Jakarta – Deputy Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar has won support from interfaith activists with his call for the National Police to take seriously the attack on an Ahmadiyah mosque in Tasikmalaya, West Java. He also urged police to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Nasaruddin's statement came as a surprise because it is in direct opposition to that of Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali, who said the Ahmadis must obey the law. It has raised speculation among the public that there is dissension at the ministry.

Lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis said on Tuesday that Nasaruddin seemed to have taken a stance different from his superior. "Maybe there are differences between them in the ministry. If that is the case, it means there is a problem in the government and that officials don't have solid relationships," he said.

Todung praised Nasaruddin's statement, saying that the deputy minister had shown he was fully supportive of religious minority groups in the country and expressed religious tolerance.

"Nasaruddin's a very open-minded person and he really respects people's freedom of religion. I have never heard or seen him degrade or discredit other people's beliefs. He should be an example for other officials. The minister, on the other hand, doesn't possess the same kind of spirit as Nasaruddin," he added.

Support for Nasaruddin also came from Ali Maschan Moesa, a National Awakening Party (PKB) politician who is also a member of the House of Representatives' Commission VIII on religious affairs. Ali said that Nasaruddin had provided some comfort for minorities, including the Ahmadis who were attacked in Tasikmalaya last Friday.

Commenting on the different viewpoints between the minister and his deputy, Ali said there could be a conflict between the two officials. He also criticized the minister, adding that Suryadharma tended to support right-wing groups.

"Yes, it's true that Suryadharma is rooted in the United Development Party [PPP], a party that is opposed to Shiite or Ahmadiyah sects. But he cannot keep on making unwise and insensitive remarks in public because he will only end up making things worse," Ali said.

Nasaruddin denied there was any split between him and Suryadharma in relation to the Ahmadiyah incident. "I do not think that our views are different as long as they are based on existing laws. As a government official, I feel responsible for ensuring that no citizens, including the Ahmadis, fall victims to intolerance," he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Nasaruddin said he was not afraid of being dismissed from his post because of his comments, adding that he had always been an academic and was not interested in pursuing any specific position in government. However, he also hinted that Cabinet ministers had to put aside the interests of their own political parties in the lead-up to the 2014 elections.

Nasaruddin was quoted by Antara news agency on Monday in response to the Ahmadiyah mosque attacks, saying that the police should take stern action against the individuals involved and bring them to justice. "This is a national task for all of us. The police must discover the identity of the assailants," he said.

Prior to Nasaruddin's comments, Suryadharma had said that the Ahmadis were the ones who should obey the law and "abandon their defiant beliefs".

Reports said that some 150 people attacked the mosque where 80 male and female Ahmadis were performing prayers last Friday. Several people were injured in the attack and police said they were outnumbered. No arrests have been made so far. (tas/asa)