Hard-Liners to Host Anti-Shiite Declaration; W. Java Governor to Attend
Indonesia's Shiite Muslims, like this woman seen sitting in a sports center in Mampang, East Java, face routine harassment from Sunni Muslims in some parts of the country. (AFP Photo/Juni Kriswanto)
Jakarta. A hard-line Sunni Islamic group says it will host an anti-Shiite declaration in Bandung on Sunday, to be attended by the West Java governor, in the latest case of religious intolerance in the province.
Tardjono Abu Muas, the head of the Anti-Shia Alliance, told the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday that the group was "concerned about the creed of Islam."
"We don't want it to be attacked by heresy," he added.
Tardjono said that the event, to be held at Al Fajar Mosque in the Buah Batu area of Bandung, had been planned since the Indonesian Ulema and Congregation Forum, or FUUI, issued a recommendation in 2012 to build "anti-Shiite posts" to protect the Sunni faithful.
After the declaration, the Anti-Shia Alliance plans to train mosque caretakers to be on the alert for heretic teachings, including Shiite ones.
"We all have to understand that Shia has tainted the true Islamic teaching," Tardjono said. "Our government should be like the Malaysian government, which protects the recognized religions in the country. We have six religions, so the government should protect all religions against heresy."
The event will be attended by officials including West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan and Ahmad Cholil Ridwan, a leader of the Indonesian Council of Ulema, or MUI, the highest Islamic authority in the country.
Also expected to attend is Muslim Ibrahim, the head of Aceh Ulema Consultative Assembly, or MPU Aceh.
The governor, from the Islamic-based Prosperous Justice Party, or PKS, has made no secret of his distaste for Islamic minorities, saying last year that religious intolerance against the Ahmadiyah sect would end if they gave up their beliefs.
Similarly, Cholil has been outspoken in his support for hard-line groups like the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), which has a history of attacks against Ahmadiyah, Shiite and Christian communities.
Critics say Sunday's planned declaration is a knee-jerk reaction to the very real possibility that Jalaluddin Rakhmat, a Shiite candidate in last week's legislative election, could win a seat at the House of Representatives and may even be considered for the post of religious affairs minister.
"They're afraid that if Jalaluddin is elected as lawmaker, he will defend the Shiites," said Emilia Renita, the founder of the Ahlulbayt Organization for Social Support and Education, a Shiite women's group.
Jalaluddin, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, is the chief patron of the Association of Jamaah Ahlul Bait Indonesia (IJABI), an umbrella group for Shiite organizations.
Emilia, who is also the IJABI secretary, said that with Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo the strong favorite to win the July 9 presidential election, there was a good possibility that he might appoint party mate Jalaluddin to his cabinet.
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