Heru, a priest in Cirebon, also shared his reflections. He considered current democratic practices “merely lip service,” referring to the ongoing discriminatory experiences faced by minority religious groups.
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6Mubadalah.id – In a series of commemorations of Fahmina’s 25th Birthday, the Fahmina Institute held a Discussion Class on Islam and Democracy in the ISIF Convergence Room, Tuesday, November 25, 2025.
The discussion class, facilitated by Alifatul Arifiati, opened with an explanation of the importance of re-reading the current state of Indonesian democracy.
The session began with introductions from the panelists, who came from diverse backgrounds, including members of the interfaith community, students, pastors, and entrepreneurs from the Ciayumajakuning area. Participants also shared how they first connected with Fahmina.
Alifatul began the discussion on the menti.com platform by asking participants about the state of democracy. The responses varied, but the majority felt that democracy was currently not functioning ideally and tended to be a formality.
Basith, a member of the Ahmadiyah community in Majalengka, was the first panelist to share his views. He believes democracy still doesn’t provide full freedom for minority groups.
“I haven’t felt complete freedom. As part of a minority organization like the Ahmadiyah, I’ve experienced a lot of discrimination,” he said.
He emphasized that independence should be felt by all citizens without exception.
Alifatul responded to the statement by recalling the Ahmadiyya’s contribution to the history of Indonesia’s independence struggle. He cited the Ahmadiyya community’s global tradition of 40-day fasting as a form of support for Indonesian independence.
Reflections from a Pastor
Heru, a pastor in Cirebon, also shared his reflections. He considered current democratic practices “merely lip service,” referring to the discriminatory experiences that minority religious groups still experience today. This includes the election of neighborhood association (RT) heads, where the majority religion is often the primary consideration.
In line with this, Bayu from the Interfaith Harmony Forum (FKUB) assessed the quality of Indonesian democracy as being in the “A-” category.
According to him, democracy runs procedurally, but still has moral flaws, especially seen in legal practices that are “sharp at the bottom and blunt at the top.”
Despite numerous critical remarks, the discussion also evoked a note of optimism. Aril, one of the panelists, assessed positive developments in several aspects.
He gave the example that the administration of population registration for Ahmadiyah residents in Kuningan used to be very difficult, but now it is starting to improve with increasing facilitation from the government.
“People consider something legal when it has a constitution. That’s important, especially when it comes to establishing houses of worship,” he said.
The forum then formulated a number of challenges and recommendations that it hoped would contribute to strengthening democracy in Indonesia. The discussion concluded with a call to continue expanding reflection and innovation within the democracy movement to make it more inclusive and equitable.
Categories: Asia, Democracy, Indonesia, Minorities