February 26, 2026
The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) attended an event organized by the Center for Interfaith Harmony (PKUB) of the Ministry of Religious Affairs entitled “Review of Current Issues of the Indonesian Ahmadiyya Congregation (JAI) and its Regulations” on Thursday (26/2/2026) in Bekasi. This event brought together various stakeholders, Komnas Perempuan, representatives of the Attorney General’s Office, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the Ministry of Home Affairs, and several religious organizations including the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and JAI, as well as other related parties to discuss the implementation of the Joint Decree (SKB) of 3 Ministers of 2008 concerning the Indonesian Ahmadiyya Congregation.
The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) believes that policies related to the Indonesian Youth Movement (JAI) need to be continuously monitored from a human rights perspective and the principle of non-discrimination, particularly regarding vulnerable groups within the JAI, including women. The Deputy Chairperson of Komnas Perempuan stated that the Joint Decree (SKB) assigns four elements of responsibility: the government, regional governments, communities, and the JAI. Therefore, its implementation should not only focus on the JAI but also on other responsible elements.
The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) reported that monitoring documentation shows that policies restricting the activities of religious minority groups can have multiple impacts on women. Ahmadiyya women face not only restrictions on their freedom of religion and worship, but also violence and discrimination, as well as additional vulnerabilities in their social and economic lives and access to public services.
Vulnerabilities such as social stigma, pressures in community life, and barriers to accessing public spaces and basic services. In these contexts, women often bear the additional burden of managing family life when their communities face restrictions or social pressures.
The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) emphasized that regulations on religious life must ensure that their implementation does not result in discriminatory practices or restrictions on citizens’ fundamental rights. The state has an obligation to guarantee the protection of every citizen’s constitutional rights without discrimination, including the right to religion, belief, and to live in safety and dignity.
Therefore, monitoring of the implementation of policies related to the Ahmadiyah Congregation needs to be carried out continuously while paying attention to the principles of protecting human rights, gender equality, and protecting minority and vulnerable groups, including women and children.
The National Commission on Violence Against Women’s presentation at the meeting was supported by a statement from a representative of the Indonesian Muslim Association (JAI) that the dynamics of conflict related to the Ahmadiyya Congregation have changed in recent years. While previously, the conflict primarily took the form of direct clashes within the community, the current dynamics include administrative pressure, such as reports to authorities and pressure on regional heads to issue policies restricting the activities of the Ahmadiyya community.
Representatives of the Attorney General’s Office in the meeting emphasized that the state is obliged to guarantee the constitutional rights of every citizen to embrace religion and practice worship according to their beliefs as regulated in Article 28E paragraph (1) and paragraph (2) of the 1945 Constitution. The Attorney General’s Office emphasized that law enforcement agencies are not in a position to judge matters of faith or religious teachings, but rather play a role in enforcing the law if there is a violation of public order or statutory regulations. In relation to this, the Attorney General’s Office agrees with the review of the Joint Decree of the 3 ministers regarding JAI, especially in its implementation in the regions.
In line with this statement, researchers from BRIN explained that the Joint Decree of the Three Ministers was born through a lengthy policy process involving various parties. From a research perspective, the policy is considered to have a fairly clear regulatory framework. However, in practice, various implementation issues remain, including administrative obstacles experienced by some members of the Ahmadiyya Community in accessing citizenship rights.
The National Commission on Violence Against Women welcomes the efforts initiated by the PKUB to conduct a review of this policy and hopes that this meeting will become a space for dialogue between stakeholders to understand the latest developments related to the Ahmadiyah Congregation and the implementation of the policies that regulate it, while also opening up space for reflection on efforts to ensure that the policy and its implementation practices are in line with the principles of human rights and citizen protection.