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Indonesian President: Hit Back at West Java ‘Anarchy’
Camelia Pasandaran | July 31, 2010

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) 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)
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Kiai Carita
11:01pm Aug 1, 2010

Onimushi, the web editors have changed the text - and I already commended them for it. I think you missed my second post.


isahbiazhar
6:17pm Aug 1, 2010

Everyone has the right to worship and call whatever he wants.No one can impose on others what they follow is the best.The army should be called and brought sense to those who just do not know how to think.God exists in many ways.Those in the jungle worship the tree and those who are exposed to the modern religion worship according to their ways.We do not want any civil war now or hereafter.

peterR
2:04pm Aug 1, 2010

I understand that posting links is frowned upon but maybe in this case? I wanted to find out about Ahmadiyya and so looked it up on the web and found a pretty thorough explanation on Wikipedia. I can understand that there are many educationally challenged objectors out there who are led by people of bad character and with personal motives, the real deviants, but have people like Indonesia's President and Djoko Suyanto, saposedly the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, not taken the trouble to obtain the facts and become informed? This thing about them recognizing the sect’s founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, as a prophet, is questionable, and mostly they would seem, unlike their persecutors, into love and peace.

I am sure this has been read by many who contribute here, but those who have not should take a look. Every good Indonesian should support these guys and their rights. Interesting they are only banned in one country in the world, Pakistan, a really great example of freedom and democracy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmadiyya

onimushi
7:57am Aug 1, 2010

Kiai Carita - the attackers of the Ahmadiyah may not be mainstream Muslims, but the piece only described Ahmadiyah as a sect "that many mainstream Muslims consider deviant," which I think is accurate enough. It said nothing about mainstream Muslims attacking...

kunri
10:24pm Jul 31, 2010

I am totally at speechless on this chaotic situation. Ahmadiyya Muslims have every right to worship and protect their places of worship. Ministers on the other hand are out to support unruly mobs without realizing that religious fanaticism has no ends. An inquisition appears to have started in Indonesia.

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