Oleh: Roy PessakEditor: George Latuihamalo29 Jan 2025
KBRN, Manado: North Sulawesi Freedom of Religion and Belief Advocacy Coalition (KBB) held an internal meeting and discussion at the Ahmadiyah Congregation Mosque, Taas Village, Tikala District, Manado City, North Sulawesi. This activity was attended by a number of elements and institutions that are members of the KBB North Sulawesi Advocacy Coalition such as Gusdurian Manado, Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Manado, Swara Parangpuan North Sulawesi, Ahmadiyah Manado, Bahaí, Lalang Rondong Malesung (Laroma), and the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Manado. The discussion with the theme Ahmadiyah and the Advancement of KKB: "Media Advocacy Challenges and Strategies" presented speakers such as the Press Secretary and Chair of the Ahmadiyah National Media Center, Yendra Budiana. Yendra Budiana on this occasion told how his party faced the mass media and news related to the violence experienced by the Ahmadiyah congregation in 2005.
According to him, media reports at that time tended to only use sources from the government, police officers and perpetrators of violence, which was very detrimental to the Ahmadiyah congregation. This is also made worse by journalists not understanding about the Ahmadiyah Community. "We realized that at that time the mass media might not have had access to confirm this incident with us, the Ahmadyah Community, which was the victim. "So the news tends to come from the government and officials," explained Yendra Budiana. Considering these conditions, the existence of mass media is very important in covering and reporting an event in a balanced manner according to the facts that occur in the field. At that time, we visited the mass media editorial office in Jakarta to understand journalistic work and internally the party also trained members to be able to speak to the mass media, build a media center, including preparing press releases related to an incident experienced by the Ahmadiyah Congregation.
“We prepare press releases when there is an event or activity from the Ahmadiyah Congregation. "This is so that the mass media can get information directly from news sources," said Yendra Budiana, who has been the spokesperson for the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation for 8 years. He added that his party also trained members in the regions and encouraged the establishment of media centers, so that they could produce news related to the existence of the Ahmadiyah Congregation, as well as its role in the social sector. Responding to this presentation, AJI Manado Secretary Isa Jusuf said, AJI remains consistent in monitoring diversity issues in the mass media. However, Isa said, a number of obstacles faced by the media include access to sources, for example the Ahmadiyah Congregation, if an incident occurs. "Because media reporting must be balanced," he said. Another thing is increasing the capacity of journalists to understand diversity issues, including knowledge related to the Ahmadiyah Community
The discussion guided by Rohit from the North Sulawesi Muhammadiyah Student Association (IMM) became even more interesting when the participants also provided responses. Rev. Ruth Wangkai from the North Sulawesi Women's Movement, Gusdurian Manado Rahman Mantu, LBH Manado David, Swara Parangpuan North Sulawesi Nurhasanah. At the end of the activity, Manado Ahmadiyah Congregation Missionary Hafiz Ahmad Mutu said that discussions and meetings between institutions and communities, including with the mass media, would further strengthen the collective movement, building freedom of religion and belief. "Meetings and discussions like this will strengthen our coalition to build freedom of religion and belief," he said as the organizer of this activity.
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Categories: Ahmadis, Ahmadiyyat: True Islam, Asia, Indonesia, interfaith, Muslims