Nana Rukmana, Kuningan – A large crowd on Tuesday reportedly attacked the Ahmadiyah worship complex in Manis Lor village, Jalaksana district, in Kuningan, West Java, leaving four people injured.
Hundreds of personnel from the Kuningan police and the local public order police unit barricaded the site to prevent the clash from escalating, police and associated officials said. The incident disrupted traffic along the main Kuningan-Cirebon highway, where hundreds of vehicles were trapped in congestion.
A small mosque and dozens of houses owned by Ahmadiyah members were damaged in the attack, after both sides threw rocks at each other, police and officials said.
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) declared Ahmadiyah "heretical" because the sect does not recognize Muhammad as the last prophet.
Hundreds of people, grouped in the Kuningan Muslim Component (Kompak), staged a protest rally at the Kuningan regency administration office at approximately 9 a.m. local time, before approaching the Ahmadiyah complex, police said.
They demanded the administration be firm and issue a ban against the sect in Kuningan and to follow-up the closure of the complex on Dec. 13.
"Despite the closure, they (Ahmadiyah members) apparently are still carrying out their activities," Kompak member Miftah Hidayat said. "We urge the local administration to be stern in prohibiting their activities."
But due to alleged inaction from authorities, the crowd reportedly marched toward the complex to protest their argument. At approximately 11 a.m. the crowd arrived at the point of worship, sparking tension among sect members, police and officials said.
The attack then ensued between both groups, before sect members retaliated. Police said both sides then commenced throwing rocks at each other before available forces were able to interrupt and stop the clash. Hundreds of police officers then set up barricades in front of the complex to separate both sides.
In response to the issue, the local administration's legal division head Jatnika said his office would not tolerate such behavior. Jatnika said the administration had handed the case to law enforcers to punish those involved in the incident.
"Our stance is very clear. We will not tolerate any acts of violence," Jatnika said. He also urged every party to exercise restraint and engage in dialog to resolve the problem.
On Dec. 13 the Kuningan administration, led by Jatnika and public order unit head Indra Purwantoro, closed down the worship complex, which was occupied by 3,000 sect members. Hundreds of police and local public order unit members sealed a number of facilities, including the main mosque and two small mosques.
Jatnika said the administration had actually planned to close down the complex long ago. He said his office, along with the local prosecutor's office and police, had issued a letter on Dec. 20, 2004, banning Ahmadiyah members from carrying out their religious activities in Kuningan.
The decision was made after Jatnika and others had considered a call from the Indonesian Ulama Council to forbid the teachings of the worship center. "The closure is also aimed at preventing strong reactions from the local Muslim community who are worried about their presence," Jatnika said.