Jakarta cancels ban on Indonesia's Ahmadiyah religious group

Jakarta cancels ban on Indonesia's Ahmadiyah religious group

2011-03-07 22:49:08 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- The Jakarta provincial government on Monday canceled the ban on the Indonesia's Ahmadiyah religious group and its activities, the Antara news agency reported.

Jakarta governor Fauzi Bowo made the decision following an appeal from the minister for political, security and legal affairs Djoko Suyanto demanding a thorough investigation on the issue before imposing the ban.

Fauzi said that the Joint Ministerial Decree (SKB) on the activities of minority religious groups is sufficient action against the Ahmadiyah religious group and no further bylaw to ban activities was needed.

"We think the present joint ministerial decree is enough for it," said Governor Fauzi. "My authority is more proactively informing things linked to religious elements in the framework of building harmonious relations among different religious followers."

The Jakarta governor added that his government has the responsibility to maintain order, security and harmony in the community but all religious issues are under the control of the central government in this case the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Earlier, Home affairs minister Gamawan Fauzi said that he will ask for the views of various parties before reaching a solution to the Ahmadiyah issue which has provoked violence against its members, especially in East and West Java.

"We will also consider the aspects of statehood. In connection with that we must take into consideration regulations, the 1945 constitution, human rights, religions as well as the PKB," added Gamawan.

Last Friday, violence against Ahmadiyah members took new heights after a group of people unearthed the body of an Ahmadiyah follower shortly after the burial in West Java.

Half an hour after the funeral of a 55-year-old Ahamdiyah member in Buni Jaya village, a group of men arrived and forced the grave digger to unearth the body which was left abandoned in the graveyard.

The provincial governments of East and West Java officially banned all activities related to Ahmadiyah religious sect last week. In addition, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was urged to issue a decree banning the religious group (SKB) which has been the focus of attacks for the last two years.

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