Home Worldwide Indonesia Equality before the law

Your Letter

July 19, 2005

Equality before the law

I would like to comment on the news Thousands besiege Ahmadiyah complex published in The Jakarta Post dated July 16.

In my opinion, the matter of somebody’s faith and belief is a very personal issue. Thus it is not the responsibility of any council or government to decide about someone’s belief. And no council has the right to discriminate against a minority just because of a difference of opinion. Differences should be resolved and understood through dialog, which is the civilized way, but not through force.

The Ahmadiyah complex in Parung, Bogor, from where the ahmadies were forced to leave by throwing stones and so on, is the legal property of Ahmadiyah Indonesia and they have legal ownership documents for it. Nobody has the right to force another to leave their property using force. This is against the law and a clear violation of basic human rights.

So I appeal to human rights organizations to look into this case. So do I humbly request the President of the Republic of Indonesia to take this matter seriously so the weak and powerful can be proven equal before the law.

FAZAL-E-MUJEEB, Jakarta

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaileditorial.asp?fileid=20050719.F07&irec=6