Jakarta – The Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI) questioned on Monday the decision of the Depok city administration in West Java forbidding Ahmadis from using a mosque that belongs to one of the congregation members for worship.
Depok Mayor Mohammad Idris and many police and Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officers reportedly sealed the Al-Hidayah Mosque in Sawangan on Sunday to prevent the space from being used.
Ahmadiyah spokesman Yendra Budiana said on Monday that they were not violating any laws by using the mosque and the house to practice their rituals in Depok.
"The mosque has an IMB [building permit]. So it's legal to use the space for worship," Yendra said, as quoted by kompas.com. He also said that JAI had decided to fight the decision through a legal process.
Depok Deputy Mayor Idris Abdul Somad said the IMB only applied for the mosque and the house buildings. He considered it a violation for the JAI to use the mosque for their activities.
Sunday's operation was reportedly the seventh time the Depok authorities have sealed the mosque between 2011 and 2017.
JAI is one the nation's minority groups that have long been persecuted for their beliefs. (hol)