Publisher: The Wahid Institute | Directors: Yenny Zannuba Wahid, Ahmad Suaedy | Chief Editor: Rumadi | Executive Editor: Alamsyah M. Dja’far | Board of Editors: Ahmad Suaedy, Gamal Ferdhi, Alamsyah M. Dja’far | Editorial Staff: M. Subhi Azhari, Nurun Nisa’, Badrus Samsul Fata | Translator: Rebecca Lunon | Cover & Lay out: Ulum Zulvaton | Contributors: Noor Rahman (Jakarta), Dindin A. Ghazali, Suhendy (West Java), Nur Khalik Ridwan (Central Java and Yogyakarta), Tedi Kholiludin (Central Java), Zainul Hamdi (East Java), Syamsul Rijal Adhan (Makassar), Yusuf Tantowi, Akhdiansyah (NTB) | Address: The Wahid Institute , Jln Taman Amir Hamzah 8, Jakarta - 10320 | Phone +62 21 3928 233, 3145 671 I Fax. +62 21 3928 250 Email: info@wahidinstitute.org Website: www.wahidinstitute.org. Published by The Wahid Institute in cooperation with TIFA Foundation.

The WAHID Institute

Monthly Reporton Religious Issues

Editor’s Word

MUI’s fatwa on deviance have led to more bitterness, this time in Medan for the Sufi group known by the name Babur

Ridho Ahli Thariqat Naqsabandi Jabal Hindi of Medan. The South Sumateran branch had is-sued a fatwa in 2006, which became problem-atic when the group recently prepared to hold the 1st Provincial Qur’anic Recitation Competi-tion in North Sumatra for the elderly. The public event, planned for 6 December 2009, was post-poned after the committee failed to attain po-lice authorisation because they did not obtain a compulsory MUI recommendation.

Although without authorisation, Babur Ridha went ahead with their plans. They had already obtained permission from the owner of the venue and had sent a letter of recommendation to MUI. Just days before the event they erected a stage and tents at the Istana Maimun Medan. Hundreds of people had already arrived, but the police showed no leniency, packing up the tents and signs on Wednesday afternoon (9/12/2009).

This edition of MRORI also details several cases of religious based persecution. The Santo Albertus Church in Bekasi, still under construc-tion, was destroyed by hundreds of people, in-cluding children, youth, and mothers and fathers on Thursday night (17/12/2009).

Similarly, in Temanggung, Central Java, the LDII mosque was burnt down by an unknown culprit. It is highly suspected that the attack was a result of the mosque’s beliefs. And in Cirebon, people from Forum Umat Islam (FUI) and Jamaah Anshoru Tauhid (JAT) dispersed the Millah Ibra-him group. They accused the group of deviance, an accusation MUI is currently looking into.

There are also a number of other cases of intolerance that feature in this edition, including PBNU’s re-banning of gossip shows on televi-sion, protest over the construction of the HKBP Church in Bekasi, MUI’s ban against construc-tion of a statue of the Sultan of Banten, and banning by Bogor MUI of New Year celebrations. Once again, these cases are only a few from a long list of instances of religious intolerance this December.

Enjoy your reading!

Authorities Cancel MTQ, Demolish StageAlamsyah M. Dja’far

Amri Subkhan will never for-get that day four years ago. After Friday prayers, about

200 local residents swarmed Pondok Pesantren Baburridho on Jalan Young Panah Hijau, Labuhan Medan, about 15km from Medan city. Shouting and yelling, they forced the director of the pesantren, Muhammad Hirfi Nuzlan (47), who also leads Babur Ridho Ahli Thariqat Naqsyabandi Jabal Hindi of Medan, to leave his pesantren where he was accused of teaching deviant beliefs. The atmosphere was tense, and for the sake of “security” authori-ties arrived and evacuated about 40 santri to the Labuhan Medan police station one kilometre away. They then erected a police line around the pesantren.

“All operations have been tem-porarily halted until agreement is reached between the pesantren and

local residents. This is to prevent any-thing undesirable from occurring,” said the head of Labuhan Medan police, Police Chief Commissioner M R Arvan (detik.com).

The incident occurred on 24 March 2006. Three months after a thorough investigation, South Sumatera MUI is-sued a fatwa of deviance number 22/Kep-07/MUI-SU/VI/2006 in regards to Hirfi Nuzlan’s teachings.

In making the decision MUI ques-tioned Muhammad Hirfi Nuzlan about several matters, including his belief that all humans could go to heaven/paradise and his dream of meeting the archangel Gabriel.

Amri, secretary general of Majelis Dzikir Baburridho Rahmatullah, was incredibly disappointed with the fatwa, arguing that Nuzlan’s opinion was simply a private belief and by no means a teaching. “So why is MUI

Edition

26January 2010

Nuzlan, Babur Ridho leader, in discussion with the Medan Police Chief, Amri Z.

�

■ Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXVI, January 2010

The WAHID Institute

declaring us deviant?” he asked (Post Metro, 8/12). “The fatwa is only an opinion, and I don’t think we’re devi-ant,” Nuzlan said.

The fatwa proved to have a wider impact, leading to the banning of the 1st Provincial Qur’anic Recitation Competition in North Sumatra for the elderly. North Sumatera MUI refused to grant Babur Ridho the recommenda-tion required for the event, which was to be held at Istana Maimun Medan, on December 6 last year. MUI argued that the 2006 fatwa was still valid and had not been altered in any way. “Thus the North Sumatera branch of MUI cannot grant the recommenda-tion requested,” wrote Abdullah Syah, chairman of North Sumatera MUI, in correspondence number 710/DP-P II/SR/XII/2009, issued on December 7.

Recommendation from MUI was required for the provincial police to is-sue authorisation for the event, which would feature competitions with prizes ranging from a trip to Mecca (haj), motorbikes, and money. Oth-er authorisation required included recommendation from the head of the Department of Religious Affairs’ regional office, the National Security and Integrity office, and the Medan Police Chief. “Why on earth would MUI issue a recommendation when they decreed us deviant back then,” Nuzlan told a local journalist on December 9.

The Medan Office of Religious Affairs was in favour of the ban. The director of the office, Abd Rahim said that the ban was in accordance with the approach expressed in the circular from the director of the pro-vincial office of the Department of Religious Affairs No. KW.02/2-C/BA.00/2452/2009, dated 3 November

2009, which basically urged society to follow MUI’s fatwa.

After failing to obtain MUI’s recommendation, North Sumatera Police also refused to issue the permit. The event was formally cancelled on 30 November in a circular signed by Police Commissioner A Lase, which made reference to Law No. 2/2002 concerning Indonesian Police, and national police instruction No. Pol: Juklap/02/XII/1995, dated December 29, concerning Authorisation and Notification of Public Events. “We have been unable to issue authorisation as the requirements have not been met.”

The Istana Maimun Foundation, which initially gave permission for the use of the palace grounds, quickly changed their tune, cancelling authorisation even though prepara-tions were well and truly underway. Sings and awning for the main stage had already been erected, and the venue had been used by about 140 people from various regencies/cities in North Sumatera for a technical meeting.

Police officers, assisted by Medan municipal police, then took down the tents and signs on Wednesday afternoon (9/12/2009), in a move that caused much protest. Babur Ridho members tried to stop an officer from demolishing a replica of a mosque dome. One even shouted, “People who ban the reading of the Qur’an are infidels” (Seputar Indonesia, 10/12/2009).

Discussions were held and the committee took the initiative to approach the Medan Legal Aid Foundation in search of a legal resolution. However by the time they had returned the tents and speaker’s platform had already been removed. “We did this because they didn’t have authorisation. This is in ac-cordance with regulations,” said the Chief of Medan Police, Police Chief Commissioner Amri Z. The municipal police maintained that they were only there to aid the police.

Babur Ridho have since taken action, claiming that the legal suit they filed is currently being processed. On December 17, Arman Tanjung, Chief Executive of the MTQ Commit-

tee, submitted the group’s objections and complaints in a letter to the Na-tional Commission on Human Rights, which was also copied to the Presi-dent, parliament, Chief of Police, and a number of aid foundations and hu-man rights NGOs, including the Wa-hid Institute.

Babur Ridho demanded that the National Commission on Human Rights form a special investigation team to look into the actions of MUI, the police and the municipal police. They also asked for protection for all members and directors of Majlis Dzikir Babur Ridho Rahmatullah to allow them to worship and pursue their legal suit.

According to the group’s official website www.baburridho-rahmatul-lah.com, the teaching, developed by Zulfan, originated from H Muham-mad Jamil bin Datuk Kanda Maha-rajo Ibrahim of Bonjol, Padang, West Sumatera, who was a member of Thar-iqat Naqsyabandi. In 1925, he moved to Paya Geli village in Deli Serdang, North Sumatera, and continued to develop the group until his death in 1934.

To make a long story short, leader-ship of the mystical group was given to Nuzlan in a spiritual experience. Nuzlan received divine inspiration at least three times commanding him to lead the Babur Ridho Thariqat Naq-syabandi pesantren. The pesantren grounds were donated by one mem-ber because the previous land was in-sufficient for their needs.

On 9 April 1998 Hirfi Nuzlan was installed as official leader and given the new name Tuan Syekh Muham-mad Hirfi Nuzlan. The name of the pesantren was changed to Pengajian Tasawuf Babur Ridho Ahli Thariqat Naqsyabandi Jabal Hindi.

In routine study groups Hirfi Nu-zlan taught his followers to practice several behaviours. This included squ-atting while urinating and washing afterwards, spitting with one’s hand over one’s mouth and aimed to the left, if possible in silence, and sleeping with one’s head rested on one’s arm as practiced by the Prophet. All 34 teachings seem to differ very little from mainstream belief . M

Recommendation from MUI was required for

the provincial police to issue authorisation for the event, which would

feature competitions with prizes ranging from

a trip to Mecca (haj), motorbikes, ¬and money.

�

n Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXVI, January 2010

The WAHID Institute

A mosque owned by the religious organisation LDII (Indonesian Islamic Propaga-

tion Foundation), in Tlogowiro vil-lage of Bansari, Temanggung, Central Java, was attacked and burnt down by unknown culprits. This was the second time the house of worship had been attacked. The first instance occurred in April of 2007, and was re-solved privately. The culprits were not required to pay compensation and LDII members were free to go about their activities, with the requirement that when holding sermons they re-port to the village chief and local po-lice. With this arrangement, the case was considered closed.

This time however, besides damaging the building under con-struction, dozens of people also burnt down a number of properties on the site. The violence is suspected to have been triggered by locals angered by and un-accepting of the organisa-tion’s religious teachings. However others suspect that the violence was due to unequal distribution of sacrifi-cial meat.

Fortunately, the attack began at around 10.00 am on Sunday (6/12) at a time when the mosque was empty. A number of local residents claimed that they had no knowledge of the incident, as many were working in their rice paddies or fields.

Local residents said they did not know who were the culprits behind the attack, but did confirm that it was based on disagreement over the group’s teachings. “They asked that the building not be used as a house

of worship, but their demands were not heeded,” Kuminto, a local resident, said.

The absence of any fire engine meant the mosque was quickly de-voured by flames. Temanggung police arrived late, unable to stop the crowd from burning the mosque. This kind of incident should have been prevented had authorities been functioning at maximum capacity. After all, a similar incident had taken place in April of 2007.

Shortly after the incident, the Temanggung Police Chief, Police Chief Commissioner Antony Agusti-nus admitted that he could not pro-vide further information as investiga-tion was still underway. A number of witnesses were interviewed so as to ascertain who was behind the attack, and police also placed a police unit on alert to guard the area.

SettlementLDII management, from central

headquarters to Regency/Provincial branches, has sought settlement with a number of residents from Tlogowe-ro village. However they will also con-tinue to pursue legal action against the culprits of the attack.

“As a religious organisation that ad-vocates religious outreach, we don’t want to worsen the situation. We are looking for settlement or peace, but we want the legal process, currently in the hands of police, to continue,” said the Vice Chairman of LDII Central Headquarters, AM Suhartono, after a meeting with the Regent of Temang-gung.

The legal process was progressing well, and it was already becoming clear who the perpetrators were and what their motive was. The legal team formed by LDII Headquarters believe that 40 of 115 Tlogowero residents already investigated by Temanggung police admitted to being involved in the attack.

According to the Chairman of Central Java LDII Headquarters, Prof

Dr Singgih Tri Sulistiyono, the violence directed at the house of worship was a concern for all.

“Amidst all the attention given to enforcement of human rights, this kind of incidence should not occur. All citizens should respect the opinions and beliefs of others and be mutually tolerant of one another,” he said.

Sulistiyono, also professor at Diponegoro University, hoped that police would be able to work at their highest capacity to resolve the case. “We ask that all parties respect the course of justice, as the case is already in the hands of police. I hope that the-re is no intervention whatsoever that influences the legal process,” he em-phasised.

LDII Central and Provincial Head-quarters will continue to monitor the case, and are currently awaiting the results of the police investiga-tion. The case is criminal and carries a minimum sentence of 5 years in jail. As an arson attack against a house of worship, it clearly violates the law, but also violates human rights, Sulistiyono added.

The incident has had psychologi-cal impacts for some local LDII mem-bers. They are frequently threatened and intimidated by the perpetrators of the attack. “The threats they receive are along the lines of if the case is tak-en to court, then the perpetrators will kill them,” said the director of Temang-gung LDII, Drs H Gufron.

LDII members in Temanggung have been instructed to remain calm and not be provoked by the threats and intimidation. As for the rumours that the incident was triggered by unfair distribution of meat from sac-rificial animals, Gufron said, “It’s not true. Distribution of meat is a way to increase care and consideration for others, why is this being used as a reason when it’s clearly not? Just let the police arrest whoever the cul-prits are.” (mediaindonesia.com and metrotvnews.com, 11/12/2009).

M

LDII Mosque Burnt Tedi Kholiludin

“As a religious organisation that

advocates religious outreach, we don’t want

to worsen the situation.”

AM Suhartono, Vice Chairman of LDII Central Headquarters

�

■ Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXVI, January 2010

The WAHID Institute

Nearing the end of last year, NU’s ban on gossip shows came into the limelight once

again. The Chairman of NU Hhead-quarters (PBNU), Kiai Hasyim Muzadi, declared that gossip shows were har-am (forbidden) in accordance with the Conference of NU Ulama in Sura-baya, July 2006. PBNU went further to urge that gossip shows should be

stopped altogether as they can have a negative impact on the community (detik.com, 25/12/2009).

Hasyim Muzadi, Director of Al-Hikam Pesantren, argued that gos-sip shows were all about character assassination, for whatever reason. “Because of this, these shows are not about freedom and democracy, but are about character assassination

and destruction of family harmony,” he said (vivanews.com, 25/12/2009).

Thus, Hasyim continued, any indi-vidual or family who feels that they deserve compensation because of the way they have been portrayed on gossip shows has the right to demand that their good name be restored. “The media has to stop this, rather than sacrificing more victims

NU Headquarters Bans Gossip Shows AgainNoor Rohman

Santo Albertus Mosque Damaged by MobAlamsyah M. Dja’far

There was no warning whats-oever that the large group, consisting of mothers, fathers

and children would attack the Santo Albertus Church. On Thursday night (17/12/2009) Kristina Maria Rantetana passed the group, most of whom ac-cording to police came from North Bekasi, at Patung Tiga Mojang, about 1.5 km from the church. “No one was giving speeches. They were all cheerful, laughing. There was noth-ing suspicious at all,” said the Chair-woman of the Santo Albertus Church Construction Committee (Kompas, 18/12/2009).

The mob arrived in vehicles and then at about 23.00 blindly attacked the church located in the Harapan Indah housing complex in Bekasi. Seeing the situation turn critical, Kris-tina rushed to the Medan Satria po-

lice station, about 500 metres away. Besides throwing objects at the

church, the mob also burnt down a security post, a security car, and a container used as an office by the construction contractor. The mob, armed with kerosene, also smashed marble and ceramic tiles that were to be used in the construction. A jerry can of kerosene was found at the lo-cation. “The mob jumped all over a computer from the contractor’s of-fice which was found in the gutter in front of the church,” explained the special advisor to the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Secu-rity Affairs. The violence was brought to a stop at 24.00 after hundreds of Bekasi police officers arrived.

According to more recent infor-mation, the incident was triggered in part by suspicions that the church had violated its authorisation by fal-sifying signatures of local residents and was also converting people to Christianity. Such concerns had in fact been expressed by a number of Islamic groups several months prior to the incident.

The church denied violating

the conditions of their permit. “The church was first granted permis-sion for the construction on 11 May 2008,” Kristina explained. In fact, she said, authorities including the local military commander and the Bekasi police chief had guaranteed that they would provide security so that the church’s congregants could wor-ship freely and could hold Christmas celebrations.

Although damaged, the church was still used for mass on Christmas Eve (24/12/2009). Almost 4000 Chris-tians filled the church and tents set up by the committee. One police unit from the Bekasi police station provided security from 17.30 on-wards.

The following day (25/12/2009) in his Sermon, Cardinal Julius Darmaatmaja expressed his concern over the incident. Uskup also invited all religions to continue to build a brotherhood. The mass, held in the Jakarta Cathedral, was attended by the ambassador from the Vatican, Le-popold Girelli and the Cardinal’s as-sistant Ignatius Suharyo. The incident is still under police investigation. M

Cardinal Julius Darmaatmaja expressed

his concern over the incident.

�

n Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXVI, January 2010

The WAHID Institute

Local Protest against Christmas ServiceNoor Rohman

The Philadelpia HKBP Church’s plans to celebrate Christmas were disrupted by protest from

hundreds of local residents from Je-jalen Jaya, Tambun Utara, in Bekasi who felt the church did not have an appropriate building permit (lipu-tan6.com, 25/12/2009).

The angry locals urged that church activities be stopped un-til receiving authorisation from the government. The locals were deter-mined not to be tolerant or lenient, and consequently communication

between the two parties broke down before any resolution was achieved. The church explained the situation and asked to be given an exemption until after the Christmas celebrations were finished. The locals refused to compromise.

The deadlock was eventually overcome when local authorities stepped in. The Chief of Bekasi Po-lice, Chief Commissioner Herry Wi-bowo, took on a role as mediator and recommended that both parties talk things out calmly.

every day,” he emphasised (kompas.com, 26/12/2009). Hasyim also urged the government, in this case the Minister for Information and Commu-nications, to take the initiative to regulate these kinds of programs. “What’s more, Mr Tifatul (the minister) is considered to be highly Islamic,” he said (vivanews.com, 25/12/2009).

Hasyim deplored the programs, which he feels prioritise business and are controlled more by the power of money than by a desire to develop national character and morality. “It would be fantastic if infotainment was about education in maintaining a harmonious family, or any other kind of meaningful education,” he said (antaranews.com, 27/12/2009). For Hasyim, the freedom enjoyed by

such programs is not balanced with their rights and responsibilities.

This particular stance by PBNU has received much criticism from the Press Council, which has deplored the way PBNU chose to protest. PBNU was asked not to play games banning the shows, and was recom-mended to use the channels pro-vided, one being the Press Council. “They shouldn’t play around like that, rather we’ve asked PBNU to talk di-rectly with us,” stressed Abdullah Ala-mudi, member of the Press Council (detik.com, 25/12/2009).

Alamudi further explained that other channels were available if PBNU wished to protest against gos-sip shows. Besides complaining to the Press Council, PBNU could also send letters of protest to institutions involved in the production of such shows.

“NU should state which program it’s protesting against. It shouldn’t mess around banning shows, but should file a complaint. There are channels, NU can use them. NU can send letters to the relevant institu-tions in protest. Doesn’t NU want to file a complaint in protest? As a social organisations older than our republic, that helped build our republic, why is NU becoming weak. We hope that NU will take action and not only pro-

test but will actually indicate which program it has had issues with,” he added (detik.com, 25/12/2009).

Differing from PBNU, secre-tary of Malang MUI, Muhammad Nidhom Hidayat, said that PBNU’s protest showed the organisation’s lack of maturity. He hoped that the government and community ele-ments would be able to educate oth-ers that the reporting found on such programs was often not objective. “If society has this kind of understand-ing, then surely they themselves will choose not to watch such shows,” he said (antaranews.com, 27/12/2009). In addition, he implored the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) to continue doing its job, by selecting only those programs that contain positive values and do not have a negative impact on society.

In light of the discussion above, the issue concerning infotainment programs boils down to how the journalistic code of ethics is put into practice. The code should ensure that anything that may have nega-tive impacts should be minimised, and as such there should be no need for other parties to ban shows, as such methods are unlikely to be any more effective.

M

“NU should state which program it’s protesting

against. It shouldn’t mess around banning shows, but should file

a complaint. There are channels, NU can use

them.”Abdullah Alamudi, member

of the Press Council

Tigor, committee member for the church construction, admitted that they were forced to hold the Christmas celebrations in the church because the HKBP congregation had no other facilities.

�

■ Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXVI, January 2010

The WAHID Institute

Sultan of Banten Statue BannedNoor Rohman

The plan to erect a statue of Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin of Banten at the Pamulang-

Tangerang-Banten roundabout has sparked protest from the local branch of the Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI). MUI has pronounced the plan haram (forbidden) because it fears people might then worship at the roundabout.

According to the Director of South Tanggerang MUI, KH Saidi, delibera-tion between South Tanggerang MUI

and the local government led to the agreement that construction of a statue of Sultan Maulana Hasanud-din did not accord with the Hadis. “South Tanggerang MUI forbids the construction of a statue of Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin of Banten at the Pamulang roundabout,” Saidi said (tvone.co.id, 20/12/2009).

MUI is concerned that the statue could become a popular place for those who worship the Sultan. Saidi further emphasised his concern, arguing that even though the statue was an historic figure and would be erected for educational purposes, it would still be misused by society. In general, he feels the statue would do more damage (mafsadah) than good (maslahat).

The construction, to be comple-ted in cooperation with private par-ties, would require significant fund-

ing. Saidi argued it would be better to spend the money in a way that better benefitted the community. Constructing pillars decorated with God’s attributes for the Banten Mosque would be better than build-ing a statue of the Sultan. “If neces-sary, construct a replica of the South Tanggerang logo at the Pamulang roundabout, so that people don’t get the wrong perception,” he explained (Republika Newsroom, 20/12/2009).

As alternative suggestions, South Tanggerang MUI offered several ide-as that the local government could pursue instead of the statue of Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin. According to South Tanggerang official, M Shaleh, MUI’s suggestions would be discussed with local authorities. “We’ll discuss things in more detail later when de-ciding what to do,” Shaleh explained (kompas.com, 20/12/2009. M

According to tempointeraktif.com (25/12/2009) the locals eventually ca-pitulated and chose to negotiate with the church in order to find the best alternative solution for both parties. Locals, represented by Naimun, Aseng and Aziz, eventually reached agreement with the church, repre-sented by Tigor Tampubolon and Si-manjuntak, which agreed to speed up proceedings. The Police Chief also urged the church to respect the law and not to start construction before receiving government authorisation.

According to the Police Chief, the church had yet to obtain local sup-port as well as recommendation from the local government and the Bekasi Office of Religious Affairs. According to Bongkon, Head of Community As-sociation Unit (RW) 09, the church had started the application process two years ago, but was still to obtain the permit last Christmas. “A number of residents have signed in support of the church construction, but there

are still several who have not ap-proved,” Bongkon said (cetak.kompas.com, 26/12/2009).

Tigor, committee member for the church construction, admitted that they were forced to hold the Christ-mas celebrations in the church be-cause the HKBP congregation had no other facilities. “Up till today we’ve been worshiping in peoples’ houses,” he explained (tempointeraktif.com, 25/12/2009).

Several days later, on December 29, church representatives met with the Bekasi local government coun-cil and Sa’duddin, the regent of Be-kasi. They agreed to allow the church congregation to worship in the Je-jalen Jaya village hall while waiting for the permit to be granted. “But we were soon startled two days later, on December 31, when the Bekasi regent sent a letter to the church informing us that we were to hold no more activities at Jejalen Jaya village hall and that we would not be granted

permission to build the church. It contrasted strongly with the agree-ment reached on December 29 in the meeting led by the regent,” said Sintua Tigor Tampubolon, a manager of the Philadelpia HKBP Church (Sinar Harapan, 7/1/2010).

Although still without a permit, Sintua declared that the congrega-tion would continue to worship at the church site, using tents and plywood makeshift rooms. “If locals continue to protest against our presence, we’ll go back to the village hall again. And if we’re banned from there, we will wor-ship in the yard to the Jejalen village office. If we are still rejected we will move and worship on the main road. And should we be kicked off the road, we’ll go to the cemetery because the 1945 constitution guarantees Indo-nesian citizens the right to adhere to a religion,” he declared.(sinarharapan.co.id, 08/01/2010).

M

MUI is concerned that the statue could become a popular place for those who worship the Sultan.

�

n Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXVI, January 2010

The WAHID Institute

Sultan of Banten Statue BannedNoor Rohman

MUI Bans New Year CelebrationsNoor Rohman

At the end of last December, Bogor MUI banned New Year celebrations, arguing that ce-

lebration of the end of the Christian calendar was not allowed in Islam. “Don’t celebrate it, we shouldn’t even say the greeting,” said the Director of Bogor MUI, Adam Ibrahim (liputan6.com, 29/12/2009).

At the same time Adam empha-sised that what was not allowed in celebrating the New Year was the parties and so on where people were more likely to be involved in immoral behaviour such as drinking, taking

drugs and having free sex. These kinds of behaviours are forbidden in Islam. “How amazing would it be if the New Year was celebrated in a more posi-tive way, if it became a moment for introspection and reflection on what we have done during the last year, and whether or not it was good,” he said (antaranews.com, 29/12/2009).

He feels such introspection is important to evaluate our weaknes-ses and strengths. If 2009 was not better than the year before for a par-ticular individual then it means that that individual has suffered a loss, and if the two years are much the same, then the last year has been in vain. Adam feels that currently many Muslims have lost who their true self is, and argues that New Year parties are a practice of the infidel Quraisy tribe. As a result he has urged all Muslims to make the turn of the year more meaningful by participating in

more positive activities. Adam also urged parents to be

more active in teaching their chil-dren about Islamic teachings, which he feels do not condone celebration of the New Year. “Maybe it’s up to parents to remind and monitor their children and teach them about Islam, specifically that New Year celebra-tions are not allowed,” he explained (antaranews.com, 29/12/2009).

It is excessively dramatic to claim that Islam forbids celebration of the New Year, and thus any ban should only be based on the negative effects. However, if MUI’s ban is based solely on the negative effects of New Year celebrations, then surely society is mature enough to make up their own mind on the matter, without needing MUI’s intervention. So long as celebrations observe social norms and do not violate the law, there is no reason to ban them. M

Locals Force Relocation of Susno Suhermanto’s GraveAlamsyah M. Dja’far & Marzuki Rais

Even in death, those considered deviant can no longer be sure that they will be buried in their

own village. Or so was the case in Gegunung RT 01 RW 02, of Sumber, Cirebon. Locals demanded that the grave of Susno Suhermanto, leader of the Ma’rifat Syahadatain group who had been buried for only one week, be moved to another village.

In addition, they also demanded that MUI close the Marifat Syahada-

tain compound. The group is consi-dered deviant because they believe the pillars of Islam can be fulfilled by just saying the confession of faith.

According to Zaenal Abidin, Direc-tor of the Gegunung Branch of MUI, the sect had developed underground over the last eight years, throughout which locals had been tolerant of the group and had not interfered with their activities.

Before being buried, Zaenal con-tinued, the coffin containing Sus-no’s body was carried around the village, and it seems that this was what angered local residents. They met to resolve the issue on Monday night (27/12/2009). The following day they met with relevant authori-ties including village officials, po-

lice and the local military command (28/12/2009).

Before this, locals and Susno’s followers had talked with the sub-dis-trict head of Gegunung, Siswono, the Local Military Commander, Alimudin, and officers from the Sumber Police Office.

The Director of the Social Pros-perity Division, Abdullah, agreed that the coffin should be relocated. One reason for this was that Susno was not buried in a public cemetery but was buried near a sacred site where keris (traditional Javanese daggers) and artefacts from the occupation are stored. Unfortunately, not much information has been made available in the media, and there has been no statement from Susno’s followers. M

“Don’t celebrate it, we shouldn’t even say the

greeting”

Adam Ibrahim, Director of Bogor MUI

In addition, they also demanded that MUI close

the Marifat Syahadatain compound.

�

■ Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXVI, January 2010

The WAHID Institute

At around 22.00, hundreds of people in 50 or so cars and motorbikes approached the

Millah Ibrahim (MI) group being held in a restaurant on Jalan Aria Kemu-ning, Cirebon (20/12/2009). They claimed to be from FUI and JAT.

JAT, said to be a splinter from the Indonesian Mujahideen Council (MMI), was declared an official or-ganisation on 17 September 2008 under the leadership of Amir Abu Bakar Baasyir (ABB). Local police in-vestigated the organisation based on suspicions that it had connections with the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton bombings. One bomber, according to police, was said to be a JAT mem-ber, a fact that ABB denies.

Action Coordinator of the raid and Chairman of the JAT Advisory Board, Halawi Mamun, stated that the group was deviant for several reasons, including: claiming that Prophet Muhammad is not the final prophet; allowing members to hold their Friday prayer whenever best suits them; denying the existence of the Prophet’s Sunnah; and regarding Abraham as a role model.

“This must not be allowed, because we, as Muslims, don’t want Islam de-stroyed by new deviant sects,” he said to Wiryad, the Director of Millah Ib-rahim in Cirebon (radarcirebon.com,

21/12/2009).Wiyad denied all accusations.

“All accusations against us are lies. We are willing to prove that we are not a deviant sect. Feel free to check by visiting our website at www.mil-lahibrahim.net,” he said. Previously Halawi demanded that Wiryad take the mubahalah oath, with the con-sequence that should Wiryad be pro-ven to be lying, calamity would not only strike himself, but also his family, including his children and wife.

Mubahalah is a tradition of pray-ing to Allah cursing those who lie. Today it is better equated to the tra-dition of taking an oath. Mubahalah comes from the words bahlah or buhlah, meaning curse or maledic-tion. The tradition is recorded in the al-Quran, Ali Imran: 61, where the prophet swore an oath with a priest from Najran, Saudi Arabia in the 9th year of the Islamic calendar.

The raid on MI started first with a build up of tension between MI representatives and journalists cove-ring the group. Lukman, the MI spo-kesperson, said that part of the com-munity’s misunderstanding about MI teachings was because of the media coverage. “Everything can be politi-cised. So don’t just jump into action, ask first how things really are,” he said in protest.

The group, whose logo features a cone beneath which reads “Imarotul

Muslimin”, has often appeared in local media. Mostly the coverage accuses the group of deviance, and often in-cludes the opinions of local residents. In the last few months reports have told how residents in Suriadinaya village, in Pekiringan, Cirebon, West Java, have become increasingly dis-turbed after the emergence of a sect by the name of Millah Ibrahim, led by Udju Jubaedi.

Cirebon MUI formed a team of nine to investigate the sect. The team was led by KH Mahfuz Bakri and con-sisted of H Muhammad Sobari, Satibi, Syaidah Rohimi, as well as one repre-sentative each from the five districts in Cirebon. Cirebon MUI has ap-peared cautious in responding to the case. “MUI will sit down and examine the results of the Team of Nine’s field investigation. But MUI will not punish the group,” said KH Mahfudz Bakrie (radarcirebon.com, 21/12/2009).

When asked about the history of MI, which has been in Cirebon for nearly 14 years, the former Cirebon parliament member said that MUI had never come across its network before. The group only came to MUI’s attention thanks to a report by a resi-dent. As far as he knew, the group had three meeting places, amongst them Kesambi Gg. Ledeng, Jagasatru, and a restaurant on Jalan Aria Kemuning. “We will decide whether it is deviant or not after hearing the news from the Team of Nine and talking to MI members,” he said. MI would at least be questioned (22/12/2009).

Caution was also apparent in the Cirebon Department of Religious Af-fairs. The director, HD Arifin, admitted he did not have the authority to say whether MI was deviant or not, but that it was up to MUI’s fatwa depart-ment and the Forum for Religious Harmony (FKUB).

M

“All accusations against us are lies. We are willing

to prove that we are not a deviant sect. Feel

free to check by visiting our website at www.millahibrahim.net.”

Wiryad, MI Director

“We will decide whether it is deviant or not after hearing the news from the Team of aNine and

talking to MI members”KH Mahfudz Bakrie

Millah Ibrahim RaidedAlamsyah M. Dja’far & Marzuki Rais

�

n Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXVI, January 2010

The WAHID Institute

Leader of Sabda Kusuma Sect in Cirebon Arrested Alamsyah M. Dja’far

Demands by locals for authori-ties to take action against the apparently deviant Sabda

Kusuma sect have finally been an-swered. On Wednesday (16/12/2009), the group’s leader Kusmanto Sujono was arrested by Kudus police, but not on the charges of religious defama-tion that his group has been accused of. Rather, Kusmanto was arrested on suspicion of falsifying documents. “He was arrested for falsifying citizen-ship documents,” said Police Com-missioner Iptu Suwardi, Head of the Kudus Criminal Investigation Unit (Tempo Interaktif, 17/12/2009). Police are still investigating the accusations of religious defamation.

Kusmanto was not the only one to be arrested, officials also detained his wife, Sriana Aniqul Khunsta. Ac-

cording to police, Kusmanto was sus-pected of having made two family cards, one in Klumpit village, Gebog and one in Kauman village, Kudus. The one made in Klumpit states that he, Kusmanto bin Nasran is married to Siti Choiriyah binti Masmirun, while the one from Kauman has his name as Raden Sabdo Kusumo bin Raden Sumowinoto and his wife as Sriana Aniqul Khunsta binti Mirun.

“I only just found out that his real name is Kusmanto, after people tal-ked about it,” Rofiqul Hidayat, Kau-man village chief, said.

Both now face a maximum sen-tence of 7 years imprisonment for fra-ud under article 266 of the Criminal Code.

Kusmanto has his lawyer, Su-prayitno Widodo, apply for bail for a number of reasons. “One is related to his 10 year old stepchild,” Widodo explained. He also vouched that his client would not flee the country, re-peat his crime, or destroy evidence. Yet bail was refused, according to Suwardi for Kusmanto’s own security once released.

As reported by the media, locals from Kauman, Kudus became dis-gruntled with the presence of the

Sabdo Kusumo sect. The group had been suspected of replacing the con-fession of faith in Islam with Asyhadu Anlaa Ilaaha Illallaah, wa asyhadu anna Sabda Kusumo Rasulullah (I bear witness that there is no God but Al-lah, and Sabda Kusumo is His proph-et). Kudus MUI had even pronounced the group deviant.

Dozens of locals evicted Kus-manto from his home, commanded by Menara, a team formed to investi-gate the case. Locals also approached his house after receiving threats via mobile phone from his followers (11/12/2009). It has been very fortuna-te that violence has not erupted yet.

Institutions such as the Depart-ment of Religious Affairs, MUI, Kudus Police, the public prosecutor, the lo-cal military command and the Kudus National Security and Integrity Agen-cy have all been involved in the case. However as of the middle of last No-vember (16/11), none have taken a clear stance. “There are still pros and cons to be weighed up,” said Ali Rifa’i, Head of the Kudus National Security and Integrity Agency (Tempo Interak-tif, 17/11).

M

MUI Solo Launch New Death FlagTedi Kholiludin

The Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI) in Solo has launched a new flag to mark the passing of

a person. If a Muslim dies, a green flag signifying the unity of Muslims, es-pecially in Solo and the surrounding areas, will be flown. Previously the flag was red in Solo.

“We have consulted with and in-

formed MUI Central Headquarters, and they agree,” said the Director of Solo MUI, Dr Zainal Arifin Adnan (Suara Merdeka, 14/12/2009).

He explained that there were two reasons behind the new flag. Firstly, was for uniformity as the flag would inform the local community that the deceased was a Muslim. Second,

it was a mark of identity for the de-ceased.

“By flying this new flag of death, other Muslims will at least pray for the deceased when passing his/her house,’’ he said.

The new flag has the same meas-urements as the old, but features dif-ferent colours. The new flag is green

Both now face a maximum sentence of 7 years imprisonment for

fraud under article 266 of the Criminal Code.

10

■ Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXVI, January 2010

The WAHID Institute

Arrested on Suspicion of Defaming the Holy Book Alamsyah M. Dja’far

Accused of defaming the holy book, Ridwan (41), a dukun, was arrested and taken to the

Indragiri Hilir (Inhil) police station in Riau (13/12/2009). Apparently, while healing a patient he had disrespec-ted the al-Quran. “From the dukun’s explanation, he claimed that he per-formed the ritual after receiving di-vine inspiration from a person,” said the Inhil Police Chief, Chief Police Commissioner Kartiko (Pelita, 13/12).

According to Kartiko, after Ridwan read out a mantra, he picked up the Qur’an, and proceeded to read out the mantra again. Then he placed the Qur’an back down and stood on it for several seconds. Ridwan, who had

only resided in Inhil for two weeks, let his patient go without charge.

The incident started when ru-mours spread amongst the Gaung people of Gaung, Inhil in Riau, that Ridwan, originally from Pelalawan, could heal patients. A number of lo-cals visited him, but quickly became startled seeing his “stepping on the al-Quran” ritual. Surprise quickly turned to protest. At one point locals became violent. “But fortunately police arrived and arrested him and took him to the police station,” Kartiko said.

Ridwan was charged with viola-ting article 177 of the Criminal Code concerning defamation of holy bo-oks, and faces a possible jail sentence of four months and two weeks. Police could not detain the accused be-cause the sentence he faces is less than five years. The case will now be handed over to the relevant religious institutions in Inhil.

The Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI) in Riau spoke out loudly against Ridwan’s behaviour. “We condemn the dukun’s actions that disrespected the Qur’an. He is an infidel,” said the director of Riau MUI, Mandini (oke-zone.com, 18/12/2009). “His actions are purely barbaric, it is big sin that

stirs anger amongst the Muslim com-munity,” he declared.

Mandini urged society to not use any kind of dukun that uses religious pretexts. He expressed concern that people place a lot of trust in dukun to resolve all their problems. “All medi-cines to cure sickness can be found in the holy al-Quran. The al-Quran should be our guide in life. So don’t go to people who claim to be able to cure illness using religion. One must be wiser and more logical in order to choose the correct person, and must surrender to God, that’s the impor-tant thing,” he continued.

Unfortunately, MRORI has been unable to find any information or a direct statement from Ridwan on the matter.

M

Ridwan was charged with violating article 177

of the Criminal Code concerning defamation

of holy books, and faces a possible jail sentence

of four months and two weeks.

“All medicines to cure sickness can be found in the holy Qur’an. The Qur’an should be our guide in life” Mandini, director of Riau MUI

at the edges, and bears the black words “inalillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun’’ on white. “Green was the Prophet Muhammad’s favourite colour,” Zainal

said.2000 new flags, he continued, had

been produced so far, but Solo MUI would allow locals to make their own if they so desired.

“Mosque directors or other com-munity officials who don’t have a flag yet can feel free to pick one up from Solo MUI, located in the Masjid Agung complex,” Zainal said.

When asked whether the change would alter Solo culture, he said that it was not a fatwa, but rather a more gentle suggestion to Solo residents. “We are not requiring people to use the flags. If people want to use them

they can, if not, that’s also ok.’’The question remains, what hap-

pens if the deceased is not Muslim? “This flag is especially for Muslims, as a form of identity. For non-Muslims we will continue to use the old flag, the red one.”

One community figure, Mudric M Sangidoe, expressed his support for the new death flag, saying that it in-dicated the identity of the deceased. “I just hope the launch of the new flag doesn’t cause any friction.” (Suara Merdeka, 14/12/2009.

M

If a Muslim dies, a green flag signifying the unity

of Muslims, especially in Solo and the surrounding

areas, will be flown.

11

n Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXVI, January 2010

The WAHID Institute

Wrongly Accusing MAFTA of Deviance, Langkat Bakorpakem ApologisesAlamsyah M. Dja’far

After gathering sufficient infor-mation, the director of the Co-ordination Board for Monitoring

Mystical Beliefs in Society (Bakorpa-kem) in Langkat, Maju Ambarita was convinced that deviant sects were still emerging in Tanjungpura. “…we will report this to Bakorpakem Headquar-ters for further action to be taken. We hope society remains active in moni-toring and reporting the emergence of religious sects that cause social unrest,” he said to journalists (Posmetro Medan, 18/12/2009).

In addition to Tanjungpura, this head of the State Prosecutor’s Office mentioned that a group accused of de-viance in Binjai was disbanded in 2007. Another had emerged in Wampu.

The group accused of deviance in Tanjungpura was Majelis Taklim Fardu Ain (MATFA). The District Head of Tan-jungpura had passed information in regards to the claim that the group led by Tuan Guru Khalifah Ali Mas’ud was deviant on to Bakorpakem. Who knows what reasoning he used. MATFA’s de-viance was also reported to the direc-tor of the Langkat Office of Religious Affairs, H Ilyas Lubis (hariansumutpos.com, 16/12/2009).

Unwilling to accept the accusations, MAFTA became angry. “The accusa-tions have no basis, as we have govern-ment authorisation. Fardu Ain sermons are held in open places known to the public, they are not hidden,” Misno Adi, a Fardu Ain member, said (Posmetro Medan, 17/12/2009).

Misno was also infuriated at the dis-

trict head of Tanjungpura recommend-ing to MUI and the Stabat State Prose-cutor that Fardu Ain sermons were deviant. “We are currently looking for the District Head. If we find him, we will enlighten him and invite him to attend our sermons. So that he knows that the Fardu Ain Foundation that he calls deviant has been around since the be-ginning of Islam and since the al-Quran was revealed. MUI wasn’t around, but Fardu Ain was. The accuser is the de-viant one. How is Fardu Ain deviant?” Misno said sharply.

MATFA’s strong reaction made those accusing them of deviance tremble in fear. On Wednesday, 23 December 2009, Langkat Bakorpakem visited Tuan Guru Khalifah H Ali Mas’ud, the Director of MATFA, on Jalan Khairil Anwar No 56 Tanjungpura, Langkat. In Langkat, Tuan Guru Ali Mas’ud is known as an influen-tial ulama (Islamic cleric), respected by local officials.

Bakorpakem apologised for the “misunderstanding” they had caused when presenting information to the public and the press in regards to de-viant sects in Langkat. “As the assistant director of Langkat Bakorpakem, I ex-press sincere apologies from the direc-tor, who is also the head of the Stabat State Prosecutor’s Office. He apologises for the misperception he caused when giving information last week that ap-peared in print and electronic media,” said G Sinuhaji, the Head of Intelligence for the Stabat State Prosecutor’s Office and Assistant Director of Langkat Bako-rpakem, in front of the MATFA Director and Congregation in Tanjungpura.

For some reason Maju Ambarita, who made the initial statement, did not attend and Sinuhaji was forced to rep-resent him. Besides Sinuhaji, the meet-ing was also attended by the Head of the Islamic Organisation Affairs section of the Department of Religious Affairs of Langkat, Drs H Amran, Head of Intel-ligence of Langkat Police, Police Com-missioner Edi Yanto, Director of the Tan-jungpura Office of Religious Affairs and also General Secretary of Langkat MUI,

Drs H Farhan Indera, and District Head of Tanjungpura, Mukhris.

The team brought with them the case files, proof of MATFA’s recognition by authorities as an organisation, and a mandate issued by Tuan Guru Babus-salam.

Babussalam, a village in Langkat, is home to the well-known tarekat (mystic order) in Indonesia, Al-Khalidi Naqsya-bandi, which was first established by Syekh H Abdul Wahab Rokan, an ulama from Danau Runda, Riau who died in 1926.

Tuan Guru Khalifah H Ali Mas’ud spoke for some time about Fardhu A’in teachings. The teaching was developed in accordance with the mandate from Syekh Madayan al-Wahab Rokan. The mandate, issued in 1982, ordered that the teaching be spread throughout the archipelago in written and spoken form.

The mandate, Ali Mas’ud continued, was supported by a letter of support and authorisation for outreach and educational activities from the North Sumatera Prosecutor and the Office of the Department of Religious Affairs of Langkat, and authorisation and a mandate from Tuan Guru Babussalam Almarhum Syekh Anas Mudawar.

Fardhu A’in teachings then spread from Langkat to many areas including Labuhan Batu, Riau, West Sumatera, Palembang, Jambi, Kuala Tunggkal, Jati Negara in Jakarta, Bekasi, the largest pe-santren in Jakarta under the leadership of Kiai H Agusghafurrurrahim, from the peaks of Bogor to the islands of Batam, Bintan, Penyengat, and even the neigh-bouring countries of Singapore, Malay-sia and Thailand.

“When we visited the Fardhu A’in prayer house, we listened to the MATFA director explain the history of Fardhu A’in teachings,” Sinuhaji explained.

The visit will be followed up with an “invitation” to MATFA to visit the Lang-kat Bakorpakem secretariat in Stabat. It seems the case will be resolved with the clarification: Sorry, but MATFA is not a deviant sect. M

Bakorpakem apologised for the

“misunderstanding” it caused when presenting

information to the public and the press in regards

to deviant sects in Langkat.

1. The Babur Ridho case in Medan once again shows how MUI fatwa are capable of taking away the rights of some to facilitate religious activities. The critical condition of the government and law enforcement agencies has allowed MUI to intervene in the private beliefs of Indonesian citizens. Activities are no longer permitted or cancelled based on security considerations or the standard procedures for activities that involve the general public, instead MUI recommendations are increasingly being used to determine whether or not an activity may be held. In this case, arguing that the event had not received authorisation, the police, aided by municipal police, intervened by force. The North Sumatra police defended their actions by referring to the national police instruction No. Pol Juklap/02/XII/1995 on Authorisation and Notification of Public Events. As far as can be ascertained, for instance from publica-tions available at the police website www.polri.go.id, the conditions of such authorisation consist of a letter from the local sub-district head, photocopies of the Family Cards and Identity Cards of those holding the event. If involving more than 1000 people, a proposal of the event, the identities of those facilitating or responsible for the event, and permission from the venue at which the event is to be held is also required. There was no reason for police to ask for recommendations from MUI, the Department of Religious Affairs or the Office for National Security and Integrity!

2. Geographically speaking, Bekasi seems to have become a “red zone” for intolerance and violations of religious free-dom, especially those involving houses of worship. This month there were two incidences: the destruction of the Santo Albertus church and the protest by locals against the HKBP congregation in Tambun Utara. In the HKBP case, the local government was also out of line as it failed to provide the congregation with the necessary facilities to al-low it to continue to worship while waiting for a permit to construct a permanent church.

3. Cases involving houses of worship do not only affect non-Muslims. In Temanggung, Central Java, the LDII mosque was burnt down by unknown culprits. It is suspected that the attack was in relation to the apparently exclusive attitude of the group. However rumours have also spread that it may have had something to do with unequal dis-tribution of meat from sacrificed animals. As is well known, the organisation, originally known as Yayasan Karyawan Islam (YAKARI, The Islamic Workers Foundation) and later Lembaga Karyawan Islam (LEMKARI, The Islamic Workers Institute) has often been accused of deviance, an accusation LDII denies.

4. The incident in Tanjungpura carries an important lesson: do not be too quick to label a group as deviant. Langkat Bakorpakem, who declared Majlis Taklim Fardu Ain (MATFA) a deviant sect, has admitted that it made a mistake and that the accusation was without basis. Perhaps it would have been a different story had MATFA not been an influen-tial group in the region. MATFA may well have shared the same fate as many other groups who are first accused of deviance, and later thrown into jail. Langkah Bakorpakem was quick to explain that their convictions were based on what they felt was the dominant view in society as they were scared of mass pressure.

5. The ban against creating a statue of Sultan Hasanudin of Banten because of fears that the venue would be used as a place of worship reveals the belief amongst our religious scholars that the religious community is passive, primitive, and unable to think for itself. As such it must be educated and warned through fatwa. This perception stunts the intellectual growth of society. Times have changed, education of society has progressed, and society is now much smarter. It would be much better if they stuck with one reason, such as that the construction was a waste of state money

ANALYSIS

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Police refusal to grant authorization as occurred in the Babur Ridho case is ridiculous and excessive. How is it pos-sible that police follow non-state institutions such as MUI and neglect their own procedures? We recommend that the relevant parties become thoroughly involved in this violation of religious freedom. The legal action taken by the victims in reporting the case to the National Commission on Human Rights was certainly appropriate.

2. One of the main problems with the establishment of houses of worship, like the incident in Bekasi, is with the clause in the Joint Regulation of the Minister for Religious Affairs and the Minister for Internal Affairs Number 9/2006 on Establishment of Houses of Worship. It requires that those wishing to construct a house of worship must provide not only the names and identity cards of 90 people who intend to use the house of worship, but must also have the support of 60 locals, confirmed by the head of the village or sub-district. It is not easy to convince locals to give support. In addition, while the process is underway, congregants are often confused as to where they should be worshiping. It is time for the government and society to evaluate the regulation. This issue should even be included in the 100 day evaluation of the SBY-Budiono government.

3. Authorities must take action against those responsible for burning down the LDII mosque. It is a blatant criminal ac-tion! At the same time, LDII management must increase open communication with society in order to build mutual understanding and tolerance.

4. Bakorpakem’s admission of incorrectly accusing MATFA of deviance must be followed up with an official statement and restoration of MATFA’s name. At the same time we recommend that Bakorpakem’s role and function be evalu-ated as the institution has to date been guilty of quashing freedom of religion and belief.

5. We urge all religious leaders, especially MUI, to issue fatwa that concern the interests of the general public and sup-port the development of the intellectual life of the religious community in Indonesia.