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March 29, 2006

Indonesia: Muslims Favoured By New Decree On Places Of Worship

We have documented the campaigns in Indonesia to close churches, and wrote on October 29 of how a particular law has been exploited by Islamist groups to have churches closed down.

This law, the Joint Ministerial Decree of 1969 was originally introduced by the dictator Haji Mohamed Suharto (above), second ruler of Indonesia, who was in power from 1967 to 1998. The law required a permit from local authorities to build a place of worship. Though brought in to give the authorities a weapon in Suharto's battle against Islamists, whom he saw as a threat, it has recently been turned around, and was until recently employed by the Front Pembela Islam and the Hizb ut-Tahrir (united under the umbrella group called Anti-Apostacy Alliance) to persecute Christians, and deny them places of worship.

In November, Andy Mallerangeng, spokesman for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, announced that as a result ofpressure from Christian communities, the Indonesian government would be trying to stop the persecution of religious minorities.

Not only Christians have suffered under campaigns of persecution.. The Ahmadi or Ahmadiyyah sect have been on the receiving end of attacks by Islamic fanatics. This discrimination is not being discouraged by the government. In September last year in Sudkadana, West Java, 70 houses and six mosques wee attacked by a mob of 1,000 rampaging Muslims.

Earlier this month, Indonesia's Religious Affairs Minister, Maftuh Basyuni stated that instead of calling themselves Muslims, the Ahmadiyya should declare themselves a new religion.

Last Tuesday, March 21, Religious affairs Minister M. Maftuh Basyuni and Home Minister M. Ma'ruf signed into law a revision of Suharto's Joint Ministerial Decree of 1969.

The old law had led to 23 churches being closed down in West Java alone, because they did not have the necessary permits. But the new decree is causing just as many problems as the old decree. According to Hera Diani, writing in the Jakarta Post on March 25:

The decree rules that new places of worship must have congregations of a minimum of 90 people, and receive consent of 60 people of other faiths living in the area. There also is a requirement to obtain permits from the local administration and the Communication Forum for Religious Harmony.

Daniel Biantoro of the Orthodox Church said the decree heightened mistrust among people of different religious faiths.

"We used to live in perfect harmony in a neighborhood. But now we are suspicious of each other," he said.

Mubarik Ahmad, spokesman for Ahmadiyah which is considered a heretical strict by Islamic organizations, said the requirement on the minimum number of congregation members was ridiculous.

Christians and Ahmadiyya members joined together in condemnation of the new ruling. Several leaders of both faiths said on Friday that they intended to challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court. They claim that it is in contravention of the nation's Constitution, ignored human rights, and sowed discord.

Indonesia's senior Islamic body, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), is annoyed at the new decree because it appears to give freedoms to other faiths disproportionately. Last July the MUI issued a fatwa, which had 11 decrees, including activities involving interfaith, pluralist and "liberal" thought. This fatwa had the effect of increasing the persecutions against the Ahmadiyyah sect.

Earlier today, Muniggar Sri Saraswati, writing in the Jakarta Post said that yesterday a request for a judicial review of the revised Joint Ministerial Decree was submitted to the Supreme Court by the Defense Team for Religious and Faith Freedom (TPKB), a group of lawyers representing those of various faiths.

Their leader, Saor Siagian, said: "We want it annulled. The decree is against the Constitution, the Human Rights Law and the principles of freedom to exercise one's religion and faith. Hasyim Muzadi, the leader of the nation's largest Muslim body, the Nahdlatul Ulama, said on Monday that the new decree was more restrictive than its predecessor, because it tried to accommodate too many interests.

Almost as soon as the joint Ministerial Decree No. 1/2006 came into force, its rulings were being exploited by Muslim fanatics, states AKI. On Sunday in West Java province, a crowd of Muslims forced a Christian pastor, Fekky Tatulus, to finish his service early and close his church, which is based in his own home. According to the Islamists, pastor Tatulus did not have the requisite permit to operate services from his home.

In 2005, Indonesia was included in a list, produced by the US State Department, of nations which breach acceptable standards on freedoms of religion.

While all this is going on, Indonesia is undergoing a resurgence of Islamism in its politics, demonstarated most dramatically in the ANti-Pornography Bill currently being reviewed by legislators. It is feared that this Bill will seriously affect tourism on the mainly Hindu island of Bali, where Westerners wear bikinis on the beaches. It will enact punishments on anyone exposing areas of flesh.

This evening, Britain's Prime Minister, Tony Blair, currently embattled by accusations of corruption for apparently offering positions in the House of Lords in exchange for "loans", arrived in Indonesia. Bambi Blair is now looking like ragged venison, as earlier today it was announced that senior policeman are mounting an investigation into the loans issue. They want to interview Blair when he returns to the UK.

Blair's intention in this visit is to boost bilateral ties between Britain and Indonesia. He will meet Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono tomorrow (Thursday) morning. It will be the first visit by a British premier to Indonesia since 1985, when Margaret Thatcher visited Suharto. Hasyim Muzadi and Din Syamsuddin, chairmen of the country's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama and the second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, have been invited to the presidential palace to meet Blair.

State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra said yesterday that the visit was important as a dialogue on the nature of moderate Islam in Indonesia should counteract any misunderstandings about the religion.

Trade between Britain and Indonesia will also be discussed, as this has stagnated. Trade was at $1.99 billion US in 2004, a drop from $2.05 billion US in 2000, states the Jakarta Post. Britain is one of the main foreign investors in Indonesia.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at March 29, 2006 8:03 PM

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