Hardline groups introduce new strain of intolerance

Hardline groups introduce new strain of intolerance

Indonesia's reputation for pluralism and diversity is under threat by militant ideologues and their supporters, civil liberties activists say

Andreas Yewangoe wants to see more effective steps taken to protect religious tolerance in Indonesia.

"Why can't we live in harmony and peace in this country, where nobody cares about the differences in our religion, race and ethnicity?" the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) chairman told reporters after an incident in which a hardline Islamist group – the Islamic Defenders' Front – blocked a local congregation from worshipping at their church.

"This kind of action is really contrary to the Indonesian constitution," he added.

On May 6th, the congregation of the Batak Christian Protestant Church (HKBP) Filadelfia gathered for a service, only to be heckled and bullied by FPI vigilantes. The Filadefia branch is at the center of an ongoing local dispute in Bekasi, West Java, over whether it has the right to hold Christian services at its church building.

A journalist at the scene, Rhesya Agustine, said the mob was intimidating women with threats of sexual violence. "They yelled at us by saying 'Rape them! Rape them!' I was so surprised that the situation was so chaotic".

Another reporter at the scene, Tantowi Anwari, was beaten -- allegedly by FPI members angered by a slogan on his T-shirt. It read: "Fight the tyranny of the majority." Police had to rush him to safety.

According to a video recording of the attack presented at a press conference, the attacks were led by Murhali Barda, a former head of the Bekasi chapter of the FPI. He was jailed for five months last year for inciting an attack in September 2010 that culminated in the stabbing of two leaders of the HKBP Ciketing, also in Bekasi.

On Thursday (May 17th), a mob again disrupted worship services at the Filadelfia church, blocking access to the building as parishioners tried to enter in order to celebrate the ascension of Jesus.

"We [the churchgoers and the mob] were only separated by a barricade of policemen who managed to protect us even though the intolerant people were trying so hard to break through the barricade," the Jakarta Post quoted the church's Reverend Palti Panjaitan as saying.

"They threw urine, sewage and frogs at us — all of which also struck the policemen," he added.

The melee was one of several recent incidents involving aggressive action by hardline Islamist groups. On May 4th, two days before the church rioting, members of the Indonesian Mujahedeen Council – an organisation linked to convicted terrorist Abu Bakar Bashir – disrupted a book discussion at the Institute for Islamic and Social Studies Foundation in Yogyakarta.

The featured speaker that day was Irshad Manji, a liberal Canadian Muslim activist and author.

"They beat the participants and also my assistant," Manji told the media. "The attackers wore masks and helmets while they beat innocent people and destroyed everything. They are really cowards."

Her appearances in Jakarta also provoked threats and disruption, prompting the author to suggest that extremists are undermining the country's longstanding values.

In a statement to the media, Manji recalled how she visited Indonesia four years ago and found it to be a tolerant, open-minded and pluralistic country. She recounted the experience in her book and suggested that Indonesia was an example for other Muslim countries.

"Unfortunately, things have changed," Manji said.

"Many people told me that the Indonesian National Police and government are powerless towards these gangsters. But Indonesian citizens must not be powerless," she added.

Citizens' groups, meanwhile, are campaigning for better protection of civil liberties. On May 10th, a movement calling itself "FPI-free Indonesia Movement" submitted a petition to the national police, demanding serious action.

Over 1,500 people have joined the campaign, organised via blogs and Twitter.

Mob damages minority sect mosque

Mob damages minority sect mosque

Responding to last week's ransacking of an Ahmadiyah mosque, Indonesian authorities warn that violence will not be tolerated.

Government officials are promising a thorough investigation and legal action after a mob attacked and ransacked a mosque used by the minority Ahmadiyah sect just before Friday prayers (April 20th)

Co-ordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto said West Java police were handling the case and that legal action would be taken against those responsible.

"Violence is not allowed. Whoever did this will be dealt with," Djoko told reporters outside the State Palace in Jakarta on Friday, according to a Kompas report.

Separately, Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi ordered local police to thoroughly investigate the attack.

At least 80 people broke into the Baitul Rahim Mosque in the Singaparna subdistrict of Tasikmalaya, West Java, about 260 km southeast of Jakarta. They damaged the roof, broke windows, and burned the carpet and prayer mats, police said.

No one was reported injured in the attack, which took place around 10 am on Friday and lasted 20 minutes.

Firdaus Mubarik, an Indonesia Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI) spokesman, told Khabar Southeast Asia, that the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) carried out the attack.

"This is actually not the first attack that happened to Ahmadiyah Mosque in Singaparna because they also did it on April 12th," Firdaus said."The attack began when they handed a letter of objection regarding use of the mosque," he said.

Although Muslim-majority Indonesia is a secular country where freedom of religion is protected under the constitution, some religious minorities in recent years have been targeted by hardline Islamist groups.

Such groups say the Ahmadiyah sect, which follows the teachings of a 19th century religious figure from India, should be banned. Regional governments have placed restrictions on the sect, and the central government in 2008 issued a decree restricting Ahmadis from spreading their beliefs.

A spokesman for the West Java Police, Senior Commander Martinus Sitompul, denied allegations by the JAI that the local authorities failed to step in.

"It is not true we let it happen without any prevention," he told Khabar. "As a notification [of plans to deliver the letter] had been given to us, we deployed our officers to prevent any violence that might occur. But during the handing of the letter, [the] Ahmadis said something which was provocative and we tried to prevent the violence which occurred," he said.

Awid Mashuri, deputy secretary general of the FPI, denied the group's involvement amid reports some mob members were carrying FPI flags or dressed in the group's trademark white and green.

"It was Singaparna neighbouring residents that attacked the Ahmadiyah mosque. It is because the Ahmadiyah congregation has broken the agreement for not holding any activities anymore in their mosque," he told Khabar.

"If there were FPI accessories worn by any of the mob, it does not mean that they are FPI members because they might just buy accessories from the shop," he said.

If FPI involvement is proven, the group could be banned, because it has already been warned twice over use of violence, Home Minister Gamawan said.

"Another [incident of] big-scale violence by the FPI would meant that the organisation is eligible to be frozen," The Jakarta Post quoted him as saying.

Lawmaker: Police must do more to protect religious minority groups

Lawmaker: Police must do more to protect religious minority groups

Indonesian police ask minority groups to "give up" to avoid conflict, rather than protecting their rights, legislator charges

The National Police force has not sufficiently improved its ability to protect religious minority groups, experts agreed at a recent Jakarta panel discussion.

Although Muslim-majority Indonesia is a secular country where freedom of religion is protected under the constitution, some religious minorities in recent years have come under attack by hard-line Muslim groups.

Reform measures tend to focus on expanding the central police administration rather than strengthening the capacity of local forces to handle violence against minority groups like Ahmadiyah and GKI Yasmin, said Eva Kusuma Sundari, a member of House of Representatives (DPR) and its legislative committee overseeing legal affairs.

In handling such violence, police often emphasise preserving social order over protecting the minority groups, Eva told a meeting at the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club on March 28th.

"Instead of providing protection, police often asked the minority group to give up, to prevent a physical conflict," she said. "They argue that they cannot guarantee [a] radical group will not come back to attack again, as they cannot mobilise and provide protection all the time.

"However, as a law enforcement agent, police must focus on providing a protection of human rights [rather] than accommodating a social order." The Islamic minority sect Ahmadiyah has been a target of deadly attacks in Indonesia, and members of a small Christian parish in Bogor, GKI Yasmin, have been prevented from worshipping in their church.

Congregants celebrated Easter in secret this year, and did not notify police of the location, since police presence did not stop dozens of hard-liners from the Reform Movement (Garis) and the Muslim Communications Forum (Forkami) from disrupting their Christmas services, GKI Yasmin spokesman Bona Sigalingging recently told The Jakarta Post.

"The police were there, but they did not do much to help us. Ever since, we have found no point in telling the police about our activities," Bona said.

Eva said she was frustrated that her colleagues in the House of Representatives often view violence against minority groups as a local matter rather than a law enforcement issue.

"However, it is a must for the police to change their policy and strategy to improve the community police," she said.

Responding to the criticisms, National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said police are committed to enforcing Indonesian laws and to pursue anyone who violates them.

Indonesians have the right to form mass organisations, he pointed out, also noting that police investigated Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leaders in 2008.

Known for raiding bars, clubs and gaming halls during Ramadan, the FPI reached a new level of visibility in January when its members threw rocks at the Home Affairs Ministry to protest its decision to annul local laws banning alcohol sales.

"Even nowadays, we are still communicating with FPI leaders to guide them to not violate the law anymore," Boy said, adding that "the FPI are no longer conducting sweeps in night clubs."

He said the police had to work to educate segments of the population who remain unaware of some aspects of the law and human rights within the still-developing country.

Johnson Panjaitan of Indonesian Police Watch urged national police to train local forces in handling religious conflict, especially in regions where the potential for such conflict is high.

Police intelligence must be strengthened to prevent religious conflict in the first place, he said.

Beyond that, the police are hobbled by a lack of action from the government, in his view.

"Sadly enough the state is actually not brave enough to disband a hardline group such as FPI," he said.

"Therefore it needs to be understood that this is not only a police problem but the government's problem as well. And we need to support the Indonesia National Police," he added.

Research conducted by Jakarta's Paramadina University and Gadjah Mada University shows that police were present only 25% of the time in 718 violent incidents between 1990 to 2008.

In 1999, shortly after the end of the Suharto regime, new laws formally separated the Indonesian National Police from the military, which had controlled the force for decades.

OIC to militant group: who gave you the right to speak for Islam?

OIC to militant group: who gave you the right to speak for Islam?

The Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), a hardline group frequently accused of intimidation and violence, came under sharp criticism from Organisation of Islamic Co-operation Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu during his recent visit to Jakarta.

"From where did they get the license to do such things?" Ihsanoglu asked as he spoke to reporters February 20th at the Presidential Office. "When somebody says 'I am doing this in the name of Islam', we have to question who gave them the license to speak on behalf of Islam."

Islam has a standard in the form of the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah (traditions of the Prophet Muhammad), said the official, who was in Indonesia last month for the inaugural meeting of OIC's newly-established Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission.

Members of the body held talks with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who has been vocal in calling for moderation and religious tolerance.

Interpretation should be made by the proper religious authorities and "it should be in context", The Jakarta Post quoted Ihsanoglu as saying. The FPI garnered headlines by deputising itself as a moral police squad, with mobs of hooded men shouting in Arabic as they attack and vandalise bars, nightclubs, stores selling alcohol, and food vendors that stay open during Ramadan.

Such incidents have angered many in Indonesia who see the group as threatening the country's distinctive blend of Islam and democracy. In mid-February, hundreds of protesters rallied in Jakarta and other cities to denounce the FPI's actions.

Prominent Islamic authorities in Indonesia have also criticised the FPI, saying Islam does not condone vigilante behaviour. Imdadun Rahmat, Deputy Secretary General of Nahdlatul Ulama, says the group has been misusing Islam by conducting acts of violence in order to force its point of view and achieve its objectives.

"Everybody has the right to use Islam in their organisation's name as long as their actions accord with Islamic values and vision, without forcing their point of view on other people," he said.

Amid mounting public pressure, the FPI says it is changing its ways.

Awid Masuri, the group's deputy secretary general, acknowledges that the FPI for many years has utilised violent means in order to realise its goals, but he says this approach is being scrapped.

"We have been trying to change our approach to society to enforce the law by having a better communication with people," he said. "Although we have changed our paradigm to a more peaceful approach, the mass media is still creating a negative image about us."

That argument didn't convince Imdadun, who said the group is just using the media as a scapegoat in order to deflect attention from its behaviour. "It is a fact that they have been using violence to achieve their objective. Everybody knows and sees it! Why would they pin the blame on the media exposure?" he said.

"Islam is a peaceful religion," Imdadun added.

Muhammad Guntur Romli, a pluralist activist, told Khabar Southeast East Asia that laws are in place, which could be used to restrain FPI vigilantes.

"Indonesia actually has several legal instruments for curbing anarchist organisations such as the FPI -- either Indonesian Criminal Code or Law Number 8 of 1985 on Mass Organisation," he said.

But Mohammed Mahfud MD, the chief of Indonesia's Constitutional Court, said more specific regulations need to be in place.

"Although Indonesia has legal instruments regarding mass organisation, it does not regulate them properly. Therefore the government cannot disband any mass organisation, because it will be against democratic values," he said. "It needs to be understood that the state cannot disband any mass organisation without a proper regulation."

Interreligious Council (IRC) Chairman Din Syamsuddin says mass organisations have the right to exist in the country as long as they do not resort to violence.

"I'm not talking about certain groups, but in general they all have the right to exist, the right to speak up. However, they can only do that under one condition: none of them should resort to violence," Din, who is also the chairman of the Muhammadiyah, the country's second largest Islamic organisation, said in comments quoted by aThe Jakarta Post.

FPI Threatens ‘Serious Action’ Over Film

FPI Threatens ‘Serious Action’ Over Film

A hard-line Islamic group has threatened to demonstrate outside the headquarters of a TV station on Saturday over its plans to air a controversial film.

Habib Salim Alatas, the leader of the Jakarta wing of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), claimed approximately 1,500 of its members would gather outside the SCTV offices to demand it cancel all plans to air the film on Takbir night.

The film by director Hanung Bramantyo, called “?”, studies the role and state of Islam in modern Indonesian society. The FPI’s goal is to establish Shariah law and it has used violent methods in the past.

“We do not understand why SCTV is willing to air ‘?’, while the Indonesian Council of Ulema [MUI] has clearly said the movie damages Islamic values and morale,” Alatas said.

The MUI issued a fatwa, or Islamic ruling, in April forbidding Muslims from watching the film, claiming it propagated the idea that there are paths to God other than Islam.

Alatas said SCTV knew people opposed the film, adding that it was not just the FPI. Other organizations affiliated with the Islamic People’s Forum (FUI) would join the campaign, he said.

“We will go to the SCTV studio in the afternoon and we will not leave until the SCTV staff comes outside and gives us assurances that they will not air the film,” he continued. “If SCTV still airs it, we will take serious action.”

He said his group had sent a letter outlining its proposed protest to the Jakarta Police.

SCTV spokesman Uki Hastma said the station would take time to listen to the FPI but added that no decisions had yet been made about whether or not to screen the controversial film.

“I cannot say yet what other steps we will take. That will be decided after talks with the FPI,” Uki said.

The award-winning Hanung, who is known for exploring religion’s role in modern society in his movies, said he hoped SCTV would not give in to the FPI.

“As a television station, SCTV can only be controlled by the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission [KPI],” Hanung said, adding that the station could lose its credibility if it backed down.

“If SCTV gives in to the FPI’s demands, it will lose its credibility. I believe that SCTV will not risk their credibility easily.”

The enigmatically titled “?”, is a study of the role and state of Islam in modern Indonesian society. Released in April, the film stirred up heated debate and protests long before it ever reached a projection room or was shown in movie theaters.

A group called Banser, which operates as the youth wing of the country’s largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, has been among the more vocal critics of “?” in the run-up to its launch.

The group objected to a scene in which young Banser recruits are seen being paid to perform tasks that would normally be in direct breach of a good Muslim’s duty to be charitable.

FPI to Besiege SCTV Studio Over Controversial '?' Film

FPI to Besiege SCTV Studio Over Controversial '?' Film

The Islamic Defenders Front has plans to besiege the SCTV studio in Jakarta on Saturday for its plans to air the controversial “?” film on Takbir night.

Habib Salim Alatas, the Jakarta Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader, claimed approximately 1,500 of its members were going to gather outside the SCTV premises and demand it cancel all plans to air the film.

“We do not understand why SCTV is willing to air "?", while the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) has clearly said the movie damages Islamic values and morale,” he said.

The film "?", by Hanung Bramantyo, is a study of the role and state of Islam in modern Indonesian society.

However, Hanung's bold portrayal of the religion has caused many critics and hard-line followers of the faith to call it blasphemous.

MUI issued a religious edict in April forbidding Muslims from watching the movie, saying “?” implied it was alright to abandon Islam since it showed the alternative paths to God.

Alatas said SCTV knows that demands were made for Mahaka Pictures to prohibit the controversial movie.

He added that the FPI would not leave the SCTV studio until they promised to take “?” off air.

He said the group has sent a letter outline their proposed protest to the Jakarta Police.

“If SCTV still airs “?”, we will take serious action,” he said.

SCTV spokesman Uki Hastma said the station would take time to listen to FPI.

"However, I cannot say yet what other steps we will take. That will be decided after we talk with FPI," Uki said.