Indonesia is often held up as a shining example of interfaith harmony and tolerance, but many religious groups continue to face persecution in the archipelago. One of the most persecuted groups are members of the Ahmadiyah community, a minority Islamic sect whose followers have faced intimidation and violence many times in the past.
The latest instance of persecution against the Ahmadiyah in Indonesia is taking place on Bangka Island. Members of the small Ahmadiyah community there have reportedly been targeted by the Bangka Regency Government, located off the east coast of Sumatra in Bangka-Belitung Islands province, and told to convert to Sunni Islam or be forced to leave the island.
Human Rights Watch has released a statement containing a letter from the Bangka Regency Government containing the discriminatory threats and urging President Joko Widodo to intervene.
“Bangka officials are conspiring with Muslim groups to unlawfully expel Ahmadiyah community members from their homes,” Phelim Kine, Human Rights Watch’s deputy Asia director, said in the statement.
Ahmadiyah identify themselves as Muslims, but do not believe Muhammad was the “final” monotheist prophet. Consequently, some Muslims accuse Ahmadiyah of apostasy.
Participants in a recent Bangka regency meeting pressured the Ahmadiyah community to voluntarily leave Bangka Island while others have suggested the government should expel the the minority sect’s members immediately from Srimenanti district in Sungkiliat.
The meeting minutes, obtained by Human Rights Watch, point to Husain Jain, the head of the local religious harmony forum (FKUB) as the one who actually pushed for the expulsion of the Ahmadiyahs.
The Bangka Regency Government is reportedly withholding the official ID cards of Achmad Syafei, the Ahmidiyah cleric in Srimenanti, preventing him from completing basic tasks such as opening a bank account.
In the statement, Human Rights Watch calls on President Joko Widodo and the Indonesian Government to intervene in the situation and protect members of the Ahmidiyah community from religious discrimination and vilification.
“Jokowi has an opportunity to prove that the era of turning a blind eye to attacks on religious minorities is finally over,” HRW’s Kine said.
The religious community has long been subjected to religious persecution in Indonesia. In 2008, president Susilo Bambang Yudiyono ordered the Ahmadiyah community to “stop spreading interpretations and activities that deviate from the principle teachings of Islam”. Ahmadiyah’s who violate this order can receive up to five years imprisonment. The community has faced numerous instances of persecution and violence since then, and the persecutors have rarely faced any kind of punishment.
Check out this video about Human Rights Watch’s push for religious freedom in Indonesia:
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