the mosque were often not from the neighborhood,” the 50-year-old said.

He said local people who at first had no problems with the Ahmadiyah community might start to rethink their position now that the issue seems to be heating up.

Anshar, 72, one of the elders who started the Ahmadiyah congregation in the area, said the mosque was the only one for the Ahmadiyah group in North Jakarta, comprising some 200 people.

Bona Tigor Naipospos from the Setara Institute of Peace and Democracy said police and other state institutions will have to step up and stop discrimination of the Ahmadiyah.

He also questioned the reason behind the recent upsurge in protests. “All these times they were quiet. Why [demonstrate] now?”

Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe

URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/ahmadiyah-now-gett...akarta/405177

Masses Protest Before Ahmadiyah Mosque

Headlines

Masses Protest Before Ahmadiyah Mosque

The crowd demanded that the Ahmadiyah followers leave the area.

Jum'at, 5 November 2010, 16:51 WIB

VIVAnews - Hundreds of people protested before a mosque belonging to the followers of Ahmadiyah teaching in Tanjung Priok, Jakarta’s harbor area, today, Nov 5.

The crowd demanded that the Ahmadiyah followers leave the area. However, police managed to handle the situation shortly.

After 30 minutes of speech saying their disapproval against the group, the masses were disbanded.

For the time being, the local authorities are involving in a talk with the mosque’s management.

According to Hendro, 40, a board member, the mosque has been there for 24 years with 200 followers. “There hasn’t been any problem against us. It’s only a misunderstanding,” he said.

He claimed that people see the teaching of Ahmadiyah refers to the wrong phrophet, book and shahada.

“We’re ready to hold a dialogue to straighten things out,” he said.

URL: http://en.vivanews.com/news/read/187082-masses-protest-before-ahmadiyah-mosque

Hundreds of People Stage Protest Against Ahmadiyah in North Jakarta

Hundreds of People Stage Protest Against Ahmadiyah in North Jakarta

BERITAJAKARTA.COM — 11/5/2010 7:04:10 PM

Hundreds of people claiming to come from Dakwah Islam College, Tanjungpriok besieged Friday (11/5) Nurudin Mosque on Jl Kebon Bawang, Neighborhood Unit 09/Community Unit 01, Tanjungpriok, North Jakarta, which is suspected to be used by Ahmadiyah followers to perform their activities

A clash almost occurred, as a number of mosque congregation were being at the mosque, trying to block the protesters. Fortunately, police officers together with public order police officers (Satpol PP) managed to calm the two confronting groups, so the physical clash could be avoided.

One local resident Seto (35) said, the protest was dispersed after 30 minutes of speech rejecting the existence of Ahmadiyah congregation at the mosque.

One of the mosque management members, Hendro (40) says, the mosque was established 24 years ago, with the current congregation of at least 200 people. “There has never been any problem so far. This is just a misunderstanding,” Hendro told reporters Friday. Today’s action was the second time, after another similar incident on 20 October.

URL: www.beritajakarta.com/2008/en/newsview.aspx?idwil=0&id=17223