REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, By: Tony Priyono

The government is keeping an eye on the controversial Fajar Nusantara Movement (Gafatar), calling the group illegal and saying it had deviant principles, following the disappearance of several of its members. Gafatar was an illegal organization that must not be followed by community members. The group had the potential to promote radicalism.

According to studies from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the ideology upheld by Gafatar was not in accordance with Islam, as the group combined elements of Islam, Christianity and Judaism into one teaching.

Analysing Gafatar from various aspects have shown about Gafatar is an organization which is an unclear their ideology, their platform and their purpose. If analysing Gafatar trom the mass organization side, they are illegal. From the religion side, they are not Islamic, Christian or Jewish. This organization is not suitable to be followed. The government of Indonesia urged law enforcers to look into the development of Gafatar and also studying the organization to help take preemptive action.

Meanwhile, the MUI will issue a fatwa (edict) on a controversial organization called Fajar Nusantara Movement (Gafatar) in February, as the group is suspected to have deviant teachings and be behind the disappearance of several of its member. The MUI is currently still studying and collecting evidence related to Gafatar. The central office of the MUI's edict division would make the formal announcement on whether Gafatar is a heretic movement based on authentic evidence and accurate data. The MUI is constructing the basics of edict so that it would be accompanied by valid research and methodology so that its accountability could be questioned by academics, practitioners or religious scholars.

Even though there had been preliminary suspicions on Gafatar's heretical nature, the MUI needed further evidence that showed it was a new form of Al Qidayah al-Islamiyah that was founded by Ahmad Musadeq. The MUI had already declared Al Qiyadah al Islamiyah a heretic organization. Musadeq was also sentenced to four years in prison by the South Jakarta District Court in 2008 for religious defamation. The former member of the Indonesian Islamic State (NII) founded Al Qidayah and declared himself a prophet following a revelation he claimed he received during 40 days of meditation on a mountain in West Java. Like Al Qidayah, Gafatar can be considered deviant if its ideology is proven to unify Islamic, Christian and Judaic teachings.

The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) concerned that the outlawed Fajar Nusantara Movement’s (Gafatar) activities might trigger social friction, which could lead to violence, although the agency was not worried about terror threats. BNPT spokesperson Irfan Idris said that Gafatar, established in 2012, was not proven to have committed terrorist acts. The presence of the organization, however, had affected Islam in Indonesia, he said. “Gafatar did not carry out any physical terror threats. However, it is obvious that this movement has threatened religious beliefs. Gafatar has terrorized Islam in Indonesia because it is far from the mainstream Islamic teachings acknowledged by the government,” Irfan said on Wednesday. He further said that the BNPT had long monitored the organization, which continually changed its name.

The agency was regularly spreading information on the dangers of Gafatar in its base areas to prevent the movement from growing further, he added. “But we don’t yet have exact data on the number of Gafatar followers in Indonesia. Information we have received says that this movement has continued to recruit followers,” said Irfan. He said the BNPT was implementing preventative measures, such as routinely holding dialogues with community members and providing insights about the organization through education channels.

Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said Gafatar was not registered with the ministry as an official organization. It was suspected that the organization was connected to recent reports of the disappearance of a number of people across Indonesia.

Separately, the Home Affairs Ministry's director general of politics and administration, Soedarmo, said the ministry could not disband the organization. He said it was not a listed organization with the ministry, and added that organizations could only be disbanded if they disrupted security or violated the law. "If [people] want Gafatar to be disbanded, they should file a report on religious defamation through legal channels," he asserted. The ministry, Soedarmo added, was cooperating with the Attorney General's Office and the MUI on a plan to file a lawsuit against Gafatar. Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo urged the central government to take firm action against Gafatar. Several Central Java residents have been reported missing and are believed to have joined the group in Kalimantan. "The state must take firm action; if [the group] is forbidden then take action against it," Ganjar said on Wednesday. He suggested that the central government make a thorough evaluation of Gafatar, from its ideology to its activities.

Earlier, in the district of Mempawah, West Kalimantan, some of residents have been attacking Gafatar’s member. They were attacked Gafatar’s member because they have been believed that the existence of Gafatar could be triggered sectarian conflict and social conflict. It’s remembering Gafatar is continuously to make religion blasphemy.

All of Indonesian people’s must be realized that the existence of Gafatar in several provinces are a serious threat for our national integrity and we might be alert on Gafatar phenomenon to avoid unconducive situation like just what happened in Mempawah, West Kaliman several days ago.

However, the violence act against Gafatar’s member in Mempawah was forbidden to happened, because in the era of democratization all of problems must be discussed or solving it with a tender or soft approach. It has reasons; if the government has released violence act to Gafatar, it could motivate people to doing same thing to another minority communities in every provinces. If it has happened, these conditions was judged and blamed for Indonesia government. The government must be paid a big attention if we always want to say in our country every person has equality before the law.    

*) The writer is a researcher at LSISI Jakarta and Galesong Institute.

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