Hafizurrahman, Indonesia Correspondent
On 17 to 19 January 2020, a few Jamaats held their regional Jalsa at the main headquarters. It was the first regional Jalsa at the Jamaat headquarters in Indonesia aft er the incident of 2005. Although it was a regional Jalsa for only two regions, Ahmadi Muslims from other regions, even from abroad, also attended. Some attendees described the reason for their attendance at the main headquarters Jalsa in Indonesia as faith-inspiring and a source of happiness. It also helped such people recall memories of the national Jalsa Salana Indonesia. What happened in 2005 Since the incident of 2005, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Indonesia still cannot hold Jalsa Salanas on a national level.
Ustadz Saifuddin, who was the leader of the “Islamic Front Defender”, chief of the Ulema council in Pondok Udik in 2005 and one of the instigators who led the attack in 2005, also attended this Jalsa. However, now, after 15 years, on 18 January 2020, he returned to the Jamaat centre, not to cause hurt, but to show deep regret and apologise before the Ahmadi audience.
“I am happy to meet you all, but also sad to remember the time when I incited people to attack this markaz merely due to my ignorance of Ahmadiyyat. I was the one who stood on that front gate and broke that gate. If you want to hit me, you may do so now.”
Also in attendance was Ustadz Ahmad Suhadi, who was among the attackers in 2005. Although he did not come to the podium, he related a beautiful story about his relation with Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. He said that he had sent a proposal to an organisation, seeking help for his community, and its acceptance coincided with this Jalsa as it was accepted after a very long just only a short while before his arrival at the Jalsa. For him, this was how God Almighty rewarded his little effort for the Jamaat. Our good friends from various forums and institutions supported us to hold this event.
Ustadz Ahmad Suhadi even helped the Jamaat to have relations with respected figures around the main headquarters. In addition, he invited his community to pray together for the peace in the markaz area during Jalsa Salana. In attendance were other external guests, who included the national chief of Gus Dur Barricade, chief of FKBR (Nationality Forum of Bogor Raya), chief of Patriot Garuda Nusantara of Bogor Regency, head of an Islamic Boarding School Darul Uloom, regional chief of Nahdhatul Ulema in Bogor regency, some priests from various churches in Bogor regency and the chief of the Supreme Council for the Confucian Religion in Bogor regency.
Our next goal now, for which the Indonesian Jamaat prays earnestly, is for Allah the Almighty to enable us to hold our national Jalsa Salana in the midst of Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa. May Allah the Almighty accept our sincere prayer. At the closing session of the Jalsa, it was stated that there were about 1,800 Ahmadis in attendance from around 103 branches, 25% of the total branches in Indonesia.