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| Photo: AP/BBC - Member of Ahmadiyah sect Deden Sudjana, centre, speaks to the press after his trial at a district court in Serang, Banten, Indonesia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2011 |
Source/Credit: BBC News | Asia-Pacific
By BBC | August 15, 2011
Deden Sudjana, who was injured by a machete in the attack, said the verdict was embarrassing
Rights groups have expressed outrage after an Indonesian court jailed a Muslim sect member for defending himself from a brutal mob attack.
The court jailed Ahmadiyah member Deden Sudjana for six months, a heavier term than many of the attackers received.
Three Ahmadiyah members were bludgeoned to death in an attack by a 1,000-strong mob of hardliners in February. No-one was charged with murder.
US-based Human Rights Watch said Sudjana's sentence was appalling.
"It seems like the Ahmadiyah face blatant discrimination not just from Islamic militant mobs, but also from an Indonesian court," said the group's Elaine Pearson.
Sudjana was hit with a machete and almost had his hand severed during the attack, which pitted about 20 Ahmadiyah followers against more than 1,000 fanatics in the village of Cikeusik, west Java.
But the court ruled that he had disobeyed a police order to leave the scene, and had been filmed punching another man.
Sudjana told the AFP news agency that the verdict was embarrassing.
"I'm purely a victim who has been criminalised in my own country," he said.
"There was no police order to evacuate and I hit the man because he entered our house of worship, calling us infidels, and ordered people to kill us. Isn't it normal that I hit the man as an act of self-defence?"
Video footage of the attack shows crowds of hardliners beating a small group of Ahmadis as police watch.
So far 12 of the attackers have been found guilty of minor offences and sentenced to between three and six months.
Read original post here: Indonesia Ahmadiyah attack: Outrage over victim jailing
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/08/15/cikeusik-ahmadi-leader-gets-6-months-prison.html
ReplyDeleteMirza Imran Ahsan, Sydney | Tue, 16/08/2011 - 07:08am
It is very unfortunate that the case is lodged against him in the first place and now handing him punishment for protecting property! Police failed to protect its citizens and were allowing the perpetrators of the vicious attack to take over Ahmadi properties too and thus evict them forever from the place. How unfortunate is Indonesia to have such justice system. The Ahmadis were overwhelmed by a large mob who disregarded any law of the land and attacked a small community gathered to pray in their own property. Indonesia has a population of 240 million including 20% religious minorities. Such manifest vindictiveness on part of majority represented by extremists and the courts, will slowly and gradually lead to dissatisfaction amongst all minorities. This will create huge divisions in times to come. Indonesia should take lead from Singapore, indeed a small city nation, and develop a perception of liberal and free society for all its people where all minorities have equal rights as citizens and anything opposing this perception is taken very sternly by the government. The liberal perceptions are very important for a healthy and progressive society. The malice and meanness shown by extremists to the minorities as in Indonesia cannot be considered isolated when Indonesian courts encourage their vicious causes by punishing the victims. A sham justice system indeed.