Slamet Susanto and Arya Dipa, Yogyakarta/Bandung – Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X stance against banning Ahmadiyah has received pros and cons.
On Wednesday, masses from the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) staged a rally at the gubernatorial office, demanding the governor disband Ahmadiyah. The FPI threatened to withdraw its support on Yogyakarta's special status now being disputed by the central government, if Sultan did not meet the demand.
As the governor was outside town, the protesters were received staffer Murprih Antoro Nugoro. After the dialog, Murprih said that he would pass the message to the governor although he was sure that the governor would retract his stance.
Several provinces, regencies/municipalities have issued a ban on Ahmadiyah, which is believed to be heretical to Islam. However, the Sultan said he would not follow suit "because Yogyakarta is safe and the people are full of tolerance".
"We don't need to issue a decree on the ban in Yogyakarta, which might only worsen the condition," the governor said last week.
The governor's stance received a positive response from pluralism proponents, such as Aji Damai from the Society Alliance for Justice (AMUK) and Yogyakarta Women's Network (JPY). They gathered Wednesday to pledge and appeal support to the Sultan's stance.
"This is a form of moral support for the Sultan for not issuing the decree to ban Ahmadiyah," Subkhi Ridhlo, coordinator of AJI Damai, said. "Minorities are guaranteed by the Constitution," he said.
In Bandung, following the issuance of the West Java governor regulation on Ahmadiyah, the Muslim Community Ulema Forum (FUUI) said it would discuss the proposal to ban the Indonesian Islamic Preaching Institution (LDII) and Syiah groups.
FUUI deemed the two as Islamic sects spreading defiant Islamic teachings and that deserved to be banned. He expressed hope that the governor would soon restrict and narrow the movements of both sects.
"We will have a meeting before the end of this week to discuss the proposal to the governor," Deddy said in Bandung's City Hall on Tuesday.
Deddy also said that the governor actually did not necessarily need to issue the regulation on the ban of Ahmadiyah's teachings if everyone applied what had been stipulated in the joint ministerial decree on the matter between the religious affairs minister, home minister and the Attorney General.
"Ahmadiyah also has to be consistent with the agreed 12 points. If they obey there will be no problem," Deddy said.
The same criticism was also expressed by West Java councilor Didin Supriadin of the Democratic Party, saying that the governor's regulation was hastily made without a comprehensive study. "It was made just to follow other regions that have conducted the same ban," Didin said.
He said a comprehensive study regarding the existence of the Ahmadiyah community in the province should have been conducted prior to the issuance of the regulation. This was necessary especially because the Ahmadiyah population in the province was the highest Ahmadiyah population in Indonesia.
"Only after that will we know whether a regulation is integral to issue," he said. The regulation, he said, also did not come with technical directions on implementation. This is feared to create different perceptions among different people.
"Don't enact it just for popular approval. We also want a harmonious West Java but things have to be dealt with wisely and carefully and not in a rush. It surprises and confuses all parties," he said.