Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Around 100 people from the Islamic Reform Movement sealed off a house Friday afternoon alleged to be the center of a sect preaching alternative Islamic teachings.
The group took action following their Friday prayers at a nearby mosque. Together with dozens of local residents they marched to the house located in the Parahyangan Kencana residential complex in Nagrak village, Banjaran, about 30 kilometers south of downtown Bandung.
The house, appearing to be the most luxurious in the complex, belongs to Kurnia Wahyu, 63, leader of the alleged sect AKI (Aliran Kepercayaan Ilahi or Belief in God Sect), which has been in the area since 2001.
The protesters held a free speech forum in front of the high-fenced home, repeatedly yelling the words, "Dissolve the AKI!". The angry rally drew riot police to the area, but locals demanded they allow them in to meet with the owner and other members of the AKI inside the house.
A mediation session was later held between the police, military, district head, village head, the local branch of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) and representatives of GARIS, which is the association of mass Islamic organizations including the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).
Bahrun Jamil Ahmad, former head of the neighborhood unit RW 07 where AKI conducted rituals, said that neighbors had been protesting against rituals performed by the sect twice a month on the 1st and 17th day.
"They never perform sholat compulsory prayers performed five times daily. They sacrifice animals, but distribute the meat only among themselves," Bahrun said.
He said some of the locals who joined the sect were unable to leave at their own free will because they were forced to adhere to its teachings.
Indra Perwira, a Nagrak village administration staff member, said around 40 to 50 people attended the sect's rituals, mostly from outside the village.
Suryana Nur Fatwa, coordinator of the West Java branch of GARIS, said his association had been investigating the AKI teachings for more than two years.
Some of the disputed teachings, according to Suryana, included replacing the compulsory sholat prayers with fasting and controlling oneself from committing bad deeds.
Followers of AKI were also prohibited from listening to Islamic preachings given by preachers other than their own.
"If they want to establish a sect of their own, they should not use Islamic prayers as a basis. This is deviant and causes restlessness. They say the mosque and Kaaba are just bricks," Suryana said.
"They even perform prayers with their eyes shut, accompanied by Sundanese disco music. This is a complete harassment of Islam."
Suryana said GARIS had reported the case to the Bandung regency branch of the Coordinating Board for Monitoring Mystical Beliefs (Pakem) as recently as Dec. 2008 but had not yet received a response.
The mediation session concluded Friday with Kurnia Wahyu being made to sign an agreement stating he would halt sect activities until there was a definite decision from the Pakem team regarding the matter.
Muhamad Ismail Chaniago, 40, a member of AKI, said he was surprised their rituals were considered deviant.
"We have been practicing it for 20 years. We are also taught to perform sholat and fasting. We are obliged to have zikir (repeatedly chant part of the confession of faith) and to always have Allah in mind. Isn't that good?" he said.