Freedom of Worship, but...

The controversy regarding the Ahmadiyahs in Indonesia flared up again a few weeks ago. The government finally made a step by "restricting" them and telling them not to spread their teachings. Bold move indeed by the current president whom, perhaps, trying to get the hardcore Islamist on his side for the upcoming election. But, lo and behold, the government got criticised by both the moderates and the fundamentalist. Ouch.

The fundamentalist said that the action was not harsh enough. They should be banned, eradicated, eliminated. Gone. One the other hand, the moderates said it's too harsh. Where's the freedom to worship, they say, in a supposedly pluralist Indonesia. The Indonesia basic constitution (Undang-undang Dasar 1945) guarantees freedom of worship for its people in chapter 29.

Negara menjamin kemerdekaan tiap-tiap penduduk untuk memeluk agamanya masing-masing dan untuk beribadat menurut agamanya dan kepercayaannya itu
(The state guarantees the freedom of its people to embrace(?) their own religion and to worship according to their religion and believe)

But the state only recognises five religions and one believe system (at least the last time I checked). Sure you are free to have a religion but only if it's in the list. No other religion, thank you.

It's also a slippery slope for the government. Granted that the Ahmadiyah believe system is so similar to Islam (they don't think Prophet Muhammad was the last prophet) that the Muslims think of it as a heretical or a breakaway sect, but let's take Islam and Christianity then. One religion says Jesus is divine and the other says that he was just a prophet. Will the government condemn one religion and support the other? My point is that since when a supposedly secular government decides which religion holds the truth? The Ahmadiyahs are a peaceful bunch (or so I've heard) and they aren't exactly breaking laws, so why is someone being punished for what they believe in? (I know that's a stupid question because many many people are being punished for what they believe in. It's called rhetorical).

And don't even get me started on this Islamic Defender Front (or something like that). It's not defending if you are imposing your value system on others, dumbass (We can cut that out).