Ahmadi faithful targeted by Islamic extremists and local government

World:  Global

Indonesia: West Java, Ahmadi faithful targeted by Islamic extremists and local government

Three days of clashes between Ahmadi Muslims and Islamic extremists. The radical Muslims wish to close their mosques with support from local government. Head of the extremists: “The Ahmadiyya should be banned. Our demand to eliminate them is non-negotiable.”

Saturday, July 31, 2010

By Asia News

Bandung – Tension remains high after three days of clashes between Islamic extremists and the Ahmadi community Manis Lor village, Kuningan district, West Java. On 26 July the police tried to close some mosques of the Ahmadi community. The police failed in their attempts following the massive protests of the faithful.

The next day another attempt was made by a group of 500 Islamic extremists, backed by state employees, who tried to close the mosques clashing with thousands of Ahmadi faithful armed with stones and sticks. The clashes ended yesterday and there are no victims.

The Ahmadis are Muslims who revere as a prophet, not only Muhammad, but Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (**). For this reason they are considered heretics and targeted by Islamic extremists. According to statistics, in 2009 33 attacks took place against the Ahmadis by extremists. In the first six months of 2010, the number of violence has dropped to four.

“Such problems should be approached with caution and tolerance,” said Djoko Suyanto, Minister of Security and Political and Legal Affairs. The Minister, in a meeting with President Yudhoyono expressed regret for the number of injuries and damaged properties of the Ahmadi community.

Hesty Amirwulan, a member of the Indonesian Commission for Human Rights (Komnas Ham), said that the clashes are a sign of how the law has little force in the country. As Ifdal Kasim, the chairman of Komnas Ham, noted “closing places of worship is against the Constitution.”

The Islamic extremists who attacked the Ahmadis are part of the Gapas (Movement against the illegal sects and non-believers). After asking the local administration to dissolve the sect, Andi Mulyono, head of Gapas, said: “The Ahmadiyya should be banned; our demand to eliminate them is non-negotiable.”

Since 1954, 3 thousand Ahmadi Muslims are residents in Kunnigan district, the largest Ahmadi community in the country. Sujan Deden, executive director of the community, condemned the violence of extremists: “They have no legal basis for banning us.”

In a press release, the Indonesian Interfaith Forum, said: “The presence of the Ahmadis should be respected by all parties in the country, including the government, since they have existed in Indonesia since 1950.”

Source: Asia News

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community believe in Prophet Muhammad(saw) as last Law-bearing prophet and also that Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) of Qadian is Promised Mahdi and Promised Messiah as prophesied in Ahadith. Please visit Alislam.org/messiah for further info.

URL: www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=37454

Indonesian President: Hit Back at West Java ‘Anarchy’

July 31, 2010
Camelia Pasandaran

Police form a line between Ahmadiyah protestors who want their mosque reopened and mainstream Muslims who want to make sure it stays closed. (AFP Photo/Yonda)

.

Indonesian President: Hit Back at West Java ‘Anarchy’

.

Jakarta. Amid rising tensions in Kuningan, West Java, following the closure of Ahmadiyah mosques there by security officials, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Friday called for firm police action.

Djoko Suyanto, coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, said the president had instructed him to order the police to take resolute action against the unrest.

“In my opinion, anarchy — no matter by whom or where — should be handled firmly,” the minister quoted Yudhoyono as saying.

The Kuningan Police have already been told of their duties, Djoko said, adding that he had confidence they would be able to contain the situation.

Police officers, acting on orders from the Kuningan district head, on Thursday sealed off Ahmadiyah mosques in Manis Lor village after having failed to do so on Monday due to resistance from the group’s members.

But as the protesters blocked police attempts to shut down their mosques, groups of hard-line Muslims flocked to the village and scuffles have broken out. Police have since been busy preventing an escalation in violence.

Amid pressure from Muslim groups, the government in 2008 prohibited members of Ahmadiyah from practicing their faith in public or proselytizing, but stopped short of banning the sect that many mainstream Muslims consider deviant.

Unlike other Muslims, members of Ahmadiyah recognize the sect’s founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, as a prophet.

While ordering the police to be firm, Djoko recognized they also faced difficulties in containing the situation. “If there are only five officers up against 500 people, they cannot be firm,” he said. “So they have to adjust to the conditions in the field.”

Kuningan’s district head, Aang Hamid Suganda, who had ordered the mosques sealed, called on all parties to avoid violence.

“We must make all Kuningan people feel secure,” Aang said. “Violence is not the best way to solve problems, so let us discuss it and go through legal channels.

Dedeh, a resident of Manis Lor, said it had been four days since villagers had boarded up their windows to protect them from stones being thrown by protesters.

According to Dedeh, Thursday’s clashes were relatively minor compared to the violence that occurred last year and in 2007.

The Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) on Friday urged the government to punish people who resorted to violence or infringed on freedom of worship.

“It is not only about the right to have a religion or faith, but also about the right to feel secure, to be protected, to be free from discrimination, and the right to be protected as a minority,” said Nurkholis Hidayat, LBH’s director.

He said both the central government and regional administrations should be responsible for protecting and promoting human rights, as well as all religions and faiths, including Ahmadiyah.

The Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy also said on Friday that the state should safeguard freedom of religion.

“The president should be embarrassed if there are citizens who are unable to worship because of pressure from unruly masses.”


Additional reporting by Antara

Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe

URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/sby-hit-back-at-w-java-anarchy/388732

Minister urges sect followers to stop spreading faith

HEADLINES Sat, 07/31/2010 10:40 AM

Minister urges sect followers to stop spreading faith

Ridwan Max Sijabat and Dicky Christanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali called Ahmadiyah apostate to Islamic teaching and said followers should stop propagating their faith.

“It’s clear from a 2008 joint ministerial decree that Ahmadiyah is not a religion and can be categorized as deviant to Islam. Therefore [Ahmadiyah] followers had better stop their activities,” the minister said.

Suryadharma also warned the public against resorting to violence in dealing with the “issue” as occurred on Thursday in Kuningan, West Java.

“The government will not tolerate any use of violence in dealing with sectarianism and all religious communities have to abide by the law to maintain order and security,” he said in Jakarta, after inaugurating the Al-Jabr International Islamic Junior High School in Pondok Labu, South Jakarta, on Friday.

Hundreds of members of hard-line Muslim organizations clashed with Ahmadiyah followers at Manis Lor village in Kuningan regency. The attackers demanded Ahmadiyah be banned. Three people were injured and several houses were damaged in the clashes.

Suryadharma said civil society groups and mass organizations had no authority enforcing the law but were required to report any disturbances of order and security to the police.

He said that despite their similar roots, Ahmadiyah and Islam were different because Ahmadiyah did not recognize Muhammad as the last prophet “and this is really a betrayal of true Islamic teaching”.

The minister said the government would soon enforce a 2008 joint ministerial decree on Ahmadiyah with the help of the police because it had not been effective since being issued.

He said the government would rely on the police to enforce the decree when asked whether the government and the police would crack down on Ahmadiyah followers and close down their houses of worship.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Edward Aritonang said police would remain neutral in handling the incident and enforcing the decree.

“Our concern is solely to prevent any clashes and bloodshed to maintain order and security,” Edward said Friday.

He said 500 security officers were deployed to monitor negotiations between the local administration and Ahmadiyah leaders in the village.

The Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace condemned the attack on Ahmadiyah followers and the forced closure of their mosque in Kuningan, and called on authorities to end the use of violence against the minority group. “The use of violence will not solve the dispute,” Setara deputy chairman Bonar Tigor Naipospos said Friday.

There remains a heavy police presence around Manis Lor village, where 3,000 of the 4,350 residents are followers of Ahmadiyah.

“We feel safe with the security personnel around and we are very grateful for that,” Deden Sujana, who heads Ahmadiyah’s security commission, said.

— Nana Rukmana contributed to the story from Kuningan, West Java.

URL: www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/07/31/minister-urg...reading-faith.html

Minority Islamic sect under fire in Indonesia

Minority Islamic sect under fire

in Indonesia

.

Achmad Ibrahim, Associated Press Writer — Fri Jul 30, 11:03 am ET

.

MANISLOR, Indonesia – A minority Islamic sect told followers Friday to prepare for war after rock-throwing mobs attacked one of their mosques in central Indonesia, calling its members heretics.

The weeklong violence in Manislor, a village in West Java province, peaked Thursday after more than 500 hard-liners from the Islamic Defenders Front, known as FPI, clashed with 3,000 Ahmadiyah sect followers.

At least eight people were injured, including three police.

“We have to defend ourselves and our mosques,” said Deden Sujana, who heads security for the sect, saying hard-liners have “gone too far.”

“We call on Ahmadiyah followers to fight against them in the name of Allah,” Sujana said.

Indonesia, a secular state of 235 million, has more Muslims than any other in the world.

Most people practice a moderate form of the faith, but a small but vocal extremist fringe has gained influence in recent years because the government relies heavily on Muslim parties in parliament.

Ahmadiyah, which has roughly 200,000 members, is considered deviant by conservatives because it does not recognize Muhammad as the final prophet. Perpetrators of violence against the sect often go unpunished.

Tensions started building around Manislor after local authorities sealed Ahmadiyah’s An-Nur mosque, saying they had violated a 2008 government decree that stops short of banning the group but orders members to stop practicing.

That gave FPI, hard-liners known for attacking nightclubs and bars, the unspoken go-head to target the sect.

Mobs threw rocks over the wall. Police, who are bracing for more violence over the weekend, responded by firing tear gas.

It is surprising to note that reporter mis-quoted Jamaat Ahmadiyya’s view and misunderstood it a “call for war”. Ahmadiyya Muslims in Manis Lor are trying to save their Eight Mosques from destruction by unruly mobs coming from other cities.

URL: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100730/ap_on_re_as/as_in...eligious_violence

Ahmadiyah Clashes Continue in Indonesia

July 30, 2010
Nurfika Osman, Ronna Nirmala & Camelia Pasandaran

A group of people believed to be Ahmadiyah followers fight back as Indonesian mainstream Muslims try to attack their mosque in Manislor village, Kuningan district, on Thursday. (AFP Photo/Yonda)

Ahmadiyah Clashes Continue in Indonesia

As the standoff between West Java villagers and followers of the Ahmadiyah sect entered its fourth day, the Ministry of Religious Affairs said it was trying to mediate the week-long dispute, which flared into violence again on Thursday.

Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said the tension was essentially a “political problem.” He did not elaborate further but urged the warring parties to settle their dispute peacefully.

“Differences of opinion over religion should not be solved with violence but through discussion,” he said.

The Ahmadiyah is perceived as a deviant sect by mainstream Islam. The government has stopped the group from worshiping in public but has fallen short of banning it altogether.

After a failed attempt to seal the sect’s mosques in a village in Kuningan on Monday, police and the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) followed through with the closures on Wednesday, meeting fierce resistance.

“Government officials have an obligation to protect citizens without looking at their beliefs,” Ifdhal Kasim, the chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) told the Jakarta Globe on Thursday. “Sealing their house of worship is against the Constitution.”

Ahmadiyah followers and security forces clashed again on Thursday as groups opposed to the sect joined local police and Mobile Brigade (Brimob) units trying to close several mosques.

Groups claiming to support a pure form of Islam against the Ahmadiyah gathered around the entrance to Manis Lor village in Kuningan in the morning, following the sealing of eight Ahmadiyah mosques in the village, a local police officer said.

“At first, the anti-Ahmadiyah groups pelted the mosque with stones. The followers of Ahmadiyah were angry because their mosque was attacked, and there was fighting,” the officer said of Thursday’s violence, which reportedly stopped just after midday prayers. Ifdhal said Ahmadiyah followers were the real victims in the violence.

“They face many forms of discrimination. Their access to education and livelihood is limited and at the same time they are facing a government that facilitates the discrimination,” he said.

Bonar Tigor Naipospos, deputy chairman of the Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy, said the state should guarantee religious freedom to all, including the Ahmadiyah.

The group is often a target of orthodox Muslims worldwide because of its claim that the sect’s founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, is the last prophet, a view many consider blasphemy.

The government passed a decree in 2008 prohibiting the sect from practicing its faith in public or trying to convert others to its beliefs. [**]

According to Setara, which monitors religious tolerance, the past month has seen a sharp increase in acts of violence against the Ahmadiyah, especially in West Java.

“The use of public pressure and regional government power has been a systematic pattern in violations of religious freedom recently,” Bonar said.

The Kuningan district government has used pressure groups to back its effort to close the Ahmadiyah mosques in Manis Lor, but Bonar doubts they are local villagers. “According to our sources, these people did not come from Kuningan, but from other areas such as Ciamis and Tasikmalaya,” he said.

Bonar urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to show his commitment to pluralism by speaking out against the violence.

The statement is erroneous. Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian did not make any such claim of being last prophet. Please visit Alislam.org/messiah for further info.

Copyright 2010 The Jakarta Globe

URL: www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/ahmadiyah-clashes-continue-in-indonesia/388538

Rights Commission Urges Authorities to be Strict on Sectarian Attack

Rights Commission Urges Authorities to be Strict on Sectarian Attack

Friday, 30 July, 2010 | 13:13 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta — The National Human Rights Commission has responded to a renewed attack on the banned Islamic sect the Ahmadiyah yesterday (29/7) in West Java which involved thousands from different islamic organisations in Kuningan Regency.

Stanley Adi Prasetyo a commissioner with the national body said today (30/7) “even law enforcement apparatus could not curb certain belief of faith let alone those who are not part of the authority.”

Thousands of people from different islamic group which are against the Ahmadiyah sect attacked a group of people after a religious gathering by the Ahmadiyah group in Manis Lor Village on Thursday (29/7). Attacks on the group have been reported since 2007.

Stanley said authorities should take strict measure against those who take the law into their own hands radically which he said will affect those outside the conflict.

ARIE FIRDAUS

The statement is erroneous. Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian did not make any such claim of being last prophet. Please visit Alislam.org/messiah for further info.

Copyright © 2010 TEMPOinteraktif
URL: www.tempointeractive.com/hg/nasional/2010/07/30/brk,20100730-267511,uk.html