INDONESIAN ISLAMIC SECT THREATENED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000789 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL/AWH, DRL/IRF NSC FOR EPHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2018 TAGS: PGOV KIRF SOCI PINS ID SUBJECT: INDONESIAN ISLAMIC SECT THREATENED REF: A. JAKARTA 161 ¶B. 07 3490 AND PREVIOUS ¶C. 07 3174 AND PREVIOUS ¶D. 05 10361 JAKARTA 00000789 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: POL/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Following a recommendation by a government monitoring body to outlaw the minority Muslim sect Jamaah Ahmadiyah as "heretical," the GOI is preparing a joint decree to ban the organization. However, the Attorney General's Office and some Muslim leaders are reportedly calling for the matter to be settled through persuasion. The GOI is in a delicate position as Muslim hardliners threaten violence against Ahmadiyah while moderate Muslims are condemning the possible ban. END SUMMARY GOVERNMENT RECOMMENDS DISSOLUTION ¶2. (C) In an action which could result in wider discrimination against minority sects, the Coordinating Board for Monitoring Mystical Beliefs in Society (Bakor Pakem) issued a recommendation on April 16 to dissolve the Islamic sect Jamaah Ahmadiyah. GOI is now reportedly preparing a formal decree requiring the group to cease its activities, several sources told us. However, Attorney General Agung Handarman Supandji told the media on April 19 that the GOI wants to resolve the issue through persuasion, "not directly through legal action." While the decree's implications are unclear, if implemented, sect members could potentially face arrest if they continue to worship. ¶3. (U) Azyumardi Azra, a leading Islamic scholar and aid to Vice President Jusuf Kalla, condemned the action in comments to the press, adding that the "potential for violence against Ahmadiyah is very high now" given current political tensions surrounding local elections occurring nationwide. Several thousand members of Indonesian hardline religious groups, including Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) staged a peaceful demonstration in Jakarta on April 20, demanding the GOI disband the sect, and threatening to "disband them ourselves" if the GOI did not act within one month, the media reported. ¶4. (C) A wide range of civil society leaders lambasted the possible ban, including the chairman of the government's National Human Rights Commission. Masdar Farid Mas'udi, Deputy leader of the country's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU),called on all sides to respect the constitution, saying he is worried about the increasing sectarianism among Muslims and threats of violence. Other NU clerics claimed the GOI had no right to disband Ahmadiyah. Din Syamsuddin, Chairman of Muhammadiyah, the country's second largest Muslim organization, said, "The government may disband any sect legally and formally, but culturally their beliefs may continue to exist. Thus, a persuasive dialogue is the best way to convince them." Tifatul Sembiring, President of Prosperous Justice Party (PKS),a conservative Islamic-oriented political party, supported a ban but also called on Indonesians to remain calm and allow the legal process to continue. Interfaith leaders voiced their support for Ahmadiyah at an April 18 meeting at the Ahmadiyah mosque in North Jakarta, saying the GOI was using the ban to deflect attention away from rising food prices. ¶5. (U) Human rights groups believe the ban, if implemented, could have greater repercussions for freedom of religion, leading to actions to limit freedoms for the many other minority religious sects in Indonesia, both Muslim and non-Muslim. The GOI protects freedom of religion but recognizes only six official religions, and many Indonesian religious sects fall outside of those religions. ¶6. (U) Jamaah Ahmadiyah has existed peacefully in Indonesia since 1925 and only began experiencing difficulties in recent years (ref D). In January 2007, Jamaah Ahmadiyah signed an agreement with Bakor Pakem which required the group to cease teachings that deviated from mainstream Islamic beliefs, including Ahmadiyah not recognizing Muhammad as the last JAKARTA 00000789 002.2 OF 002 prophet (ref A). This past week, Bakor Pakem -- a board made up of senior GOI officials from various ministries -- concluded that the group deviated from mainstream Islamic beliefs and had caused societal conflict. Citing the 1965 law on the "prevention of misuse and disgrace of religion", Bakor Pakem stated the sect had failed to comply with a 12-point declaration signed in January and should be dissolved. SECT PREPARES FOR BAN ¶7. (C) Mubarik Ahmad, an Ahmadiyah spokesperson, told POLOFF on April 17 that he was deeply concerned about the possible ban and violence, but maintained that the Ahmadiyah was complying with the 12-point declaration. He was concerned that the Bakor Pakem recommendation was a political move to pander to conservative Islamic voices, saying "the ball is in our President's court now." Mubarik expressed concern for how this action would affect religious freedom in light of the upcoming national elections. ¶8. (C) The Ahmadiyah leadership met with GOI officials last week to urge the government not to issue the ban, and to discuss legal steps should the ban go forward. After their conversation with presidential advisor Adnan Buyung Nasution, Director of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Deplu) Wiwiek Setyowati, and Director General of Human Rights at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights Harkristuti Harkrisnowo, Nasution and Setyowati both expressed support, Mubarik claimed. However, Setyowati said Deplu will not interfere in domestic issues, he added. DepPol/C told a Deplu North American desk officer on April 17 that the threatened ban could have a very negative impact on religious freedom in Indonesia and would reflect badly on Indonesia's human rights image. The official said she understood our concerns and would convey these to the Director General for Human Rights. MAINSTREAM ORGANIZATION AGAINST SECT ¶9. (C) Gunawan Hidayat, Secretary General of Muhammadiyah Youth, said the GOI would take steps to dissolve the group and encourage consultation with mainstream Islamic leaders. However, he believed Ahmadiyah members would most likely give the appearance of joining a mainstream group but would reorganize underground. Physical dissolution of the group's assets may prove more difficult as they are apparently well-funded and operate numerous facilities, including a small university. IMPLICATIONS FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ¶10. (C) This decree would be the third such action taken by the GOI in recent years to dissolve Islamic sects operating outside the mainstream. On June 29, 2006, Lia Eden, leader of the Komunitas Eden (also known as Salamullah) group was sentenced to two years in prison for "denigrating religion." Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiyah leader Ahmad Musaddeq is currently on trial for the same crime after his sect was also banned (ref C). ¶11. (C) The government is in a delicate position. Under the Suharto regime, minority sects could operate more freely because the regime could easily quash any threats by religious groups. However, under the current democratic regime, the government is more hesitant to reign in hardline groups. This threatened ban is an attempt to appease these groups although a strong backlash from civil society could sway the GOI to reconsider its actions. HUME