Indonesia's Ahmadiyah community, deemed "deviant" by some Muslims, faces many pressures in East and West Java, but Central Java has chosen a middle way.

Governor Ganjar Pranowo indicated people in the province should be able to practice their faith. And local Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) leaders say they will approach the minority group through dialogue.

"The governor suggests not disbanding Ahmadiyah. If at some point people argue that their teaching is not in accordance with Islam, he suggests assisting the group instead of alienating them," said Abu Hafsin, chairman of the NU regional board (PWNU), following a meeting with Ganjar in Semarang on October 17th.

"I agree with the governor's statement. The state should be neutral and separate from religion," Abu Hafsin said. "Conducting dialogue among religious followers is good; it prevents possible conflict from occurring in society."

He himself does not recommend banning Ahmadiyah congregations in Central Java. "If anyone should be considered deviant, they must be nurtured, not disbanded," Abu Hafsin said.

The NU is prepared to guide the Ahmadiyah if the group does not practice the correct teachings of Islam, he added.

"So far we have frequent dialogue and communication with Ahmadiyah leaders in Central Java," he stated.

Ready for dialogue

Syaiful Uyun, an Ahmadiyah preacher from Central Java, said Ahmadiyah followers are ready to engage in dialogue if requested to. "We are ready to have conversations with them. Even with NU comrades, we often do," Syaiful told Khabar.

Ahmadiyah followers in Central Java – about 15,000 people concentrated in Wonosobo and Banjarnegara regencies – can carry out their worship safely, Syaiful said.

"Until now, we are safe to pray and worship in our mosques," he said. Although present in Indonesia for decades, the Ahmadiyah have come under increasing pressure in recent years, especially since a 2008 government decree that allows Ahmadiyah Muslims to practice their religion while imposing stiff penalties if they attempt to spread their ideas.

Ahmadiyah followers "are asked to sign a declaration that they will not conduct Ahmadiyah activities," Syaiful said.

While the Ahmadiyah object to the decree, they respect and obey the rules, Syaiful said. But they hope Indonesian civil society can embrace tolerance. "All elements in our society will respect the decision made by our leaders," he said.

Protect minority groups

Many local Muslims believe that minority groups should be able to practice their faith freely.

The state must protect minority groups, according to M. Syukron, a member of Gusdurian community in Semarang. They are NU members who embrace the pluralism advocated by longtime NU leader and former president Abdurrahman Wahid.

"In the case of Ahmadiyah, we are not defending a particular group, but as a country with laws, we have an understanding of the freedom of speech. Moreover, [freedom of] religion is a matter of human rights," Syukron told Khabar Southeast Asia.

Hairus Salim, director of the Institute for Islamic and Social Studies (LKiS) in Yogyakarta, said the conflict between Sunni and Ahmadiyah is triggered by different interpretations of Islam.

"There is a movement whose teachings may be different from that of the majority religion in Indonesia. As a result, Ahmadiyah followers are considered deviant. However, it is the duty of government to protect the minorities," he said.