Minority Islamic sect attacked in Indonesia
Zimbabwe Star
Friday 30th July, 2010
Indonesian police have been involved in a confrontation with people who were attacking a mosque used by a minority Islamic sect.
Two hundred or more people were involved in the attack at the mosque in Manislor village in Kuningan district in West Java.
The mob hurled stones at the building, which is used as a place of worship for the Ahmadiya sect, which has 500,000 followers in Indonesia.
Sect leaders teach that the founder of Ahmadiya, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, was the final prophet, rather than Mohammed.
Ahmad claimed to be a reincarnation of Prophet Mohammed, a statement widely rejected by Muslim religious scholars.
He also claimed to to be the Christian messiah.
After an hour-long confrontation between stone-throwing protesters and police, the mosque was secured.
The Ahmadiyah followers at the mosque said they would have been ready to help the police but would not respond to violence.
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