Amnesty International Indonesia condemns discriminatory actions against the Ahmadiyah congregation in Banjar and the ban on Ahmadiyah discussions at IAIN Manado.
June 10, 2025 | 07.35 WIB
EnlargeAhmadiyah congregations carry out activities at the Al Hidayah Mosque, the Ahmadiyah congregation’s mosque, Sawangan Depok, West Java, Thursday, October 22, 2021. The Depok City Government has sealed the Al Hidayah Mosque, the Ahmadiyah congregation’s mosque in Sawangan, Depok. Previously, the mosque was sealed by Satpol PP on February 23, 2017. The sealing was carried out after it was decided that the Ahmadiyah congregation’s activities violated the Joint Decree (SKB) of 3 Ministers. TEMPO/Subekti.
TEMPO.CO , Jakarta –Amnesty International Indonesia strongly condemns the ban on public discussions about Ahmadiyah on the campus of the State Islamic Institute (IAIN) Manado and the discriminatory actions against the Indonesian Ahmadiyah congregation (JAI) in Banjar City, West Java. These two incidents of intolerance occurred close together, namely on June 2 and 5, 2025.
“The Banjar City Government has again implemented authoritarian practices to address the rights of Ahmadiyah residents in Tanjungsukur to practice their religion. This is not the first time that state authorities have shown an intolerant and discriminatory attitude towards Ahmadiyah residents,” said Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid in a press release on Monday, June 9, 2025.READ ALSO
Previously, on Thursday, June 5, 2025, the JAI handling team from the Banjar City government visited the JAI place of worship in the Tanjungsukur area, Hegarsari Village, Pataruman District, Banjar City. The team warned that there should be no worship activities at the location that had previously been sealed. The team also stated that they would return on Tuesday, June 10 to continue the control measures, including the installation of prohibition banners.
Meanwhile, on Monday, June 2, 2025, the planned discussion of the book review “Menyingkap Jujur Sejati Ahmadiyah” by Samsi Pomalingo at IAIN Manado was canceled after the campus received a letter from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) of Manado City and the MUI of North Sulawesi. The letter was received the day before the discussion was held and requested that the activity be canceled.READ ALSO
According to Usman, actions such as the disbandment of religious activities, intimidation, and expulsion of the Ahmadiyah community indicate systemic discrimination by the state against religious minority groups. He believes that the state’s failure to enforce the law fairly in such cases actually normalizes violations of religious freedom.
“The repeated discrimination against Ahmadiyah residents without being accompanied by fair law enforcement seems to normalize the state’s failure to protect religious communities,” he said.
The lecturer at the Indonesian Jentera Law College also highlighted the ban on discussions at IAIN Manado, which should be a safe space for critical thinking and free from pressure from outside groups.
“It is very unfortunate that this ban was carried out by a campus that should be a safe space for critical thinking, discussion, and building public awareness,” Usman continued.
The discussion is planned to be held by Gusdurian Manado, the IAIN Manado House of Religious Moderation, and the North Sulawesi Coalition for the Advocacy of Freedom of Religion and Belief (KBB).
“The ban on book reviews related to Ahmadiyah on campus clearly violates the rights of citizens to gather and discuss peacefully on campus. The decision of the IAIN Manado Rectorate, which bowed to pressure from the MUI to ban the book reviews, clearly violates academic freedom that should be upheld on campus as a space for open and pluralistic discussions,” he said.
Furthermore, Amnesty urged the state to revoke the 2008 Joint Decree of the 3 Ministers which according to him was the basis for discrimination and repression against Ahmadiyah residents.
“The state must immediately revoke the Joint Decree of the Minister of Religious Affairs, Minister of Home Affairs, and Attorney General in 2008 which became the basis for discrimination and repression against Ahmadiyah residents. The state must oppose all forms of intolerance and discrimination on the basis of religious beliefs or on the basis of human characteristics protected by international human rights law,” Usman said.
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Categories: Ahmadis, Ahmadiyyat: True Islam, Asia, Human Rights, Indonesia, Intra-Religious Tolerance