The Jakarta Globe:
Violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslims on East Java’s Madura Island and an attack on an Ahmadiyah community in West Java are among the 282 cases of religious violence in Indonesia reported in the first half of the year by the Setara Institute, an organization that monitors religious freedom in the country.
The struggle for religious freedom continues to face headwinds, as the institute reported only a minor drop in the number of acts of religious intolerance. In its January-July 2012 report, Setara recorded a total of 297 cases of violence.
A file photo shows an Ahmadiyah Mosque destroyed by mobs in Haurwangi, Ciranjang, Cianjur, West Java on Feb.18, 2012.
Even though Indonesia’s 1945 Constitution proclaims religious freedom, religious intolerance remains rampant, especially in diverse and densely populated Java.
Of the 122 incidents of religious intolerance reported, 95 occurred in Java, with 61 reported in West Java, 18 in East Java and 10 in Jakarta.
Many of the West Java incidents constituted violent attacks against the Ahmadiyah sect of Islam, considered blasphemous by fundamentalist groups such as the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).
According to Setara’s report, Ahmadiyah community members were attacked 46 times between January and June. In May, the West Java governor said religious tensions involving Ahmadiyah would end if the religious minority was to leave the province.
Other religious groups frequently targeted include Protestant Christians and Shiite Muslims.