Indonesia Ahmadiyya Clerics Respond over Bans

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Indonesia Ahmadiyya Clerics Respond over Bans

Central and provincial governments must be sensible in taking decisions.

Jum'at, 4 Maret 2011, 11:49 WIBElin Yunita Kristanti

Annual meeting of Ahmadis in Germany (alislam.org)

VIVAnews — Several provinces and cities in Indonesia have just banned the teachings of Ahmadiyya. On the other hand, Governor of Yogyakarta, Sultan Hamengkubuwono, instead convinced the Ahmadis in Yogyakarta to proceed with their religious activities.

Granted that Ahmadiyya has been narrowed down to a particular situation, Ahmadiyya Cleric of South and West Sulawesi, Jamaluddin Feeli, said either ban against or support toward the sect is part of everyday life. “Some accept us, some others don’t. Some understand about [Ahmadiyya teachings] while some others don’t. It is dialogue that is of most importance,” he told VIVAnews today, March 4.

Jamal calls on the central and provincial governments to be sensible in taking decisions.

Ahmadiyya teachings are no different from Islamic teachings in general, he said. “We have only one difference: we believe that Jesus (Prophet Isa)‘s second coming has been taken place (through Mirza Ghulam Ahmad). We believe in the same Five Pillars of Islam and Six Articles of Faith,” said the cleric.

“We’ve never imposed into people what we believe in. On the other hand, they should never force us to give up on our belief,” he said.

Moreover, Ahmadiyya Cleric of West and East Nusa Tenggara, Nasiruddin Ahmadi, said in statement that the ban over Ahmadiyya teachings in several provinces and cities has violated the Constitution. “It’s not in line with Indonesia’s principle of Unity in Diversity,” he said.

• VIVAnews

URL: http://us.en.vivanews.com/news/read/207713-indonesia..

PPP Officially Supports Ahmadiyah Ban

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PPP Officially Supports Ahmadiyah Ban

Heru Andriyanto | April 4, 2011

The United Development Party rejects Ahmadiyah teachings as blasphemous, a party official said about the minority Islamic sect on Sunday.

“Our party officially requested the government to forbid and disband Ahmadiyah in Indonesia. The reason is that Ahmadiyah, in our opinion, created a religion inside a religion, as well as insulting the teachings of Islam,” Chozin Chumaidy, the deputy chairman of the party, also known as the PPP, said at its regional congress in Mamuju, West Sulawesi.

In addition, Ahmadiyah followers often cause unrest among Muslims, he said, adding that the PPP’s stance serves to “protect the interests of Muslims in Indonesia.” Members of the PPP are ready to assist Ahmadiyah followers willing to “return to the true path of Islam,” he said.

Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe
URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/ppp-officially...

Prosecutors Preparing Trials for 12 Men Allegedly Involved in Ahmadiyah Attack

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Prosecutors Preparing Trials for 12 Men Allegedly Involved in Ahmadiyah Attack

Heru Andriyanto | April 4, 2011

At least 12 suspects linked to the deadly attack on Ahmadiyah members in Banten are set to be tried after prosecutors declared their cases were nearly ready.

Noor Rachmat, a spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office, said over the weekend that the Banten prosecutor’s office had confirmed the cases against nine suspects were already complete and police charge sheets against three others were expected to be finalized later this week.

The nine suspects whose cases are already complete are Ujang bin Sahari, Yusri bin Bisri, Munir bin Basri, Yusuf Abidin, aka Asmat Bin Kamsa, K.H. Ujang Muhammad Arif bin Abuya Surya, Muhammad bin Syarif, Endang bin Sidik, Saad Baharudin bin Sapri and Dani bin Misra.

The cases against the three other suspects — Idris bin Madhani, Adam Damini bin Armad and Deden — were still being reviewed, Noor added.

Deden, one of the Ahmadiyah members injured in the attack that left three dead, is being investigated for inciting hatred. According to police reports, he refused a police order to evacuate along with the other Ahmadis before the incident. The police said his refusal to evacuate was a key factor in the clash.

All suspects are residents of Cikeusik subdistrict, where the attack took place on Feb. 6. A recent decision by the Supreme Court moved the venue for the trials from Pandeglang district, which includes Cikeusik, to the provincial capital, Serang.

Agus Setiawan, the lawyer for the 11 suspects not including Deden, said on Friday that he welcomed the decision to keep the trials in Banten.

“We applaud the Supreme Court’s decision for the trials to be held in Serang. The decision meets our sense of justice,” he said. “We are coordinating with local residents, clerics and other prominent figures here to ensure the hearings will proceed smoothly and safely.”

Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe
URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/prosecutors-preparing...

Ahmadiyah’s Fate Known Soon: Religion Minister

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Ahmadiyah’s Fate Known Soon: Religion Minister

Camelia Pasandaran | April 1, 2011

Religious Minister Suryadharma Ali has said decrees on Ahmadiyah and places of worship are enough to maintain religious tolerance in Indonesia. (Antara Photo)

Though no Ahmadiyah representative attended the national dialog attempting to resolve a nationwide dispute over the sect, Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said on Thursday that the forum was a valuable exercise and a decision should be issued soon.

“Both those who support [Ahmadiyah] and those who oppose it were invited,” the minister said at the Presidential Palace.

He said all the institutions that took part in the debate would compose drafts detailing their conclusions.

Those drafts would be used by the government to decide the fate of Ahmadiyah in Indonesia, he said, including whether to continue the joint ministerial decree that bans sect members from carrying out religious activities.

Among those present at the dialog were representatives from the Home Affairs Ministry, the Religious Affairs Ministry, the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, the Attorney General’s Office, the National Police and other civil organizations.

Zafrullah Pontoh, the national secretary of the Indonesia Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI), previously said the invitation to the dialog had arrived too late for it to send representatives.

He also complained that the group had been allocated just four seats at the event.

Wednesday’s talks saw a majority of the representatives agreeing to the complete disbandment of Ahmadiyah.

In recent years, persecution and violent attacks have marked the lives of Ahmadis across Indonesia, with the government accusing them of leading more and more Muslims astray.

Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe
URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/ahmadiyahs-fate...