Deviant Islamic Sects Are Being Banned By Indonesian Government

Yesterday's International Herald Tribune reports on arrests in Indonesia of several unorthodox Islamic leaders and the banning of their organizations, even though the country's Constitution (Art. 29) guarantees freedom of religion. On Nov. 9, the Indonesian Supreme Court sentenced Abdul Rachman, a leader of Lia Eden, to three years in prison for blasphemy. Rachman claims to be the reincarnation of the Prophet Muhammad. In another case, the attorney general's office is pursuing blasphemy charges against Ahmad Moshaddeq, leader of al-Qiyada, even though he has declared his teachings were misguided and says he will return to mainstream Islam. A 1965 presidential decree permits banning of religious organizations that "distort or misrepresent" official faiths. A spokesman for Indonesia's top clerical body, the Ulema Council, says that the Council tries to educate deviant groups about "true Islam" before police become involved. The Ulema Council, using the beliefs of Sunni Islam, lists 250 Muslim sects in the country as "deviant". Human rights lawyers in the country are concerned about these developments.