Indonesian Provinces Place New Restrictions on Ahmadiyah

In Indonesia, the governor of the province of West Java yesterday issued a gubernatorial regulation (No. 12 of 2011) banning all public activities by the 17,000 members of the Ahmadiyah sect in the province.  Today's Jakarta Globe reports that the action is seen as implementing an Indonesian 2008 joint ministerial decree that bars the Ahmadiyah from spreading their faith. (See prior posting.) The West Java regulation prohibits the Amidaiyah from spreading their beliefs orally, in writing or through electronic media. It requires that all signs identifying mosques, schools or other facilities as Ahmadiyah be taken down. Ahmadiyah mosques are declared as mosques open to all Muslims and religious authorities will organize Muslim events at the mosques. However the regulation also prohibits individuals outside the Ahmadiyah community from carrying out unlawful action against them, hoping to prevent violence against Ahmadiyah which has occurred in the past.  Instead the public is supposed to report any violations of the new regulation to authorities. East Java issued a similar regulation earlier this week and, according to the Jakarta Post, South Sulawesi issued a similar decree yesterday. Many Muslims consider the Ahmadiyah heretical because they do not believe that Muhammad was the last prophet.