Monthly Report on Religious Issues - The Wahid Institute

38EditionNovember 2011

Monthly Report on Religious Issues

WAHID InstituteThe

At the end of the year, we would have liked freedom of religion and belief in Indonesia to have improved. Unfortunately, this was far from the case given the recent events. The beheading of the

Virgin Mary statue at the Virgin Mary Cave in Tawangmangu has been the most heart-wrenching of these incidents. The peaceful atmosphere that had existed for decades was broken by an irresponsible party. They not only vandalised the pilgrimage site, but also “hurt the religious feelings of Catholics”, according to the Archbishop of Semarang, Monsignor Johanes Pujisummarta Pr. The pain was only to only increase as Catholics prepared to celebrate the approaching Christmas.

Another issue involved deviant sects. In several regions, such as in Lombok, the security apparatus partnered up with other institutes to disband sects considered deviant. This partnership is abnormal considering the fact that the apparatus should be neutral in protecting all citizens, whether they have been deemed deviant or not. The apparatus arrested the followers of the deviant sect, arguing that it was for their own protection, but then questioned them over their religious activities.

Besides these tragic and depressing incidents, we are still obliged to maintain an optimistic attitude. We hope that the ruling on the vandalism by FPI in South Sulawesi takes public justice into account. In addition, the letter from Amnesty International concerning Ahmadiyah might be able to bring about a “change” in the policies of West Bandung regency. It will at least push decision makers, including the Minister for Religious Affairs and the Minister for Internal Affairs, to adopt a stance that considers minorities rather than favouring a particularly minority or being pressured by certain groups.

Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXXVIII, November 2011 2

Virgin Mary Statue Beheaded By: Nurun Nisa’

Once again we should be concerned about and deeply sorry for what our fellow

citizens must experience. The vandalism and sealing of places of worship has still not ceased, and the most recent target was the statue at Mary’s Cave of the Holy Waters, in Sendang, Sepanjan, Tawangmangu, Karanganyar, Central Java on Wednesday night (14/12).

The unknown perpetrators vandalised property used for worship found in the grave, which is a place of pilgrimage. They removed the head from the Virgin Mary statue, and possibly took it with them as it was nowhere to be found. In addition, the one and a half meter high Millennium Cross and statues of the small holy family were missing. Angel statues and vessel for holy water were also vandalised.

“The perpetrators beheaded the Virgin Mary statue, took down and vandalised the Cross made of wood that stood 1.5 metres high on the alter in the cave, removed the statues of the small holy family were missing, smashed the glass table below the alter, and destroyed two angel statues and a vessel for holy water,” said Louhgi Tri Amboro,

the general head of the Karanganyar Parish of Holy Mary, Mother of God and also manager of Mary’s Cave of the Holy Waters, as cited in Suara Pembaruan (16/12).

The vandalism was only discovered the following day, but is thought to have occurred at 23.30 the night before. According to Suara Pembaruan (16/12), Narto, head of the local community association unit (RW) who watches over the cave, went to check that everything was ok. He found nothing out of order. One and a half hours later, a local resident saw a torch light near the cave, but ignored it because he thought it was just one of the pilgrims praying. The following day, at about 10am, local residents passing by the cave on their way to their fields saw the vandalism. It caused quite a commotion as they realised the statue of Mary and several others were vandalised or missing.

The incident caused much anxiety particularly because prior to it there has been few issues between the managers/location of the cave and the local residents, the majority of whom are Muslim. In fact, Narto, the cave’s guard, is a Muslim. Local residents have always been happy with the significant numbers of pilgrims as they have increased the local economy, as explained by Tria Amboro.

A similar incident only occurred once in 1986, and it only involved damage to the statue of the Virgin Mary. There were no problems after that. The most recent incident has really been felt. “The vandalism of the statue has hurt the Catholic community. We hope that the security apparatus will investigate the incident and uncover the perpetrators, and deal with them in accordance with the law or our Pancasila state,” stated the Archbishop of Semarang, Monsignor Johanes Pujisummarta Pr, in an email

to the Wahid Institute (17/12). Father Johanes expressed his concern over the frequency of violence in religious life – the vandalism of Mary’s Cave was the third incident in Central Java, following the vandalism of a church during unrest in Temanggung and the bombing of Kepunton GBIS.

The police responded immediately and examined the crime scene. The Police Chief also expressed his concern. “On Friday 16 December 2011 at about 16.30, the Central Java Police Chief, Didiek Sutomo, phoned me, apologised for the vandalism at the cave and promised to investigate the incident,” Father Pujisumarta explained. The head of the local church, the Karanganyar Parish in Surakarta himself worked with community leaders and the local security apparatus to handle the incident.

Father Pujisumarta hopes that in the future violence will not be a solution to interreligious issues. “I urge all people to not repay evil with evil. Particularly in the lead up to Christmas, we should all be aware of evil attempts to disrupt public tranquillity,” he said. According to Father Pujisumarta it would be great if Indonesian society could, as far as possible, live in a civilised community. Violence, destruction of other peoples’ property and vandalism would thus not be used in response to issues that arose from living together. In addition, social morals respecting the property of other people needs to be continually reinforced.

Whoever the perpetrators were, they need to be brought to justice and punished accordingly. Here, motive is an important matter. Father Pujisumarta himself said that only the perpetrators knew the motive behind the incident. “That is if the perpetrators want to speak honestly about their motive,” he said.

[M]

“The vandalism of the statue has hurt the Catholic

community. We hope that the security apparatus will

investigate the incident and uncover the perpetrators,

and deal with them in accordance with the law

or our Pancasila state,” stated the Archbishop

of Semarang, Monsignor Johanes Pujisummarta Pr

The WAHID Institute 3

JIS Labelled Deviant by Sukabumi MUI, Investigated by Police By: Dindin Abdullah Ghazali (INCReS Bandung)

MUI in Sukabumi issued a fatwa or religious decree declaring the group that calls itself

Jamaah Islam Suci (JIS, the Holy Islam Congregation) deviant. JIS is said to have spread its teachings for three years, with its base of support primarily in Ciburial village, Gunung Guruh, Sukabumi, West Java.

“After investigating the sect by the name Islam Suci in an MUI meeting, we decided that the group is deviant. This sect denies both the pillars of Islam and the pillars of faith,” said the head of the Sukabumi MUI Fatwa Commission, KH Komarudin, after heading the meeting discussing JIS at the MUI Secretariat in Sukabumi, as cited by Vivanews.com (12/11).

The study, which according to MUI was based on a report by a JIS member whose identity remains anonymous, concluded that JIS used a different method of worshiping compared to the method used by the majority of Muslims. The members of the group led by Cecep alias Mama bin Danu Wikarta only prayed three times a day, which they called the prayer to the four corners. The group itself is estimated to have had up to 80 members spread throughout a number of regions over the past three years.

As a result, MUI in Sukabumi

declared the sect as deviant. The fatwa stated that followers of the sect should disband and stop all activities. In addition, the MUI fatwa asked the relevant authorities to take action against the sect. “We are afraid that the local residents who are becoming restless with the sects activities may become violent. Therefore we have asked the security apparatus to intervene and disband the sect,” said KH Zaenal Falah, a member of the Fatwa Commission of Sukabumi MUI.

In response to the fatwa, as reported by Radarsukabumi.com, Sukabumi Police searched the headquarters of JIS on Friday (18/11). Under the directions of the head of Sukabumi CID, Adjunct Commissioner of Police Engkus Kuswaha, the police approached Ciburial village, RT 63/12, in Gunung Gurah, Sukabumi.

The first home they searched belonged to Cecep’s younger brother, Dandan Marta alias Abi (41), which was believed to be the sect’s ritual place. They searched the 18x8 metre squared house but only found a prayer room of 5x5 metres squared and another 3x3 metres squared room. In the latter, the walls were covered in vibrant green cloth. There was also a toilet, bed, a 14 inch television, miniature coloured flags and CDs of puppet shows. “This room is for my penance, and I also sleep here. Why is it green? Because I like the colour green. I covered the walls with green cloth only about two weeks ago,” said Dandan as cited by Radarsukabumi.com (18/11).

Dandan denied that he and his family were spreading deviant teachings. In order to convince the officers, Dandan recited the confession of faith twice and listed the pillars of faith and the pillars of Islam in detail. Dandan even said he prayed five times with his congregation. “I admit we don’t like to pray at the mosque. But what’s wrong with praying at home? This is slander of my family. My

Islam is the same as other Muslims,” he said.

Dandan also explained that Cecep, the leader of JIS, had left for Jakarta two months ago but that he did not know his address. “I’ve tried to call his mobile number several times. I don’t know if he’s changed it, I don’t know if he’s sold it because his number is no longer active. But I want to tell him the news that we’ve been labelled deviant. I just found that out from the police who came here,” he said.

After searching Dandan’s house, the police went to Cecep’s house just 300 metres away. They asked Cecep’s eldest child, Dian Setiawan, about her father. She said she did not know. “As far as I know, my father was not propagating a deviant sect. I don’t know where he is at the moment either,” she said.

The police have also been unable to find any proof of JIS’ deviance, except that some of its 20 members include children. “We are still investigating indications of a deviant sect in Gunung Guruh. Officers have searched the location, but preliminary investigations have found no evidence. For the time being we will continue to monitor the situation and collect evidence,” said the Sukabumi Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner of Police Witnu Urip Laksana as cited by Vivanews.com (22/11). In order to maintain law and order, the Police Chief himself deployed the police along with Babinkamtibmas officers (field officers in charge of public security). They were instructed to increase security and each Babinkamtibmas officer was ordered to approach at least two houses a day. The door-to-door approach was intended to prevent anything undesirable from occurring.

A week after the search, dozens of residents suspected of being JIS members prayed together at the Jami Nurul Huda Mosque situated not far

“After investigating the sect by the name Islam

Suci in an MUI meeting, we decided that the group is deviant. This sect denies

both the pillars of Islam and the pillars of faith,” said the head of the Sukabumi

MUI Fatwa Commission, KH Komarudin


FPI Commander on Trial By: Mahmud Subarka, H (LAPAR Makassar)

from the Gunung Guruh village offices. Their presence drew no attention and they were allowed to pray without interference. In the afternoon Dandan

Marta and Dian Setiawan repented after having sent a letter to MUI several days previously. MUI at both the regency and district levels planned to visit the

two on a weekly basis in the hope that Dandan and Dian’s repentance had been motivated purely out of their own desires. [M]

The trial for those involved in the vandalism of Coto Café and South Sulawesi FPI headquarters, as well

as the attack of Farid Wajdi, a member of the Legal Aid Institute, began on Tuesday (08/11). The first hearing was held in the Cakra room of the Makassar Court and was lead by the Chief Justice of the court, Andi Makassau. The two other judges were Isjunaedi and Makmur.

During the hearing Prosecutor Muhammad Adnan read out the indictment. The three defendants were accused of abusing and attacking the owner of Coto Café and Restaurant in AP Pettarani, Makassar, during Ramadan in August. “As such, the three defendants are charged under article 170 and article 351 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment,” explained Prosecutor Muhammad Adnan to the judges, as cited by VIVAnews (08/11). The three defendants were FPI Commander Abdurrahman Assagaf and two other FPI members, Riswandi and Arifuddin.

During the hearing which was attended by 50 FPI members, Faisal Silenang, the lawyer representing the defendants, asked the judge for bail for his clients. He guaranteed that the three defendants would be cooperative

during the trial and would not disappear. Faisal also said he would not rebut the charges made and asked for the hearing to continue.

The 15 minute hearing was followed by another in which witnesses were to be presented on Tuesday (15/11). However witnesses Rahman, Sapri, Sani, and Ikbal did not attend so the hearing was postponed. Chief Justice Andi Makassau told Public Prosecutor A Chandra to meet the witnesses for the next hearing.

The third hearing in which the witnesses were finally presented was held on Tuesday (23/11). Ahmad, the first witness and owner of Coto Café on Jl. Pettarani, said that he never received a letter informing him to close his café during the day from any department. It was this letter that FPI used as justification of its attacks on cafes that remained open. Not having received a letter, Ahmad remained open, leaving the café door half open. However, the attack by FPI happened so quickly that he was not sure if it the three defendants were the attackers. However Ahmad said that he had forgiven them. “I have already forgiven them, sir,” Ahmad said to the judges, as quoted by Tribuntimur.com (23/11).

Meanwhile Rusdi Kaharuddin, who usually sells alcohol, said that Riswandi vandalised his property and beat him up. “At the time I parried the blows with my hands, sir, but then he hit me with the charity box I keep in my café,” he explained.

The Makassar Court provided tight security throughout the trials in anticipation of tension or conflict in court

involving FPI members and Ahmadiyah members from South Sulawesi. “It was to anticipate anything that could have interfered with the trial in court. Thus the court coordinated with the police to tighten security both inside and outside the court,” said the Chief of General Crime of the Makassar Public Prosecutor’s Office, Andi Muldani Fajrin, as cited by Tribuntimur.com (19/10).

The Chief Justice of the Makassar Court, Andi Makassau, and the defendants’ lawyer also guaranteed that security would be maintained. “If anyone tries to provoke another party, we will take firm action,” he said. Meanwhile Faisal Silenang said he had already talked with the defendants and FPI supporters about behaving appropriately. These guarantees of security were very important in light of the fact that the head of South Sulawesi FPI, Habib Muhsin, planned to mobilise 300 people to attend the first hearing.

Certainty that the first hearing would be held was only obtained when the case files were submitted on Monday (08/11). The second part was only received from the Makasar Police 10 days later. This signified that Abdurrahman’s trial would begin. He was still being detained until his trial was over, despite the fact that his official detention period had ended. “The defendant is still in detention. Because of the second part, the prosecutor will detain the defendant for the first 20 days. So far we still have not received an application for suspension of detention from the defendants or their lawyer,” said Muldani as quoted by Komhukum.com (30/11).

“At the time I parried the blows with my hands,

sir, but then he hit me with the charity box I keep in my café,” said Rusdi Kaharuddin,

a victim of South Sulawesi FPI’s sweeping


Bedatuan Tradition-Based Group Deemed Deviant By: Yusuf Tantowi (Lensa NTB)

Print and online media have been reporting about the emergence of a deviant sect in North Lombok

regency, in Semokan village, Sukadana, Bayan. The head of the village and some residents believe that the group is propagating deviant teachings. The group is called the Bedatuan.

For some residents, the group once announced that it had received orders from a friend of Prophet Muhammad, Sayyidina Ali. The group also claimed to be able to trace its lineage back to the first president of Indonesia, Sukarno and to treat the ill using traditional methods. It is these elements that the village apparatus and some residents feel are abnormal.

The head of Sukadana village, Sojati said that the Bedatuan teachings propagated by Inak Ramingen and his followers had been going on for the last four years. As a result Sojati asked the traditional elders to hand out a traditional punishment for the members of the sect.

The head of the People’s Consultative Body in Sukadana, R. Nyakradi, said that resolution of the Bedatuan issue could not be achieved through approaches involving traditional law, religion or the government, but must be resolved through dialogue.

In response to the Bedatuan issue, the community, traditional leaders, religious leaders and village officers held a meeting on 17 October 2011. The meeting was held at Longkak Lake in Akar-Akar, Bayan, North Lombok.

“The meeting was aimed at finding a solution to the issues that arise such as the propagation of a deviant sect in Semokan. In addition the meeting also discussed how in the future the traditional elders would take care in performing rituals so that there would be no deviation from the customs already agreed on,” said Amak Nurana, a traditional elder to Mataramnews.com.

During the meeting it was collectively agreed, as read out by Amak Lokak Tuak Turun, that the members of Ramingen’s deviant sect would be evicted from Sukadana village and would stop all activities. Several traditional elders and community leaders were selected to inform Ramingen and his followers about the result of the meeting.

“We have already selected several traditional elders to present the results of the meeting, which if not obliged by, will be followed by firm action and their eviction from Sukadana,” said a number of traditional elders present at the meeting.

Fathul Rahman, a man from

Tanjung, North Lombok who had been observing the group for some time, said that the Bedatuan group was not a deviant sect because they did not teach new or different teachings from the majority of Muslims. He said the Bedatuan was a traditional group established by Tanjung datu (priests) to maintain their social status in society. They wanted to revive customary laws and the beliefs of their ancestors. The majority of the group’s followers were from Lendang Jeliti, Rowah Bangket, Sukadan, Bayan.

“That’s why they often hold traditional festivals. They ask their followers for chicken, goats or cows for the festivals. Only they sometimes hold these festivals at times that are forbidden by the traditional community in the north. It could be this that has offended the other traditional elders,” he said.

Fathul explained that the traditional society of North Lombok had their own calendar for holding traditional festivals. If they do not adhere to this calendar they could receive a traditional sanction in the form of being evicted from their village. “This is what the Bedatuan have violated, so a meeting was held to discuss the issue. So I don’t agree that the Bedatuan are a deviant sect” he said.

The chief of West Lombok police confirmed, through the head of Bayan police, Second Inspector Kadek Metria, that he had not received a report. “We have not received a report, but we will continue to monitor the situation for public law and roder,” he said, as cited by MataramNews.com (10/10).

“We have already selected several traditional

elders to present the results of the meeting, which if not obliged by, will be followed

by firm action and their eviction from Sukadana,”

said a number of traditional elders present at the

meeting.

Deviant Shack Burnt Down By: Nurun Nisa’

A shack on Mekodek Mountain in Pecatu, Sasak, Seruni Mumbul, Pringgabaya, East Lombok was

stormed by dozens of local residents who thought that it was a site for the practice of a deviant sect. According to

several parties, it was used by people who would chant Allah’s name in an act of remembrance while playing


Residents Oppose Pekiringan GBI ServicesBy: Nurun Nisa’

musical instruments. “They would chant Allah’s name while drinking alcohol and playing musical instruments. They even let males and females intermingle,” said Abu Adnan, a resident of Seruni village, as quoted by Vivanews.com (05/12).

The residents and 18 officers from Pringgabaya police approached the shack on Saturday (04/12). In the shack they found about 50 people performing a ritual. One person, thought to be the leader, was naked, as reported by Lompokpost.com (05/12). The residents wanted to disperse the participants but the situation became tense. The police then took seven people to the Pringgabaya police station. Of those detained was Khairuddin Ahmad, the leader of the sect.

However, the incident was not over. 24 hours later the residents returned to the shack, which they found to be empty. The couple who lived there could

do little in the face of the crowd. They surrendered when the local residents took several ritual objects, including a bamboo flute. They also found several jerry cans of palm wine the remainder of which had been emptied into 5 water bottles, and sharp weapons. They took these and then set the shack on fire.

They did so arguing that it would help save the Muslim community. They were afraid that if the sect was not immediately disbanded, it could damage the morality of the Muslim community. After just a few months the sect had accumulated about 50 followers.

The police confirmed that the shack had been burnt down. “It was not a house, just a shack. The case is being handled by Pringgabaya police,” said the head of East Lombok CID, Adjunct Commissioner of Police Yuyan Priatmaja, as quoted by Lombokpost.com (05/12). Meanwhile, the head of Pringgabaya police, Adjunct Commissioner of Police Eko Mulyadi, said that his team and local residents had visited the shack on Mekodek Mountain on Saturday night.

After the arson, a meeting was held at the Seruni village offices. The meeting was attended by representatives of the East Lombok government, including Bakesbangpoldagri (Department for National Unity and Internal Politics), the Officer of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Head of Military Command 1615, the Assistant Police Chief, the Pringgabaya Police Chief, community leaders

and representatives of Khairuddin Ahmad’s sect. the head of East Lombok Bakesbangpoldagri, H. Syarif Waliyulloh, said that the meeting was in order to greet the residents of Pecatu village and to allow the Ministry of Religious Affairs to impart information. “In the meeting the East Lombok Ministry of Religious Affairs announced that the group’s teachings were deviant,” said Syarif, as quoted by Lombokpost.com (06/12). As a result, the sect was disbanded.

In addition, the members of the sect were asked to write a declaration to the effect that they had stopped all activities. “We believe that the group’s activities are purely for enjoyment and violate cultural and Islamic norms,” he added. Syarif even asked for the residents to participate in monitoring the sect. He asked them to report to the authorities if they saw groups of more than five people running activities for 24 hours or more. Such groups, Syarif said, were suspicious.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the group is more of a shamanistic group rather than a religious sect. However its use of alcohol, according to police, has led to unrest in society. “The current explanation by the leader who is said to be deviant is that it is a treatment,” explained the assistant head of East Lombok police, Police Commissioner Darsono SA.

[M]

Syarif even asked for the residents to participate in

monitoring the sect. He asked them to report to

the authorities if they saw groups of more than five people running activities

for 24 hours or more. Such groups, Syarif said, were

suspicious.

Hundreds of residents from RW 01 Pekalipan and RW 02 Karangmoncol, Pekalipan,

Cirebon have protested beside Pekiringan GBI (Gereja Bethel Indonesia, Indonesian Bethel Church) since Sunday morning (16/10). They have erected banners objecting to the existence of the church and its services.

Ardiansyah, coordinator for the

residents, said that the church was built 10 years ago but had not sought permission from the local residents, though the

residents had remained patient. “We

have been patient for 10 years with the church’s activities,” Ardiansyah explained, as cited by Republika Online (16/10). The church, he said, planned instead to build a permanent building beside the current house-come-shop. Another reason for the protest was the introduction of Decree No 452.2/1478-Adm. Kesra which put a stop to the activities and construction of Pekiringan GBI. This

“Find us another place first,” said Dedi Suwandi from

Pekiringan GBI


decree by the Mayor of Cirebon, Subardi, was issued on 26 September 2011.

The decree meant that all services had been banned for the last two months. However GBI did not oblige by the decree because it had no alternative building in which to host its 600 members. “Find us another place first,” said Dedi Suwandi in response to a request by the local branch of the Ministry of Religious Affairs to stop

all services in accordance with the decree by the Forum for Religious Harmony (FKUB) and the Mayor.

The protest was chaotic but the police were able to bring it under control. The Assistant Chief of Cirebon Police, Police Commissioner Didit Eko arrived at the scene and asked all parties to abide by the law. The local residents were asked not to become violent while

the church was asked to adhere to the regulations.

On the same day an agreement was made. Mass was allowed to be held that day until 18.00 but was not allowed for the following week. GP Anshor in Cirebon had supported the church and its activities, but the authorities who bowed to mass pressure meant that there was little that GP Anshor could do.

Amnesty International Urges the Ministry of Religious Affairs to Revoke the Ban on Ahmadiyah Activities By: Alamsyah M. Dja’far and Nurun Nisa’

The human rights monitoring body Amnesty International has urged the Minister of Internal

Affairs Gamawan Fauzi to revoke the West Java Gubernatorial Regulation No. 12/2011 and all other local and national regulations that restrict the activities of the Ahmadiyah community in Indonesia. “The West Java Gubernatorial Regulation No.12/2011 and the closure or acquisition of Ahmadiyah’s places of worship violate the rights of the Ahmadiyah community to freedom of religion or belief,” said Donna Guest, the assistant director for Asia Pacific in an open letter on Friday (14/10).

Through its monitoring activities the London based institute found evidence that the West Java

Gubernatorial Regulation that banned Ahmadiyah activities in West Java and was issued on 3 March 2011 was being used by a number of groups to legitimise acts of intimidation and violence against Ahmadiyah followers in West Java.

Article 3 of the regulation bans Ahmadiyah members from “engaging in activities related to propagation of religious interpretations and activities that deviate from the primary teachings of Islam”. Such activities include spreading the Ahmadiyah teachings, erecting boards displaying the group’s name in public places, places of worship or educational institutes, and using the Ahmadiyah logo in any form.

Amnesty believed that the ban contradicted a number of regulations, one of which is Article 2(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This article states that human rights must be protected “without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status”.

In addition, the letter which was sent to the National Police Chief Timur Pradopo, the Minister for Law and Human Rights Patrialis Akbar, the Minister for Religious Affairs Suryadharma Ali, the Governor of West Java Ahmad Heryawan, and the head of the National Commission

on Human Rights Ifdhal Kasim, Amnesty also presented a chronology of cases of intimidation and violence against Ahmadiyah in West Java. The first was an attack against Ahmadiyah property and acts of intimidation. At 11pm on 29 March 2011, in Sukagalih village, Sukaratu, Tasikmalaya, about 100 people were reported to have attacked a house belonging to an Ahmadiyah member. The attackers broke the house windows with pot plants, stones and rocks while yelling out obscenities and religious slogans. Several days after the attack, two banners were erected in front of the main house and across the road leading towards the house and had been signed by FPI and Garis members. The banners read, amongst other things, “Thanks to the West Java Governor for issuing Regulation 12/2011 banning Ahmadiyah activities and propagation”.

The second attack occurred ten 10 days after the West Java Governor issued the regulation, when Babinsa (non-commissioned village officers) and Bojongpicung police officers approached the Ahmadiyah elders in Cipeuyem village, Haruwangi and asked them to allow non Ahmadiyah preachers to use Ahmadiyah facilities during prayers. The Ahmadiyah elders refused the request.

The third incident occurred on 1 April 2011 when a village head was reported to have approached a family in

“The West Java Gubernatorial Regulation

No.12/2011 and the closure or acquisition of

Ahmadiyah’s places of worship violate the rights of the Ahmadiyah community

to freedom of religion or belief,” said Donna Guest, the

assistant director for Asia Pacific


Deemed Deviant, AKI Headquarters Sealed by Police and the Community By: Nurun Nisa’

Sukadana village, Campaka and ordered them to give up their belief in the Ahmadiyah faith or leave their house. The village head also offered them Rp 300,000 to sign a declaration to that effect but the family decided to leave the village not long after. The family is now saving money to build a house in an area closer to the main Ahmadiyah

community in Sukadana village. In its recommendation,

Ahmadiyah urged the police to investigate the intimidation, threats and violence against the Ahmadiyah community in West Java thoroughly, independently and impartially. In addition, it asked police to ensure that the results of any findings be made

public and submitted, where relevant, to the Public Prosecutor so that everyone suspected of involvement in violating human rights could be dealt with by the legal system. This process would involve fulfilling international standards on justice that would not involve the death sentence but would allow the victims the right to reparation. [M]

Together with community members, the North Klaten Muspika (District Leadership Council) sealed off

a house rented by Guntur, who they suspected of being an AKI member on Friday night (14/10). The closure was suspected to have been because Guntur was propagating a deviant sect under the guise of treating people. The sect was causing unrest in society due to its noisy nightly activities. Their activities are often held until 03.00 in the morning, and are felt to be rather weird,” explained Drs Sofan, the district head of North Klaten, as cited by Mediaindonesia.com (16/10). The activities have been described as weird because often hysterical crying can be heard from members during the ritual. This led to the belief that the group practices deviant teachings.

The local police apparatus has said that it took preventative steps to engage in dialogue. However the initiative failed because the Muspika and the community had already come to an agreement together. “It turned out that the local residents had agreed with Muspika officials to close the AKI headquarters, located at the house in Girimulyo village,” explained the chief of Klaten police, Adjunct Senior Commissioner of Police Kalingga Rendra Raharja, as quoted by Harianjoglosemar.com (17/10). The AKI headquarters is located at a house owned by Widodo, and rented by Guntur in Girimulyo village, North Klaten.

The district head of North Klaten had his own excuse. He believed that the closure reflected the aspirations of the local community. Guntur and his followers had been given a warning but had not heeded it. “We have warned them time and time again but they ignored it, so we took action,” said the district head, as cited by Cyber Media (16/10). After receiving the report, the district head lead a group to visit the house. Besides the district head, also present was the police chief, head of the local military command, village officers, MMI’s military wing, and other community elements. The district head described the action as “having protection from the Klaten police and

North Klaten Muspika”. Jumadi, the head of the Mosque Activist Communication Forum (FKAM) in Klaten, said that locals had been uneasy for some time with the increase in number of AKI followers.

When the group arrived at the house, Guntur and the 23 people inside were holding a religious ritual. The authorities then “arrested” them but in the end only Guntur was detained. Before the others were released the police took their details. At the same time, a number of AKI attributes were seized, including a board displaying the sect’s name, books, Qur’ans, AKI logos and other equipment.

Guntur himself explained that he was practicing a method of treatment. He said he was helping people experiencing difficulties by enlightening them. “There is a mentally challenged person and one who has had a stroke and I treat them,” he said, as quoted by Cyber News (10/17). The patients are given a remembrance prayer and are asked for voluntary payments for the sacrifice of goats. The goat meat is then distributed between local residents. Guntur said that he had learnt about AKI when in Jakarta. A local of Kenjengan village, Central Klaten, he denied that he was the AKI leader, saying that the sect had no organisational structure.

By Monday (17/10) seven people had been investigated. In addition the

“It turned out that the local residents had

agreed with Muspika officials to close the AKI

headquarters, located at the house in Girimulyo village,”

explained the chief of Klaten police, Adjunct Senior

Commissioner of Police Kalingga Rendra Raharja


two witnesses who had reported the sect, MMI members Abu Faaza and Jumadi, were asked for explanations. Another witness who reported the sect was the head of the Local Representative Standing Committee of MMI in Klaten, Bony Azwar, and he was also interviewed. Jumadi lived near the police station and was involved in the raid and in reporting

Guntur for religious defamation. The police also placed security around the house to prevent any violence from groups in society.

At the time of writing, the police had yet to determine if Guntur’s teachings were the same as the AKI sect that had been banned in West Java a year ago. In Central Java, AKI was

monitored between 2005-2007. AKI has been grouped together with Al-Alif (Inkar Sunnah), al-Qiyadah al-Islamiyah, and Islam Sejati as a deviant sect because it does not require all members to pray and mixes fragrant oils with the water used to cleanse before prayer. AKI, as reported by Suara Merdeka (23/11/07), has also developed in Purworejo. [M]

Hindu Retreat Burnt by MassesBy: Dindin Abdullah Ghazali (INCReS Bandung)

About 600 people vandalised and burnt to the ground a Hindu retreat at the foot of

Mount Wayang in Ciraksamala RT 30/04, Pulosari, Kalapanunggal, Sukabumi, West Java on Monday afternoon (14/11). There were no victims as the occupants of the building were visiting Jakarta. However seven buildings within the site were destroyed, with estimated losses up to Rp 1 billion.

The people were members of the Muslim Communication Forum (FKJM) in Kalapanunggal, the Islamic Reformation Movement (Garis), the Muslim Forum (FUI), and local residents who suspected that the site was used illegally for rituals. They said that the rituals usually practiced every Saturday and Sunday were causing unrest in society.

Before the incident, the masses

had given the manager of the retreat an ultimatum to tear down the buildings by 13 November 2011. They became irate when the manager failed to do so. “The deadline had been given at a meeting of community leaders, ulama, youth and Muspika a month ago. Their permit is not for a place of ritual but only for a residential property,” said the head of FKJM, Deden Saepudin, as cited by Inilah.com (14/11).

The police chief of Sukabumi police, Adjunct Senior Commissioner of Police Bagus Srigustian, said that the police would coordinate with community figures in the region in order to anticipate subsequent acts of violence. Using community leaders is hoped to calm the local residents and make them refrain from violence. Meanwhile the Commander of Military Command 0607 Sukabumi, Lt. Col (Inf ) Endro Satoto, coordinated with other elements of the security apparatus to mediate the incident. However the founder and manager of the property, Anak Agung Gde Asmara, chose to pursue a legal path and reported the case to the Sukabumi police. “We only want justice and truth to be enforced, because our country is a state of law,’’ he said, as quoted by Inilah.com (23/11).

The property has been given the name Yoganing Dipantara Retreat and falls under the management of

the Parama Yuga Foundation. It is not, according to Anak Agung in his press release, a place of worship as regulated by the Joint Regulation of the Minister of Religious Affairs and the Minister of Internal Affairs on permits for houses of worship. “The building is my private residence and has been since 1996. The concept for the building was inspired from a place in Urug village, Bogor, which was complete with a place of worship for the family,” he said. The concept he referred to was the model retreat owned by Sunda Wiwitan.

An explanation was also given by the Indonesian Hinduism Society (PHDI) of West Java. The Secretary of PHDI in West Java, Dr I Made Widiada Gunakarsa LLB LLM, told INCReS on Thursday (25/11) that there was a small building within the complex that resembled a temple and was a Hindu heritage site. There are many other similar sites in West Java, such as the Cangkuang Temple in Garut. However the temple is not necessarily a place of worship because the reason these temples were built was, amongst other things, to respect the kings who died there. Hindus can pray at these temples. Widiada deplored that the vandalism occurred. Anak Agung himself touched on the need for cultural appreciation, not the material loss, and programs for the future as one of reasons he was going to file a lawsuit.

“Of course I deplore the incident, although not

many of the local residents were involved because they

know the background to the building. Those who were

might just have got caught up in it,” said Uci Marshal,

village head of Pulosari.


Deemed Deviant, AMN’s Sect Raided By: Nurun Nisa’’

Anak Agung had organised a permit when renovating the site, as required by legislation. He obtained Permit No. 648.II/03/2008 on 9 May 2008 for a building measuring 250 m2 on land of 1,700 m2. He also coordinated with the village head and other village authorities in Ciraksamala because in addition to renovating he also wanted to develop the village into a tourist village and a centre for economic creativity for the local community. The head of Pulosari village, Uci Marshal confirmed this.

Uci said that not only had there been coordination, but that there were eight agreements between the foundation and the village authorities. For instance, the building was not to be used for religious proselytizing, was not to display religious symbols, and required the necessary legal permits before construction was to begin. As a result, Uci has deplored the incident. “Of course I deplore the incident, although not many of the local residents were involved because they know the

background to the building. Those who were might just have got caught up in it,” Uci said.

The incident was not the first. The first instance of vandalism occurred in 2002, and five years later the management rebuilt the place as a villa. On 16 August 2011, according to FKJM, the villa was inaugurated as a place for rituals. Believing that this violated the permit, several parties justified vandalism of the building.

[M]

Sibulue police station in Bone, South Sulawesi raided a sect considered to be deviant in Pattiro

Riolo, Bone on Monday (31/10). The sect was believed to be deviant because according to local residents, by paying

between Rp 100,000-500,000 and undergoing a special ritual members would receive the title “small Haji” from their leader, known as the caliph, as reported by Metrotvnews.com (01/11). As

such, one need not make the journey to the holy land in order to be called a Haji (one who has made the Haj). The caliph or leader of the sect is known by the initials AMN (Andi Muhammad Nur).

At the sect’s headquarters, AMN was not present and the police only found a photograph of AMN in the room of one of his followers, and a family member who was also a follower of AMN’s sect. As reported by Okezone.com (02/11), the police urged the followers not to trust people they had only just met who sought to mislead them and make a profit doing so. However Ramli, one follower, denied that AMN was a deviant sect. He had been following the teachings of AMN, who he had met a month previously, purely to receive blessings from Allah.

The following day the police

The head of Pattiro Riolo village, Muhammad Yusuf Mappanyompa, said that

the village authorities had evicted AMN and urged

local residents not to join his sect.

returned to the site to ensure that AMN had stopped using the place for his sect. Meanwhile, the village head, Muhammad Yusuf Mappanyompa, confirmed that the sect already had dozens of followers. He also said that the village authorities had evicted AMN and urged local residents not to join his sect.

The police believed differently. The police acknowledged that people paid to become Hajis, but were not certain that the sect was deviant. “Again, caution is needed so that people don’t just trust in people they have only just met, especially when they invite one to become a Haji just by paying a couple of hundred thousand rupiah and without travelling to the holy land. It could well be that such an invitation is deviant,” said the head of Sibulue police, Adjunct Commissioner of Police Makmur. [M]

Place of Worship Sealed, Ahmadiyah in Duren Sawit Continue to Worship By: Nurun Nisa’’

Ahmadiyah’s place of worship in Duren Sawit was sealed by the Jakarta Local Office for

Building Supervision and Control (Sudin

P2B) on Thursday afternoon (17/11). Sudin P2B said that the house on Jl Madrasah 1, Duren Sawit, East Jakarta had violated its permit, as regulated in

Local Regulation Number 7 of 2010 on Buildings. “It has a permit to be used as a residential property, but they’re using it as a place of worship,” said the executor


to the head of Sudin P2B of East Jakarta, Bambang Sudjimanto, as cited by Jurnas. com (17/11). Bambang said that three letters of warning had already been sent, but were ignored by Ahmadiyah. The letters were Letters of Warning No 69/1.785, No. 70/1.785, and No. 71/1.785, issued respectively on 28 March, 01 April, and 04 April 2011. Bambang said that Ahmadiyah still used the property for Idul Adha prayers in mid November.

The sealing of the house involved 60 officers from the municipal police, Sudin P2B, the local police station, and the local military command. Not only was the property sealed, it was monitored for one full day and night. “After we’ve sealed it, our officers will patrol and monitor the situation for 24 hours. If they’re still holding activities we’ll take even firmer action,” said the head of East Jakarta municipal police, Sarpu. The district head of Duren Sawit, Wahyu Supriatna, was also present at the time of sealing.

Besides the permit, another reason for the sealing was the objection of local residents. They had written a letter to the

district and subdistrict authorities. “The residents asked that the function of the building be changed,” Bambang said.

As reported by Jurnas.com, Ajis, who looks after the house, said that religious activities that were different to those held at mosques had been halted after the Ciukesik tragedy in February 2011. As is common knowledge, in the wake of the tragedy that killed three Ahmadiyah members, regulations banning the group’s activities were issued throughout a number of regions. The most recent activity, Ajis said, was Idul Adha prayers and sacrifice of animals.

Hafiz, an Ahmadiyah member present, deplored the forced sealing of the house. Ahmadiyah had replied to the letter of warning but received no response. He acknowledged that the house had been used as a place of worship. “It has been used for worship for the last 19 years. It has a residential permit, but the law can’t be applied retroactively,” he said, as quoted by Detik.com (17/11). In fact Joint Regulations No. 8 and No. 9 of 2006 can be applied retroactively.

Hafiz denied that the house, called the at-Taqwa Mosque, had been opposed by local residents. “I can prove it, because when we go out we have good relations with the local residents. On Idul Adha we sacrificed animals and paid alms and there was no problem,” he explained.

Ahmadiyah admits it has become

resigned. With nearly 300 members, the group says it will not stop worshipping. “For the congregation in East Jakarta the situation is still safe. The local community have raised no objections. You can worship anywhere you want. It doesn’t have to be in a mosque, you can pray in a house, or in a field,” said member of the Ahmadiyah Legal Commission, Hafiz Qudratullah, as reported by KBR68H (17/11). They can, for instance, Hafiz said, meet up with the closest Ahmadiyah mosque in Jati Bening.

Muhammad Subhi said that the government should not discriminate and favour the majority when sealing places of worship. Sealing should be based on a collective decision that can be applied to all groups. “Of the many places of worship that exist, I am sure that the majority do not have (a permit),” said the researcher for the WAHID Institute, as quoted by Okezone.com (18/11). Any sealing should involve the legal system – he mentioned the incident as an example.

Subhi also criticised the government’s attitude for surrendering to the aspirations of the majority. “The government is doing nothing to calm the public down,” he said.

Ahmadiyah has not yet decided whether to take legal action in response to the sealing. They will first meet with a lawyer from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute to determine their course of action.

[M]

“Of the many places of worship that exist, I am sure

that the majority do not have (a permit),” said a researcher at the WAHID Institute, M. Subhi

Azhari


Publisher: The Wahid Institute | Supervisor: Yenny Zannuba Wahid, Ahmad Suaedy | Editor In chief: Rumadi | Executive Editor: Nurun Nisa’ | Board of Editors: Ahmad Suaedy, Gamal Ferdhi, M. Subhi Azhari | Editor Staffs: Alamsyah M. Dja’far, Badrus Samsul Fata | Designer & Layouter: Ulum Zulvaton | Contributor: Akhol Firdaus (Jawa Timur), Dindin Ghazali (Jawa Barat), Nur Khalik Ridwan (Jawa Tengah dan Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta), Tedi Kholiludin (Jawa Tengah), Zainul Hamdi (Jawa Timur), A. Mabrur (Makassar), Akhdiansyah, Yusuf Tantowi (NTB) Address: The Wahid Institute , Jln Taman Amir Hamzah 8, Jakarta - 10320 | Phone. +62 21 3928 233, 3145 671 I Fax. +62 21 3928 250 Email: [email protected] Website: www.wahidinstitute.org. This publication cooperated by the Wahid Institute dan TIFA Foundation.

Analysis and Recommendations

Analysis

Vandalism of places of worship and the like still continues. After the bombing of the al-Dzikro Mosque in 1. Cirebon and GBIS Church in Solo, the next target was Mary’s Cave in Tawangmangu. The pilgrimage site was vandalised by irresponsible people who beheaded the statue of Mary and damaged or stole other items. The incident not only destroyed the site, but also disrupted the harmony in the region. Serious questions have been asked about the motive and origins of the perpetrators, because until the incident harmony between the Catholic and Muslim communities in the region had been quite high – the pilgrimage site was in fact watched over by a Muslim. The incident might give a similar impression as the vandalism of the Hindu retreat in Pulosari, Sukabumi. Those who set fire to the buildings, according to the village head, were not local residents. The residents living nearby the retreat had no objections to the place and village authorities had issued a permit to build a villa where the retreat stood. These two cases show that harmony is threatened by aggressive powers from outside. The cases involving JIS (Jamaah Islam Suci) in Sukabumi, Khaeruddin Ahmad’s sect in East Lombok, Andi 2. Muhammad Nur’s sect in Bone and AKI (Amanat Keagungan Ilahi) in North Klaten are evidence to suggest that there is cooperation between the authorities and society in “facing” sects that are deemed deviant. The general form of cooperation is that community members raid the headquarters or ritual sites of said sects and the authorities arrest the leaders and their followers. They are indeed being rescued from attack by the masses, but are then interrogated about the teachings they follow. This ultimately does not protect the victims of the attack, but criminalises their belief: if proven to be deviant, they are then tried. The ‘handling’ of deviant sects in society is only deteriorating. While initially only “decreed” as deviant—with 3. the religious teachings of the sect being the parameters for such an allegation—and asked to return to the true path, now members are evicted and even asked to write a declaration stating that they have stopped all activities. Those evicted from their villages include the Bedatuan sect led by Ramingen. They were to be evicted from Semokan in Sukadana if they failed to stop all activities. Similarly Khoiruddin Ahmad’s sect was asked to stop all activities by religious leaders and the local government. AMN faced the same fate, being evicted by the village head. JIS was deemed deviant by MUI in Sukabumi and asked to disband and stop all activities. Places of worship are still a problem. Only the issue is not only a problem of minority groups, but also of 4. minorities within majority groups. Pekiringan GBI in Cirebon was opposed by residents and asked to move locations by the local government without any alternative having been found. The Ahmadiyah place of worship in Duren Sawit has also been sealed because of a lack of a permit. This incident in particular is unusual because of the discriminative nature of the sealing – the site had been used for 19 years and has only now been sealed due to the increase in the belief that Ahmadiyah activities should be banned, and even the organisation disbanded. After being pressurised by many parties, particularly the Legal Aid Institute of Makassar, the FPI commander 5. and his men have finally been forced to stand trial. The trial is important to ‘teach’ that there is no tolerance of violence by any one group to other groups or individuals. In addition, the trial is important to enforce the principle that all individuals are equal before the law, whether he be Abdurrahman Assagaf and commander of FPI as the defendant, or Rusdi Kaharudin (drinks seller) and Farid Wajid (lawyer from Jakarta Legal Aid Institute) as victims of FPI.

Recommendations

The authorities should protect all citizens, without considering their religious convictions, whether they are 1. from the mainstream or the periphery. This complicated matter should be left to local religious authorities because religious differences should not be criminalised.The trial of the FPI commander and his men was fair and neutral. Law enforcers should remain fair and 2. should not bow to the masses as has occurred in other trials involving FPI defendants. Society needs to become more united so that harmony is not disturbed by aggressive parties from outside 3. the community that do not care for difference and choose an eye for an eye approach to solving issues.

Monthly Report on Religious Issues - The Wahid Institute

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Transcript of Monthly Report on Religious Issues - The Wahid Institute