Return Ahmadis to Their Village

Awing, my friend, expressed his disappointment after reading a report entitled “Displaced Ahmadiyah joins national census” published by the Post of May 15.

The report talks about around 120 Ahmadiyah followers taking shelter at Wisma Transito building who took part in the national census and were listed as residents of Mataram city in West Nusa Tenggara despite many having no valid identification.

Awing (39 years old), who knows more about the Ahmadiyah community talked with me about them. He said that Ahmadi Muslims had legal rights to become residents of Ketapang Village in Gegerung subdistrict.

Wisma Transito is the wrong place for them because of their legal status as the residents of Ketapang Village. They are considered heretical by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and have been living in the shelter for four years after being evicted from their homes in West Lombok by angry mob. Before placed in Wisma Transito, there were evicted more than two times from their own land and homes in East Lombok.

They want the right to a place. They originated as East Lombok people. Sasak language is their native language. They inherited their land or bought the land legally. So, they want their human rights and to be respected as citizens of this republic.

They only want to be residents of Lombok Island, and to practice Islamic tradition as other Muslims do.

They declare themselves and act as Muslims, believe Allah the One is their Lord and the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is Allah’s messenger, but the Ahmadi Muslims are refugees in their own island.

It is right that there is a different opinion between the Ahmadi Muslim Community and the MUI on who is the right leader/imam after the demise of the Prophet.

According to historical facts; peace, love, mutual respect and tolerance are the solutions for a civilized nation to solve this “faith problem” in the case of a different faiths or different opinions on the same faith.

A heretical edict by a religious council, which could not control the violence and commanded eviction, is not the solution. I hope and we hope, “No more Wisma Transito”.