“The government has never seriously addressed any cases of violence against religious freedom,” he said.

August 9, 2010

The Islamic Community Forum (FUI) held a demonstration in front of the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday (June 1). The protesters again demanded the government immediately disband the Ahmadiyah sect, which they consider heretical. Tempo/Tony Hartawan

TEMPO Interactive , Jakarta – The Setara Institute assesses that there has been a misunderstanding in the handling and implementation of Joint Decree (SKB) No. 3 of 2008 concerning the Ahmadiyah sect. The implication, according to SETARA Institute Program Manager, Ismail Hasani, is that there have been many clashes between citizens and the Ahmadiyah Congregation.
 
Based on SETARA Institute’s monitoring, acts of violence against the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI) have occurred every year since 2007. While the numbers fluctuate, the SKB does not appear to be a solution for the life of religious freedom in Indonesia.

“The government has never seriously handled every case of violence against religious freedom,” he said in a press statement delivered in Jakarta, Monday (9/8). For example, he continued, “Security forces have never been able to be firm against perpetrators of violence.” 

Based on data from the SETARA Institute, in 2007, out of 185 cases of violence against freedom, 15 cases were experienced by JAI, in 2008, out of 367 cases of violence, around 238 were experienced by JAI, and finally in 2009, as many as 33 cases of violence were experienced by JAI. “This shows that the government has so far submitted to the path of mob justice and has allowed it to continue,” he said.

The existence of the Joint Decree on restrictions on Ahmadiyah, said the Deputy Chairman of SETARA, Bonar Tigor Naipospos, is actually used as legitimacy for various decisions by local governments and other regional apparatus to eradicate JAI in the regions.

For example, the issuance of the Garut MUI’s decision to disband the Ahmadiyah was based on a Joint Decree. Since the Joint Decree was issued, he continued, violence against the Ahmadiyah has not stopped. “Many local governments are not accommodating to JAI,” he said.

Ahmadiyah spokesperson, Zafrullah Ahmad Pontoh, urged the government to revoke the Joint Decree. This is because many people and local governments do not understand the essence of the Joint Decree of the Three Ministers (Minister of Religious Affairs, Attorney General, and Minister of Home Affairs). “The government should replace it with stricter legislation regulating freedom of belief,” he said.

Local governments, Zafrullah said, also do not open the door for parties to dialogue regarding the Ahmadiyah and the implementation of the Joint Decree. Cases in Kuningan, Bogor, Tasikmalaya, and Garut are examples of the lack of dialogue between mass organizations and the Ahmadiyah facilitated by local governments.

source https://www.tempo.co/politik/ahmadiyah-korban-skb-salah-kaprah-1799389