INDONESIA: AHMADIS TERRORIZED BY FPI, DETAINED | THE JAKARTA POST

For years, Ahmadis have endured attacks from various Muslim groups. In some cases the groups have burned down Ahmadiyah mosques and houses. (The Jakarta Post)

Ahmadiyya Times | Staff News | Intn'l Desk
Source:Jakarta Post | December 12, 2009
Indah Setiawati and Hasyim Widhiarto

Tebet Police officers in South Jakarta held six Ahmadis at their station Friday after area residents, some of whom claimed to be members of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), raided a house used by Ahmadis for religious activities.

South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Gatot Edy Pramono said the incident occurred after Ahmadiyah members held Friday prayers in a small house in Bukit Duri Tanjakan subdistrict.

As they were leaving, dozens of thugs who had been waiting outside started an argument.

"Only when the situation got out of hand, did several Tebet Police officers arrive and take the Ahmadis to their station to protect them from possible violence," Gatot told The Jakarta Post Friday. None of the FPI thugs were warned, let alone arrested for inciting violence.

Salim Alatas, a deputy head of the FPI's Jakarta branch, said his gang were looking to start a fight. He said the FPI demanded the police detain the Ahmadis for violating a ministerial decree and "insulting" Islam.

"They claimed they were Muslims, but later admitted they were Ahmadis after we questioned them," he said, adding that several Ahmadiyah followers managed to escape during the cruel, illegal raid.

The decree, signed by then religious affairs minister Maftuh Basyuni, home minister Mardiyanto and Attorney General Hendarman Supandji in June 2008, did not explicitly ban or dissolve the religious sect.

The document ordered Ahmadiyah followers to turn to the beliefs of "mainstream Islam" and prohibits the sect from "spreading inter-pretations and activities that deviate from the principal teachings of Islam."

There are about 200,000 practicing Ahmadis in Indonesia.

For years, Ahmadis have suffered attacks from various hard-line groups. Some of these attacks resulted in the fire-bombing of Ahmadiyah mosques and houses.

The group was deemed heretic by so-called religious "leaders" for recognizing sect founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as the last prophet^[*]. Islam maintains the Prophet Muhammad is the last prophet.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) declared Ahmadiyah heretical in 2005. This is the same group that, aping its Malaysian counterpart, issued an idiotic ban on yoga.

Head thugs from the FPI, the Islamic Ulema Forum (FUI) and the Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI) have criticized the government for allowing the sect to continue its activities.

Responding to the incident, an Ahmadiyah spokesman Syamsir Ali said such incidents were common.

"We will continue to practice our faith and let others practice theirs."


^[*] Ahmadiya Muslims deny the allegation that they consider Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to be the 'last prophet'. Instead, Ahmadiyah Muslims assert that the rank of Hazrat Ahmad is same as that of the awaited Messiah and promised reformer in the Muslim Ummah. Ahmadiyah Muslims further assert that the claim made by Hazrat Ahmad does not violate the 'Last Prophet' status of Prophet Muhammad - just as every other Muslim group is also eagerly awaiting the 'Promised Messiah or Mahdi'.

Read more: Residents, FPI raid Ahmadiyah members