BBC:
An ongoing conflict between the Ahmadiyah community and the local government has been drawing attention to what rights groups say is an increasing trend of intolerance in Indonesia.
The Ahmadiyah are a minority Muslim sect who have struggled to practise their faith in the world’s most populous Muslim nation despite being guaranteed the right to do so under the constitution.
In Bekasi, West Java, they have been struggling to save their mosque, which was sealed by the local government on 4 April.
The mosque, once a place of prayer, is now the scene of a stand-off.
It is surrounded by corrugated iron fences, its sprawling complex – often used by non-Ahmadi neighbours on Sundays for badminton or football – closed off to everyone.
A group of police and army members guard the entrance to prevent anyone from going inside.
A signboard at the front of the mosque has the details of the three ministerial decrees signed in 2008 that stipulates the Ahmadis cannot spread their faith.
The local government says this is why this mosque must be shut down.
But the Ahmadis say they have never tried to convert anyone and they just want to pray with the 400 or so members of their own community.
Now, 20 Ahmadis have locked themselves up inside the mosque, refusing to leave.
They have lived in bare and basic conditions inside the mosque for more than a week now.
‘Hardline groups’
When we visited the mosque last week, we were not allowed inside. And the Ahmadis did not want to come out for fear of being forced to vacate their house of worship.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
We have seen a growth in religious intolerance in this country”
Marwasas Nainggolan Batak Christian priest
So we spoke to one of the leaders through a hole in the door.
“Our worry is that this mosque will be taken over,” said Rahmat Rahmadijaya, an Ahmadi leader.
“We have heard that hardline Islamic groups want to take over this mosque so that no Ahmadiyah activities are carried out here. We feel obligated to defend our mosque until our right to pray here is recognised.”
The mosque was built in 1999 and leaders of the Ahmadi community in the area say they have never experienced any trouble before.
The clashes with the local government only began when hardline Islamic groups started protesting against their presence.
But the Ahmadis are not alone in their struggle to practice their faith in Indonesia.