Pandeglang, Banten, Indonesia, February 7, 2011. Several groups of unidentified mass came simultaneously with the sole aim to destroy the Indonesian Ahmadiyya Community gathering place in the Umbulan village, Sub Cikeusik. Of the 17 people Ahmadis in the area, carrying three people dead, 5 still missing, while the rest are in the local police office. Ahmadiyya sect, a minority group in Indonesia. They are considered a heretical sect in Islam. Indonesian Council of Ulema issued a fatwa that Ahmadiyya as a heretical sect and outside the Islamic religion and recommended the dissolution of the organization Jemaah Ahmadiyah Indonesia. Violence against Ahmadiyya followers in Indonesia became the norm because it is so often case, starting from 2005 till now.
Temanggung, Central Java, Indonesia on February 8, 2011. Beginning with a trial verdict against the defendant blasphemy case, called Antonius Bawengan. Local court judge sentenced 5 years in prison for Bawengan, which is considered too light by the masses who come to the trial. Several groups of mob attacked the local office of the district court with stones and set fire to police cars guarding the place. The mass then moves toward the center of town and then set fire to two churches, the other threw a church with stones, damaging the teaching and learning facilities in a Christian school. Luckily there were no casualties in the action. Arson, destruction and closure of the church is not uncommon in Indonesia, which started since 1999 until today.
Several time ago, the President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama's visit to Indonesia, a country he had lived for ± 4 years with her mother Mrs. Ann Dunham and his stepfather Lolo Soetoro. Even his sister, Maya Soetoro was born in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia. From the news we get, for a brief visit in Indonesia, together with Mrs. Michelle Obama, the U.S. president visited the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia which was designed by a local architect Christian, Frederich Silaban. Then Mr. Obama gave a speech in front of academics on the campus of the University of Indonesia. From what was delivered Mr. Obama in Jakarta, as he convey to his first speech in Muslim countries, in Cairo, Egypt, he was making Indonesia as an example of how a country with a majority of Muslims can coexist peacefully with minorities.
Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world, is a country that adheres to the motto of Unity in Diversity, a State which recognizes the existence of religion for its citizens but does not specify an official religion of the State. Prior to 1998, can be said that the sectarian conflict in Indonesia can be muted with nationalistic approach of the New Order, under the control of a soft dictator, General Muhammad Suharto, who ruled Indonesia for more than 32 years. While in the previous period, Sukarno, Indonesia's founding father, gave rise to the term national ideology of Pancasila (Five elements) as the basics of the state of Indonesia.
After the fall of the Soeharto government in 1998 because of massive demonstrations that preceded the student movement. Suharto, who at that time was in Egypt and met Hosni Mubarak, was forced to go home and then announced his retirement. Funnily enough, Hosni Mubarak had just undergone a similar thing. Suharto, like Mubarak, oppressive fundamentalist groups and Islamic extremists. Now, the new Indonesian government seems difficult to control the numerous acts of violence against minorities by hardline groups. The events as occurred in Pandeglang and Temanggung, not the first and likely will not be the last. It seems the motto of Unity in Diversity is getting its biggest challenge.
Hopefully my Indonesian family, always in good condition and can live their faith in safety.
“From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to give you the wisdom you need for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2Timothy 3:15)
