Police criticized for failing to protect Ahmadis in Makassar

Makassar, Indonesia - An interfaith forum in South Sulawesi expressed disappointment on Friday over the police’s failure to take firm action against Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) protesters who attacked the office of minority Islamic sect Jamaah Ahmadiyah in Makassar last week.

“The police should take firm action against the FPI instead of letting them commit destructive actions and violence against Ahmadiyah,” forum member Qasim Mathar said during a meeting between interfaith figures at Makassar’s Alauddin Islamic State University.

“The SKB (joint decree) of the Religious Affairs Ministry, the Attorney General’s Office and the Home Affairs Ministry clearly states that no group shall take matters into their own hands. This means the FPI has violated the SKB,” he added.

Makassar’s Hasanuddin University lecturer Aswar Hasan voiced similar concerns, saying the recent attack was further proof that the government failed to protect all of its citizens, especially in regards to issues of religious harmony.