Indonesia Urged to Probe 'Forced Conversions'

March 17, 2011

Ahmadis hug each other at a mosque near Bogor, West Java, on Tuesday after they shouted out “Syahadat” as a sign of conversion to Islam. About 13 from 89 members of the sect in that village converted to mainstream Islam just days after a number of attacks on Ahmadis homes. (Antara Photo/Jafkhairi)

Rights group Amnesty International urged Indonesia on Thursday to investigate allegations of soldiers intimidating followers of a minority Islamic sect and forcing them to renounce their faith.

The military have visited the Ahmadiyah, who unlike mainstream Muslims do not believe Mohammed was the last prophet, asking some members to sign statements renouncing their faith, Amnesty said citing local rights groups.

"The Ahmadiyah community is facing increasing restrictions, intimidation and attacks because of their beliefs," according to the group's Indonesia and East Timor campaigner Josef Roy Benedict.

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Military Intervention on Ahmadiyah Legal: Patrialis

Markus Junianto Sihaloho | March 16, 2011

Amid allegations that the Indonesian military has  conducted operations designed to intimidate Ahmadiyah followers into renouncing their faith, Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar said on Wednesday that such actions could not be considered a legal violation of human rights.

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Indonesian Council of Ulema Branch Announce Ban on Female Mayors

March 15, 2011

A provincial branch of the Indonesian Council of Ulema has issued a fatwa banning females from running for the positions of mayor.

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Interfaith Leaders Deliver Corruption Complaints to KPK

lisabeth Oktofani | March 07, 2011

After accusing the government of spreading lies at the beginning of the year, the same group of religious leaders on Friday urged the nation’s antigraft body to investigate a growing number of corruption and abuse of power complaints they had received from the public.

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