January 30, 2025, 09:00 | Editorial Team
JAKARTA – Chinese New Year , celebrated openly for more than two decades, has been called a form of tolerance towards ethnic Chinese. However, many say that tolerance in Indonesia continues to be tested.
It was the Fourth President Abdurrahman Wahid or familiarly called Gus Dur who finally allowed the celebration of Chinese New Year or the year of the ethnic Chinese people openly. He revoked Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 14 of 1967 made by Soeharto. The Inpres reads as “All forms of Chinese culture and traditions such as Chinese New Year, wayang potehi performances, barongsai and so on may only be celebrated among families in the home or temple.”
Gus Dur then issued Presidential Decree Number 6 of 2000. In this way, the Chinese descendant community, whose freedom had been restricted by the New Order government for almost 30 years, became independent.
The Reformation Order used the principle of ethnic coexistence in viewing the equal rights of every Indonesian citizen so that many discriminatory provisions of the New Order were revoked.
Aligning Harmony and Citizens’ Rights
However, tolerance in Indonesia is still a recurring problem. In December 2024, the Kuningan Regency Government, West Java banned the annual Jalsah Salanah activity of the Ahmadiyah congregation.
The event is planned to be attended by 1,000 participants for three days. Preparations have also been made well in advance, including sending notification letters to the district government, village government, and local police.
But the event was canceled. At that time, Acting Regent of Kuningan Agus Toyib said the decision to ban was to maintain security in his area.
“After conducting a coordination meeting and hearing with all Forkopimda, representatives from religious organizations and community leaders were also present, citing security and conducive conditions in Kuningan Regency,” said Toyib, as reported by kuningankab.go.id.
“Hereby, we, the Kuningan Regency Government, officially do not permit and prohibit the Jalsah Salanah activities held by the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation in Manislor Village, Jalaksana District, both internally [locally] and from other areas outside Kuningan,” Toyib added.
This is not the first time that the activities of the Ahmadiyah congregation have been banned. Starting from the sealing of mosques, to acts of persecution often color the mass media coverage.
When the Jalsah Salanah ban incident at the end of last year again became a focus of attention, former Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin emphasized that everyone’s freedom to associate, assemble, and express opinions is guaranteed by the constitution.
“Maintaining this harmony should not be clashed with the fulfillment of citizens’ rights. It should not be like that, because the fulfillment of rights is no less important,” said the Minister of Religion for the 2014-2019 period, regarding the reason for the ban because of maintaining security and conduciveness.
He also highlighted the need for the government to protect and serve the community, as well as the police so that no community rights are ignored.
“So it is better to align both, namely harmony and citizen rights, do not clash. Do not let the impression arise that one is fulfilled by harmony, but by restricting the rights of the community,” said Lukman Hakim.
Perpetuating Intolerance
The ban on Ahmadiyah activities seems to be “protected” by the state, including through the Joint Decree (SKB) of the Three Ministers Number 3 of 2008 concerning Warnings and Orders to Adherents, Members, and/or Members of the Board of the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation. The SKB of the three ministers contains a prohibition on Ahmadiyah followers from spreading their religion or carrying out religious activities.
Furthermore, the West Java Governor Regulation Number 12 of 2011 concerning the Prohibition of Activities of the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation in West Java. This gubernatorial regulation contains a prohibition for Ahmadiyah adherents, members, and/or administrators to carry out any activities or activities in any form related to the activities of spreading interpretations.
Setara Institute, a non-governmental human rights organization, noted that the Ahmadiyah congregation is a minority group that has experienced the most violations of religious freedom and belief in Indonesia. During the period 2007-2020, there were 570 incidents of violence against Ahmadiyah followers.
Setara Institute researcher Ikhsan Yosarie said the existence of the three ministers’ joint decree actually perpetuates intolerance towards Ahmadiyah followers. In addition, the MUI fatwa issued in 2005 also caused legal uncertainty which resulted in discriminatory treatment against Ahmadiyah followers.
It is known that the MUI fatwa signed by the Chairman of the MUI Fatwa Commission for the 2001-2007 period Ma’ruf Amin said that the Ahmadiyah Congregation is considered a deviant teaching ‘outside of Islam’ which must be disbanded by the government. Theological differences between Ahmadiyah and Islam cannot be tolerated.
For that, said Ikhsan, the solution to overcome various forms of religious discrimination is to revoke all discriminatory legal products. He emphasized that policy-making and the creation of legal products should not be done arbitrarily. Legal products and government policies must always adhere to the principle of religious freedom and human rights values.
Tolerance Still a Problem
Cases of intolerance were not only experienced by the Ahmadiyah congregation. In May of the same year, a bad portrait of tolerance also occurred in South Tangerang. A group of residents in Kampung Poncol, Babakan Village, Setu District, Tangsel, broke up a Rosary Prayer service by dozens of Catholic students from Pamulang University.
The disbandment also led to attacks and abuse against students. In fact, a female student was injured by a sharp weapon. The increasing cases of intolerance show that the state has not been able to guarantee the freedom of religion and worship of its citizens which is protected by the constitution.
Recurring cases of intolerance in the country cannot be underestimated. Small explosions risk triggering widespread conflict, which is why the state must be present to protect its citizens.
Secretary General of the Muhammadiyah Central Leadership for the 2022-2027 period Abdul Mu’ti assessed that the construction of tolerance between religious communities in Indonesia is still problematic. Uniquely, according to him, the problem occurs more between fellow religions.
“I think it is still a note, especially related to the construction of harmony in Indonesia, which is actually not strong enough. This is one thing that I think we honestly have to admit like that,” said Abdul Mu’ti, quoted from the Muhammadiyah website.
Not only minority groups such as Ahmadiyah, religious groups such as Muhammadiyah have also been victims of intolerant actions, such as the establishment of places of worship. Abdul Mu’ti told the case of a mosque in Bireun, Aceh, which was damaged.
Categories: Ahmadis, Ahmadiyyat: True Islam, Asia, Indonesia, Intra-Religious Tolerance, Minorities, Tolerance