Source/Credit: The Jakarta Post | Headlines
By Yuli Tri Suwarni and Andi Hajramurni | February 11, 2011
Amid a rising wave of religious intolerance in the country, there is at least some signs of a change in Gorontalo, where the Forum for the Harmony of Religious Followers (FKUB) pledged to protect followers of the Ahmadiyah sect from persecution.
The pledge was made in Gorontalo on Thursday in a declaration prepared by religious leaders. They asked the government to take tough measures against mass organizations that incited violence and spread hate speech.
FKUB Gorontalo chairman Syaipudin Mateka said the declaration was made in an effort to prevent religious conflict in Gorontalo.
He explained that the forum deplored the recent killing of three Ahmadis in Banten and attacks on three churches in Central Java.
“There are not many Ahmadiyah followers in Gorontalo, only around 20 people. They are mostly from other cities,” Syaipudin was quoted as saying by news portal kompas.com.
“However, we will protect them as long as they don’t disturb the religious harmony in the city,” he added.
Meanwhile, despite President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s call for tough measures against extremists, persecution of Ahmadiyah followers has intensified as ofThursday.
Even administrative officials, including the heads of Cipedes village and Cipedes district in Tasikmalaya, West Java, ordered Ahmadis to close their mosques.
Tasikmalaya Ahmadiyah coordinator Encang Zarkasih said the orders were an act of intimidation to frighten Ahmadis.
“What is our crime? We pray at our mosque. Why must we close our house of worship?” Encang asked.
Dozens of police officers were posted at five mosques and orphanages run by Ahmadis in Tasikmalaya following a protest by members of the hard-line Islam Defenders Front (FPI) a day earlier.
Despite the closure order and intimidation, the Ahmadis insisted they would not close down their mosques, one of which dates back to the 1940s.
In Makassar, South Sulawesi, religious leaders were asked to spread messages of love and peace to their followers in a bid to thwart any incidents of violence.
In Temanggung, Central Java, which was overrun by violent angry mobs who attacked churches Tuesday, daily activity had returned to normal Thursday.
Agus Maryono contributed to this article from Purwokerto, Central Java.
Read original post here: Gorontalo religious leaders offer Ahmadis protection
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