After months and months of uncertainty, apparently the govt is still in the process of concocting the controversial plan of banning Ahmadiyah in Indonesia, in the form of a joint ministerial decree (SKB) by the Ministry for Religious Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs if I'm not mistaken. Well, someone should really knock some serious sense into the guys or girls in those ministries. Even more outrageous, the VP joined the fray and fought for the wrong side.
I can't believe they're still considering the purely unconstitutional plan. The 1945 Constitution clearly entitles each citizen of Indonesia to the freedom of faith and religion, and prohibits any effort to curtail it. Hence, there's no way for the SKB to not breach the very foundation on which the government stands. Even though Indonesia is not a "godless" state, it shouldn't meddle into the business of which religion is "right" and which one is "wrong". It's true that the govt is obliged to encourage the development of its citizens' spirituality, but not to control what they have to believe, or not to believe, in. Whether Ahmadiyah is blasphemous or not is hardly a concern for the govt, even if the Ulama Council (MUI) says that it is.
If this SKB comes through, it will deal a huge blow to the values Indonesians uphold. It will be a justification for further religious discrimination and persecution, especially by those who take the law into their own -violent- hands. Instead of helping the development of religion, such draconian laws will only hinder it by letting "religious elites" take total control of our beliefs. It will be disastrous if the govt decides to take religious matters into its hand. "Hey, why don't we ban all Star Wars movies; they can spread the heretical teachings of Jedi!" Whew, the Sith will be very happy for that. Purely FYI, 70.000 people declared "Jedi" as their religion in Oz (2001); 20.000 in NZ (2006); 20.000 in Canada (2001); and another 390.127 in England and Wales (2001).
Sadly, there are lawmakers in the House who have been begging for this ban. One fraction whose members have been the most vocal is, of course, the you're-so-frustrated-so-vote-for-us-or-rot-in-Hell conservative PKS, who claims to "protect" and "develop" Islam. I'm a muslim, and I feel more threatened than protected by them. Blurgh. I'm soo not voting for them in 2009. No offense, though.
This SKB must be stopped, regardless of one's view about Ahmadiyah. Being "heretical" in your view doesn't mean that it can be banned by the govt. MUI's fatwa and any other statements by religious groups must not influence the govt in dealing with this issue. I have my rights to religion and belief, you have your rights, and the Ahmadiyah followers have theirs too.
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