In search of peace: Ahmadi women’s experiences in conflict transformation

Abstract

In the last few years, religious conflicts involving a minority Muslim group, Ahmadiyya, have risen dramatically in Indonesia; the most recent being the attack on the Ahmadiyya community in Cikeusik Banten, West Java, where three Ahmadis were killed and the sealing of Al Mishbah Mosque by local government of Bekasi West Java. Understanding the context of violent conflict and the ways individual Ahmadi women take agency to challenge such oppression is an important first step in creating a more equitable and peaceful Indonesia. To examine the experience of Ahmadi women exercising their agency in conflict transformation, this qualitative research was conducted in four areas of Indonesia: Bogor, Kuningan, Yogyakarta and Lombok, by gathering data from the narratives of Ahmadi women who actively participate in Lajnah Imaillah, an Ahmadiyya's women's organization. This research highlights three stages of conflict transformation that the women employed: 1) asking for government help; 2) taking physical action to defend their rights; and 3) defining themselves as Indonesian citizens who have the same rights as others. Through these actions, they show their ability to help others, transforming the conflict by forming better relationships and understanding with other Indonesian citizens.Dalam beberapa tahun terakhir, konflik keagamaan yang melibatkan sebuah kelompok minoritas muslim, Ahmadiyah, meningkat drastis di Indonesia; yang terbaru adalah penyerangan komunitas Ahmadiyah di Cikeusik Banten, Jawa Barat di mana tiga Ahmadi terbunuh dan penyegelan masjid Al Mishbah oleh pemda Bekasi. Memahami konteks konflik dengan kekerasan dan cara-cara perempuan Ahmadi menggunakan agensi mereka adalah sebuah langkah penting dalam mewujudkan Indonesia yang setara dan damai. Untuk membahas pengalaman perempuan Ahmadi dalam mempraktekkan agensi mereka dalam transformasi konflik, penelitian kualitatif ini dilaksanakan di empat area di Indonesia: Bogor, Kuningan, Yogyakarta dan Lombok, dengan pengumpulan data dari narasi perempuan Ahmadi yang aktif di Lajnah Imaillah, organisasi untuk perempuan Ahmadi. Penelitian ini menggarisbawahi tiga tahap transformasi konflik yang dilakukan perempuan Ahmadi; 1) meminta bantuan dari pemerintah 2) menggunakan kekuatan fisik untuk mempertahankan hak, dan 3) menempatkan diri sebagai warga Negara yang mempunyai hak sama dengan lainnya. Melalui aksi-aksi yang mereka lakukan, mereka Ijtihad, Jurnal Wacana Hukum Islam dan Kemanusiaan, Volume 15, No. 1, Juni 2015: 61-82 62 menunjukkan bahwa mereka bisa membantu lainnya dan mentransformasi konflik dengan menjalin hubungan dan pengertian yang lebih baik dengan warga negara Indonesia lainnya.

Navigating Triple Consciousness in the Diaspora: An Autoethnographic Account of an Ahmadi Muslim Woman in Canada

“…Through her research with Ahmadi women in Southern California, Ahmed-Ghosh (2004, p. 77) found that complacency with gender hierarchies in belief systems "may provide the emotional, spiritual and material sustenance that these women are seeking in their attempt to cope with alienation in North America". For many Ahmadi women, who are doubly persecuted (Noor 2015;Sultana et al 2015) as targets of systemic heteropatriarchal and religious discrimination, "their religious affiliation is their only recourse and resort in times of need" (Ahmed-Ghosh 2004, p. 88). Paradoxically, the proclamation that Ahmadi Muslims are not Muslim has led to a community-wide loyalty and devotion in the diaspora rooted in unity, support, and sisterhood.…”

“…It is a South Asian sentiment rooted in pre-Partition India and spread to proximal countries such as Bangladesh, India, and Malaysia. The state-led persecution of Ahmadis in Indonesia is particularly distressing (Marshall 2018) although notably countered through Indonesian Ahmadi women's activism (Inasshabihah 2020;Noor 2015).…”

Reconciliation and Fulfillment of Civil Rights: Case of Ahmadiyya Adherents in Manislor, Kuningan, West Java

“…Under the administration of President Yudhoyono, there were many civil rights violations against Ahmadiyya adherents, including withholding the issuance of identity cards (Kartu Tanda Penduduk/KTP) (Pamungkas 2018) and Family Cards (Kartu Keluarga/KK) (Almujaddidy 2017), marriage registration, and birth certificates (Hicks 2014). Stakeholders have sought reconciliation to overcome the violence and conflicts involving Ahmadiyya adherents in Manislor and build peace among the communities (Noor et al 2016). However, to be impactful, peace initiatives must be part of a perpetual process that builds supportive social systems (Nurdin et al 2019).…”

Gender-Based Perspectives on Key Issues Facing Poor Ahmadi Women in Pakistan

“…have highlighted the problems of AM women, and there is hardly any such study in the Pakistani context. Men and women can have different perspectives on issues faced by religious minorities, but women's perspectives have been rarely investigated(Noor et al 2015). Furthermore, no study was found which examined the intersectionality of poverty and religious persecution of Ahmadi women.…”