INDONESIAN GOVT STILL SEEMS UNDECIDED OVER AHMADIYAH ISSUE

By Andi Abdussalam

       Jakarta, June 7 (ANTARA) - Though it has been formulating a joint ministerial decree (SKB) on 'Jamaah Ahmadiyah Indonesia' (JAI) for some time, the government seems to be still restraining itself from issuing it soon.

        There was previously optimism that the SKB would be shortly issued as Minister/State Secretary Hatta Radjasa had said the government would issue an SKB on the cessation of JAI activities this month.

        It now seems, however, the SKB's issuance will be postponed. Following a meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono with members of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres) on the matter, Home Affairs Minister Mardiyanto told the press the government was still considering latest developments in the country relevant to the Ahmadiyah issue.

        "It's not a matter of being slow, it's because the problem is complicated. Things are developing very fast, and it's also not so easy to issue it immediately," the minister said on Friday.

        The government had been under public pressure to ban the JAI which Muslims in the country considered to be a deviant Islamic sect. Ahmadiyah followers and houses of worship in several regions had already become the target of acts of violence.

        The Public Faiths' Supervision Coordinating Board (Bakor Pakem) has met several times to discuss the JAI issue, and last April it issued a recommendation for the government, which upheld the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI's) admonition in 2005 that Ahmadiyah deviated from the Islamic tenets.

        Based on the Bakor Pakem's recommendation, the government is formulating an SKB in accordance with Law No. 1/PNPS 1965 on the Prevention of Religious Abuse and Defamation.

        Since the issuance of the Bakor Pakem's recommendation, calls on the government to disband the JAI continued to increase, among others by the Islamic Brotherhood Forum (FUI).

        The FUI's move to call the dissolution of JAI is supported by Muslim leaders such as KH Cholil Ridwan, Habib Rizieq Shihab, H Mashadi, H Fadholi el Munir, HM Ismail Yusanto, H Kiri Bareno, KH Muhammad Ali Khattab and Shobri Lubis.

        On Thursday, the MUI in a press conference urged the government to issue the SKB soon because the government's indecisive stance had triggered a horizontal conflict in society.

        "MUI and FUI urge the government to immediately issue the SKB on Ahmadiyah as a wise step in line with the legal framework, in order to calm the people's emotions, especially Muslims," MUI Secretary Anwar Abbas said.

        Last Sunday, members of the Islam Defenders' Front (FPI) which is chaired by Habib Rizieq Shihab, attacked activists of the National Alliance for Freedom of Religion and Faith (AKKBB), which supports Ahmadiyah, leaving tens of people injured.

        The incident which took place at the National Monument (Monas) square in Central Jakarta, prompted MUI to repeat its call on the government to soon issue the SKB which is to be signed by the home affairs minister, the religious affairs minister and the attorney general.

        The MUI and the FUI urged the government to issue the SKB without any further delay arguing that the government's indecision on the matter had already led to horizontal conflict in the community.

        The government is, however, still considering various developments, saying that a joint decree issued in a hurry could prove impracticable.

        Home Affairs Minister Mardiyanto, however, promised he would coordinate with the religious affairs minister and the attorney general regarding the joint decree on Ahmadiyah.

        The SKB issuance is postponed after members of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres) met with President Susilo Bamgang Yudhoyono to convey objections to a plan to disband Ahmadiyah.

        Wantimpres members gave their opinion on Ahmadiyah after receiving a delegation of the National Alliance for Freedom of Religion and Faith (AKKBB) which supports Ahmadiyah.

        After the meeting between the President and Wantimpres members, the home affairs minister told the press that the government needed time to make a further study to decide on the SKB.

        In the meantime, National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas) Governor Muladi said the Ahmadiyah issue should be resolved through dialogs among Muslims and not through political interference such as issuing an SKB.

        "Matters relating to faith cannot be settled through state interference," the Lemhanas chief said. In his opinion, an SKB would not be effective in putting an end to the pros and cons over the existence of the Ahmadiyah organization.

        The problem is that the Ahmadiyah issue concerns faith so that it must be resolved through dialogs among Muslims themselves. The dialogs should focus on finding a meeting point of how to settle the Ahmadiyah problem.

        If ulemas have found contradictions between the teachings of mainstream Islam and those of Ahmadiyah, the Muslim clerics must explain them to Ahamdiyah followers and give the latter the correct understanding of the Islamic faith. And if the Ahmamdiyah people did not accept it, a decision to stop their activities must be made through consensus.

        "So, there is no need for political interference because this is a matter of faith," Muladi said. (T.A014/A/HAJM/B003) 2. 16:30. (T.A014/A/A014/B003) 07-06-2008 16:45:32