Indonesia: Ahmadiyah Muslims continue worshiping at sealed mosque

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South Jakarta municipal officers sealed the mosque on June 8, last year because it had 'no permit from the local administration for hosting worship activities.'

File photo: Ahmadiyya congregation prays outside their sealed mosque

Times of Ahmad | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Post
By TJP | May 14, 2016

Pressure from intolerant people and the sealing-off of Ahmadis’ Annur mosque in Bukit Duri, South Jakarta, by the local administration last year, have not discouraged the mosque’s members from continuing to worship there.

“We pray five times a day here with congregations of three to four people every day,” the group’s leader, Muhammad Ali, told The Jakarta Post recently.

Ali, who is living at the mosque together with his wife, Hana Renata, said that he and his followers also recited the Koran together at the mosque every day.

However, he said, he did not practice Friday prayers at the mosque because he usually had to deliver sermons at other Ahmadiyah Indonesia Congregation ( JAI ) mosques in Duren Sawit in East Jakarta, Kebayoran Baru in South Jakarta and in Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta.

Moreover, there is a chance South Jakarta Public Order Agency ( Satpol PP ) officers would disperse the congregation if Annur hosted Friday prayers, Ali said.

South Jakarta municipal officers sealed the mosque on June 8, last year because it had no permit from the local administration for hosting worship activities and about 50 locals had protested outside the mosque and blocked the road off with a long bamboo stick.

Satpol PP head Ujang Harmawan told the Post on Wednesday that his agency encouraged Annur members to pray at other mosques belonging to Ahmadiyah Indonesia Congregation.

Ali said that he and other JAI members did not pray at mosques managed by Muslims of other sects that followed other schools of thought.

Muslims of other sects, unlike Ahmadis, do not acknowledge Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as their Imam Mahdi ( guided leader ).

Ali said Annur sometimes hosted meetings of young JAI members without being disturbed by protesters.

The congregation members also join with other JAI members for social activities in Jakarta, including cleaning up trash in the city following New Year celebrations.

Meanwhile, Zaitun Azhari, chief of community unit ( RW ) 08 of Bukit Duri subdistrict, said that she had not seen any activity at the Annur mosque since last year.

She said that Diantono, a former Annur leader, had asked for a recommendation letter for his children to move to another school in Tanjung Priok.

“Diantono has moved to Tanjung Priok with his children, but he still holds a Bukit Duri identity card,” Zaitun told the Post recently.

Ali, who used to lead the Nuruddin mosque on Jl. Kebun Bawang in Tanjung Priok, said that he had replaced Diantono as Annur leader two months ago.

Diantono is now the leader of the Nuruddin mosque, according to Ali.

Ahmad Syakir, a local Muslim leader in Bukit Duri, said that he neither had seen any activity by the Annur mosque members since Idul Fitri last year.

Ahmad told the Post recently he had invited Annur members to pray at his Assalafiah mosque in Bulit Duri but they had refused. ( rez )


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