The Govt is Playing God

Just recently, a government group called Bakor Pakem -whose full name eludes me- issued a recommendation to President SBY concerning the allegedly deviant Jamaah Ahmadiyah. The group pushed the govt to issue a decree banning the sect because it didn't conform to the requirement issued by muslim groups. It wants everything related to the sect to be torn down, and the follower will be forced to repent.

This is another evidence that the government of Indonesia is trying to play the role of God in the lives of its citizens. At the same time, it is also favoring a religion over another. The govt had allowed Aceh to be deviant, making laws based on conservative Arabic version of Sharia instead of Pancasila. It had also allowed many laws with religious contents to be enacted in many regions, disguised under labels such as "morality", "decency", and others. Women in many parts of the country are now obliged to wear headscarves in public space or to somehow conform to a decency code.

The government is on the edge of committing a blatant breach of the Constitution which stipulates the freedom of religion. It explicitly said that the state upholds the right of individuals to choose what they believe in should they choose to believe in something, and how they will live their religious lives. Since when does it become acceptable for the government to meddle with its citizens' beliefs?

To start with, what did Ahmadiyah followers actually do? They never carried out violent sweepings and raids unlike some narrow-minded "Islamic" groups like FPI and its partners in crime. They don't seek to overthrow the government and install a dictatorial caliphate in its place. Believing in a something is not and must never be a crime. It doesn't matter if that belief is somehow eccentric (let's say, worshipping Simon Cowell or Oprah), it is still protected by the constitution as long as it doesn't violate the law by promoting violence, attacks, and such.

Although the increasingly conservative muslims call for the ban, it is not a reason for the govt to ban Ahmadiyah. Recommendations or fatwas from MUI and other muslim groups don't serve as the bases of such actions. The govt is clearly based on Pancasila and the Constitution. Even though the state respects the beliefs of its citizens, Indonesia is not based on any religion. The state doesn't have the right to label a belief as "blasphemous". In any case, the constitution takes precedence over other laws; therefore, the state is not required to bow down to any fatwas.

If the govt hopes to woo muslim voters before the 2009 elections, it's not getting my very first vote ever (I turned 17 on the right time, didn't I?) and it shouldn't get yours either. We must demand that the government respect our rights to personal beliefs. Religious persecutions must be stopped immediately, and our freedom must be upheld.