Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi said here on Friday he had received copies of the decisions and so far he had found no clause in the regulations that were not in line with the Joint Ministerial Decree (SKB) on the activities of minority religious
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The central government finds no fault in the decisions of the West and East Java governors to ban Ahmadiyah activities in their respective jurisdiction, a minister said.

Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi said here on Friday he had received copies of the decisions and so far he had found no clause in the regulations that were not in line with the Joint Ministerial Decree (SKB) on the activities of minority religious groups. The decree was issued jointly by the minister of religious affairs, the minister of home affairs and the attorney general.

"We have received copies of the regulation of the East Java governor as well as that of the West Java governor. So far we have not found anything in them that runs against the SKB," he said.

He said however that he had assigned the bureau of legal affairs of his office to study the provincial regulations further.

"So long as they are within the corridor of the joint ministerial decree as the legal basis, I think it is not a problem because the SKB is a regulation. So long as they are not beyond that limit, go ahead," he said.

The East and West Java governors` regulations ban all activities of the Ahmadiyah religious group that could cause public disorder and also propagation of its teachings verbally, in written form or through electronic media in the provinces. They also ban Ahmadiyah from putting up signs showing Ahmadiyah identity on its mosques, educational institutions and others and use of all kinds of Ahmadiyah attributes.

The regulations came following recent violence in Cikeusik, Pandeglang, West Java, that left three Ahmadiyah followers dead.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011