Indonesia's Attorney General has banned a controversial Islamic sect from practising in the country. But the government has stopped short of disbanding the Ahmadiyah sect altogether.

Presenter: Girish Sawlani

Speakers: Azyurmadi Azra, director, Graduate School, Islamic State University; Syafii Anwar, Executive director of International centre for Islam and Pluralism.

Sawlani: The Ahmadiyah sect was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in the 19th century in the Indian state of Punjab, and is now estimated to have more than ten million followers worldwide. They believe their founder to be another prophet of Islam whose mission was to establish a movement that would revitalise their religion.

But mainstream Muslims around the world have strongly rejected Ahmadiyah's edict and insist that Prophet Muhammad is the final messiah.

And for more than 500,000 Ahmadiyah Muslims in Indonesia, those rejections took on greater significance after attorney general Whishnu Subroto banned the religious group form practising in the country.

The ruling has sparked an outcry among those who believe the government's decision violates Indonesia's constitution which guarantees the freedom to practice religion. Syafii Anwar is the Executive Director of the International Centre for Islam and Pluralism in Jakarta.

Anwar: This is definitely against human rights, against our constitution, and against religious teaching as well. Why, because the government should be maintaining religious freedom in Indonesia. Unfortunately the government seems to be siding with the Islamic radical groups who ban Ahmadiyah. I strongly believe that internationally this kind of decision would be counter-productive for Indonesia as perceived of a moderate Muslim.

Sawlani: Most of Indonesia's Muslims are moderate and as such haven't opposed the activities of Ahmadiyah members. But calls to ban the sect were recommended by several radical Islamic groups since 2005. Azyurmadi Azra heads the graduate school at the State Islamic University.

Azra: Mainstream Muslim organisation like NU and Muhammadiyah do not have a problem with Ahmadiyah because Ahmadiyah has been existence in Indonesian for many, many years since the 1920s. So they live peacefully side by side. So there is no problem with mainstream, but the problem is there are groups that are led by puritanical or pristine kind of Islam that wants to distance Islam from what they call deviant things.

Sawlani: So far Indonesia's two largest Muslim groups, the Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah have remained silent on the attorney general's ruling. And with general elections looming, Syafii Anwar says both groups will be reluctant to weigh in on the controversy.

Anwar: Unfortunately they're just quiet, why because they most probably just... for the next general election. This is a matter of political game actually and it seems to me they do not care with this kind of religious freedom.

Sawlani: Although the government has resisted calls by some local governments and radical Islamic groups to outlaw the entire sect, Syafii Anwar believes the attorney general's decision could lead to violence against Ahmadiyah followers.

Anwar: It will be capitalised to justify the actions by the radical groups. That kind of recommendation from the Attorney General is counter-productive and could be upsetting Indonesian people and most importantly will be creating chaos because it can be capitalised by radical Islam to attack or even to kill Ahmadiyah members.

Sawlani: Azyumardi Azra, who also serves as a deputy in the vice president's office, says the government is obligated to protect Ahmadiyah Muslims against possible attacks by racial Islamists, who don't consider Ahmadiyah followers to be Muslim.

Sawlani: But Syafii Anwar fears authorities will not be able to guarantee the safety of Ahmadiyah members against radical groups such as Islamic defenders front, the FPI.