Responding to the sealing of the Ahmadiyah congregation’s place of worship in Nyalindung Village by the Garut Regency Government, West Java, the Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, said:
“The incident in Garut once again shows clear discrimination and serious violations by the State against minority groups in exercising their freedom of religion and belief as guaranteed by the Constitution.”
“Freedom of religion is a fundamental right that must be respected and protected by the State without exception. Every citizen has the right to practice his/her religion without fear of discrimination, intimidation, or threats.”
“We urge the authorities in Garut to immediately lift the sealing of the place of worship and stop all forms of discriminatory actions against the Ahmadiyah congregation.
“The state must ensure that the constitutional rights of the Ahmadiyya Community are protected and respected.”
Background
A credible source from Amnesty International Indonesia revealed that the Garut Regency Civil Service Police Unit sealed the Ahmadiyah congregation’s place of worship on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. The location is in Nyalindung Village, Ngamplang Village, Cilawu District, Garut Regency.
On Tuesday afternoon (2/7) at the Intelligence Section Room of the Garut District Attorney’s Office (Kejari), a coordination meeting was held regarding Ahmadiyah in Nyalindung. The meeting was attended by representatives from Satpol PP, the National Unity and Politics Agency (Bakesbangpol), Kejari, and the Garut Police.
That night, dozens of joint officers led by the Head of the Garut Regency Civil Service Police Unit forcibly closed the Ahmadiyah Mosque in Nyalindung.
Amnesty’s source continued that the reason Satpol PP forcibly closed the mosque was because they had previously received an audience from a mass organization calling itself GERAM (Anti-Ahmadiyyah Movement) which rejected the existence of the mosque, even though it was not a problem for local residents.
The Ahmadiyah congregation in Nyalindung Village has existed since the 1970s and lives peacefully side by side with other residents.
The Ahmadiyah congregation in Nyalindung uses the mosque as a place of worship such as praying five times a day, reciting the Quran, and as a means of educating children about Islam.
Before the incident in Garut, Amnesty International Indonesia data recorded that from January 2021 to May 2024, there were 121 cases of intolerance against religious communities in Indonesia, including rejection, prohibition, closure, or destruction of places of worship or attacks or intimidation of the congregation. The perpetrators of intolerance came from state officials, citizens, and community organizations.
On June 3, 2021, there was a demonstration rejecting the construction of the Muhammadiyah Mosque in Krajan Hamlet, Sraten Village, Cluring District, Banyuwangi, East Java.
On June 12, 2022, the Bireuen Regency Government, Aceh, dismantled the pillars of the Taqwa Muhammadiyah Mosque in Sango Village due to obstacles in obtaining a building permit (IMB).
On January 5, 2023, officers together with community groups forcibly broke up the Jalsa Salanah event of the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Community (JAI) in East Java at Telaga Ngebel, Ngebel District, Ponorogo Regency.
On May 5, a group of residents in South Tangerang attacked a group of Catholic students who were praying the Rosary, on the grounds that they were disturbing the comfort of residents. Previously, on April 2, the local government and residents in Serdang Bedagai Regency, North Sumatra, rejected the construction of a temple because it was considered not to meet the requirements or regulations set.
The right of all individuals to embrace religion and worship according to their respective beliefs has been guaranteed in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which states:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right includes freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching. No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice.”
In addition, Article 28E paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia states: “Everyone has the right to embrace a religion and worship according to their religion.” Then, Article 29 paragraph (2) emphasizes: The state guarantees the freedom of every citizen to embrace their own religion and to worship according to their religion and beliefs. (*)