Ahmadiyah Congregation complex in Kuningan closed by authorities
Ahmadiyah Congregation complex in Kuningan closed by authorities
Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post/Kuningan
The authorities closed down on Friday the Ahmadiyah Indonesia
Congregation's complex in Manis Lor village, Kuningan regency,
West Java.
The Kuningan regency administration, assisted by the local
prosecutor's office and the police, said it took the step based
on a 1980 edict from the Indonesian Ulema Council that declared
the teachings of Ahmadiyah forbidden, and as a precautionary move
to prevent any violence aimed at Ahmadiyah members.
Kuningan Religious Affairs Office head Djainal Arifin said the
authorities planned to close the complex since Dec. 20 last year,
when a joint decree was issued by the regency administration, the
prosecutor's office and the Kuningan Police authorizing the move.
"But we wanted to wait for the right moment to prevent any
negative reactions from local residents or the Ahmadiyah
followers themselves," said Djainal.
He said the complex was closed after an agreement was reached
with leaders of the local Ahmadiyah branch, adding that the
leaders understood the reason for the closure.
A number of Ahmadiyah' facilities in the complex were sealed
off, including the main mosque, seven smaller mosques, a meeting
hall and a dormitory. Some 2,800 Ahmadis, as devotees are called,
lived in the complex before the closure.
Djainal said his office had prepared a number of follow-up
measures after closing the complex, including working with the
Ahmadiyah followers to convince them to return to "true Islamic
teachings".
"We plan to forge a closer relationship with the followers in
the short term, then follow that up by providing them guidance
and counseling," said Djainal.
As the authorities shuttered the mosques in the complex on
Friday, a group of Ahmadis looked on, seemingly resigned to the
loss of their complex. There were no clashes with authorities.
The operation was supervises by hundreds of security
personnel, including 265 officers from the Kuningan Police and 70
members of the regency Civil Security Unit.
The deputy chairman of the Ahmadiyah branch in Kuningan
regency, Yusup Akhmad, expressed his concern over the complex's
closure, which he said would interrupt the activities of
followers.
"We are very sad over the closure," said Yusup.
Kuningan Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Suharno said hundreds of
police personnel would be posted at the complex to secure the
area.
This was the latest in a series of closures of Ahmadiyah
properties since the group was targeted on July 15 by hundreds of
stone-throwing protesters in Pondok Udik subdistrict, Kemang
district, Bogor. The attack left several buildings damaged,
including a women's dormitory that was set on fire.
Set up in Pakistan in the 19th century by Gulam Ahmad Khan, it
is estimated that Ahmadiyah has some 200,000 followers in
Indonesia. The attackers in Bogor said Ahmadiyah was not a Muslim
group because it taught that Prophet Muhammad was not the last
prophet.