Indonesian Muslim rally against a deviant sect

Jun 18, 2008, 7:14 GMT

Jakarta - Thousands of Indonesian Muslims rallied outside the presidential palace Wednesday, demanding for an immediate ban of a minority sect that the country's top cleric has branded 'deviant.'

Around 5,000 activists from a number of Islamic organizations, including hardliner groups the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and Hizbut Tahrir, also demanded the police released FPI chairman Habib Rizieq from custody.

Waving and banners, saying: 'Disbanding Ahmadiyah is a fix price,' and many posters with the pictures of both Rizieq and Munarman, another radical activist who claimed responsibility in the attack against a religion tolerance rally on June 1.

'We are demanding President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to soon issue a decree outlawing Ahmadiyah,' shouted Abdullah Rasyid Safii, the leader of the protest.

'Ahmadiyah is a criminal organization,' chanted another protester, while thousands of demonstrators shouted 'Allahu Akbar!' or 'God is Great!' and 'Disband Ahmadiyah! Disband Ahmadiyah!'

After gathering outside the presidential palace, the protesters marched to the Jakarta city police headquarters to pay respects to jailed FPI chairman Rizieq.

On their way the demonstrators were carrying a mock casket for Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of Ahmadiyah sect who died in 1908 in India.

Rizieq and eight FPI members were arrested for their roles in the June 1 stick-wielding attack against a rally for religious tolerance where dozens of people were injured.

Wednesday's protest was the latest in a series of rallies against Ahmadiyah, which has about 200,000 followers in Indonesia, after the government earlier this month issued a decree, ordering the followers of the minority sect to stop spreading its belief that Mohammed was not the last prophet.

Meanwhile, in west Java district of Cianjur, about 100 kilometres south of Jakarta, followers of the Ahmadiyah sect demolished their own mosque out of fear of violent attacks from hardliners, the state-run Antara news agency reported.

The Indonesian Ulema Council, the country's highest authority on Islam, has declared the Ahmadiyah sect heretical for believing Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is the last prophet - instead of Mohammed, whom mainstream Muslims worldwide believe was God's final messenger.

Indonesia is the world's most-populous Islamic nation, with nearly 88 per cent of its 225 million people being Muslims. The country has a long history of religious tolerance.