Ahmadiyah is OK by Constitution

Ahmadiyah is OK by Constitution

It is sad to hear the statement of the President of the
Republic Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that the
Ahmadiyah Organization in Indonesia has been banned by the
government long ago. While in fact the Jamaah Ahmadiyah Indonesia
is still registered with the Department of Justice as a legal
organization.

In the year 2000, the Supreme Head of the International
Ahmadiyah Community, the late Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad came to
visit Indonesia for a month and met some 500,000 Ahmadis in
Indonesia. He also made a courtesy call on then President
Abdurahman Wahid and the speaker of the People's Consultative
Assembly, Amien Rais.

Government officials are expected to fully understand the
Indonesian Constitution, and that it explicitly allows for and
protects the freedom of religion. The Republic of Indonesia does
not base itself on any religious denomination, nor is it an
Islamic state.

ABDUL MUKHLIS AHMAD, Zamboanga, Philippines