The position of religious minorities in a diverse archipelago: the Indonesian government's framing of the Ahmadiyya minority and its effects

Abstract

This BA thesis discusses the central question in which way the Indonesian government frames the Ahmadiyya-minority in society and how this affects the freedom of religion in a democratic Indonesia under President Yudhoyono. Three key events (the Ahmadiyya Decree in 2008, the 2010 upholding of the 1965 Blasphemy Law and the 2011 Cikeusik attack on Ahmadiyya members) are analyzed based on the government’s framing of the events, the labeling of the Ahmadiyya and the implications of these together. Theoretical ideas are drawn from framing theory, narratives, master frames and political opportunity structures.