fahmina institute Cirebon

Indonesia is a member of the United Nations and has ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In this country, therefore, freedom of religious is guaranteed by the state and its constitution.  Central and regional governments must be able to guarantee freedom of religion and belief in accordance with the constitution.  This, at least, is the ideal. However, the fact of the matter is that there is still a lot of discrimination and even acts of violence towards particular groups in the community perpetrated in the name of religion.  This cannot be allowed to continue.

As a result we must “come together within a framework of consolidation and mutual strengthening to deal with the problem of violence in the name of religion.”  These were the words of Gatot Irianto, the head LBH Bandung, in a meeting of the Cirebon Community Peace-lovers Network (Jaringan Masyarakat Cirebon Cinta Damai (JAMACICIDA)), on 27th March, 2008 in Hotel Bentani, Cirebon.

This day-long meeting was attended by over 70 people.  They comprised of delegates from a number of groups supporting religious harmony not only from Cirebon Region III but also from other locations in West Java. Attendees from Cirebon region III included representatives from Fahmina Institute, Cirebon Interfaith Forum (Forum Lintas Iman), Lakpesdam NU Cirebon, Lakpesdam NU Indramayu and Lakpesdam NU Majalengka, as well as PMII Cirebon District. Attendees from Bandung included representatives from LBH Bandung, the Freedom of Religion and Belief Monitoring and Advocacy Network (Jaringan Kerja Pemantauan dan Advokasi Kebebasan Beragama dan Berkeyakinan, PAKBB), and the Sundanese Christian Church (GKP). Attendees from Jakarta included representatives from PP Lakpesdam NU. Among the attendees were also a number of members of Jemaat Ahmadiyah Indonesia (JAI) as well as KH. Maman Imanulhaq Fakieh, the head of pesantren Al-Mizan Majalengka, and Sunarno, Head of the Sub Section on Political Affairs and Intelligence Cirebon.

One of the participants from JAI said that this meeting was not only an opportunity to pay mutual respects but also to build awareness together to protect the unity and integrity of the Republic of Indonesia.  In addition, according to representatives from Fahmina Institute and Lakpesdam Cirebon, the goal of this meeting was to crystallise efforts to encourage state agencies to guarantee freedom of religion in accordance with the constitution.  “So this meeting simply aims to assist state agencies to do their job of looking after the community by guaranteeing freedom of religion and belief, and does not contain any element of violence”, stressed Gatot.

This meeting began with a short statement from JAI regarding their experiences which in the past have seen them become the target of discrimination and even forms of violence from a particular segment of society, claiming to act in the name of Islam, the religion of the majority of Indonesians.  “I am confused.  Government agencies don’t seem to act decisively towards perpetrators of violence.  Their excuse is that they don’t have community support.  Yet if we talk about Indonesia, the mainstream or Muslim majority is NU or Muhammadiyah. And NU and Muhammadiyah people, I feel, have known and had amicable relations with us for a long time”, said a JAI representative.

Expressing similar sentiments as JAI, Heru from the Cirebon Interfaith Forum said: “Like Ahmadiyah, we Christian Protestants are also often victims, but there is yet to be a firm stance from policing agencies”. As a result, he requested that the meeting make a recommendation urging authorities to uphold the law firmly and do their respective jobs.

In response to this matter, the Head of the Sub Section on Political Affairs and Intelligence Cirebon said that they genuinely supported socialisation programs regarding freedom of religion and belief. State prosecutors and law-enforcement agencies have always been involved in guaranteeing these freedoms in the form of prevention of acts of violence in the name of religion and also by working in cooperation with religious leaders.  He acknowledged that in a few respects, law-enforcement agencies were still lacking.  He therefore requested the cooperation of all attendees in providing accurate and valid data regarding breaches of religious freedom or acts of violence that had occurred.

Meanwhile KH Maman from PP Al-Mizan suggested that JAI representatives approach NU kyai elders who are regarded as pious, wise, friendly alim, not hardline. “NU kyai and santri and their followers have long known Ahmadiyah people.  One of my own relatives, Wahid Hasyim, is an Ahmadiyah member and was involved in the struggle to defend the freedom of this nation”, said KH. Maman. He then said: “I have just been to a meeting of kyai elders from throughout Indonesia at the Wahid Institute which was convened with the goal of preventing violence on the basis of religion.  Based on this meeting I can say that many many kyai genuinely do not support the acts of violence carried out by hardline groups in Indonesia.  Therefore, I advise representatives of Ahmadiyah to meet with NU kyai.”

After JAI’s statement and subsequent participant discussion, the participants, facilitated by PP Lakpesdam NU, formulated a few strategic measures such as the formation of a forum, networks and a few other plans for the future.  Hamzah from PP Lakpesdam explained that this meeting was a continuation of a meeting on 12 March at Pondok Pesantren al-Mizan, Majalengka.  That meeting was attended by Jaker PAKBB, Fahmina, Lakpesdam groups from throughout Cirebon Region no III as well as Garut and Tasikmalaya, LBH Bandung, KH. Maman and a few members of JAI.  The meeting in Majalengka was carried out in anticipation of violence on the basis of religion that has recently flared up. “At that meeting we agreed to hold today’s meeting,” said Hamzah.

The participants then discussed a number of additional strategic steps that could be undertaken, both in the short and long term.  From the results of these discussions, a number of matters were agreed upon.  Among them, all the participants who attended agreed to make a forum together, coordinated by KH Maman.  It was further agreed that the forum would carry out socialisation of peaceful religious practice associated with the regional elections which will soon take place.  The forum also agreed to meet in a month’s time to discuss more detailed organisational steps. (AM) -- translated by jo mcmillan

 

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