Indonesia: House to Summon National Police Chief, Religion Minister for Ahmadiyah Attack

“This week, we will summon the National Police chief and minister of religious affair. Possibly also religious figures and the Indonesian Ulema Council [MUI]. I must admit that the government seems to be not proactive in detecting the attacks. Violence, in any form, must not happen to our people.”

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
ByAnita Rachman | February 07, 2011

The House of Representatives says it will summon the national police chief and minister of religious affairs following the religious violence that three members of the minority Ahmadiyah sect dead on Sunday.

Abdul Kadir Karding, chairman of House Commission VIII for religious affairs, said the House would push the government to protect all its citizens and end attack on Ahmadiyah followers for good.

“This week, we will summon the National Police chief and minister of religious affairs,” Abdul said. “Possibly also religious figures and the Indonesian Ulema Council [MUI]. I must admit that the government seems to be not proactive in detecting the attacks. Violence, in any form, must not happen to our people.”


He recommended the government adopt short-term and long-term solutions to stop the conflicts.

First of all, the government must make assurance that any of its people were harassed, he said.

“The government must take firm action,” the lawmaker from the National Awakening Party (PKB) said.

Abdul urged the National Police to launch an investigation and arrest anyone found to be involved in the killings.

He also asked the police to listen to Ahmadiyah’s side of the story.

The long-term solution is to evaluate the joint-ministerial decree among three ministries and the government must initiate a dialogue with Ahmadiyah followers, he said.

“We are ready to discuss the bill on religious harmony, to give a stronger legal base,” he said. “The government has no right to say that certain belief is fallacious.”

“The MUI once said that Ahmadiyah is fallacious, but must we use violence to show that the belief is wrong and that ours is the right one?”

He said there should have been discussions among societies to nurture pluralism across the archipelago.

“[The freedom to embrace] beliefs must be guaranteed [by the government]. It’s people’s private affairs with God,” he said.


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