SIYASAH DUSTURIYAH AND THE PROTECTION GAP: CONSTITUTIONAL REMEDIES FOR THE AHMADIYYA MINORITY IN MAKASSAR
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30863/aldustur.v9i2.11042Abstract
This article critically examines state policies that restrict the religious freedom of the Ahmadiyya minority in Makassar City, Indonesia, particularly those implemented with reference to the 2008 Joint Decree of the Three Ministers. The study aims to examine the constitutional implications of these restrictions and develop a siyasah dusturiyah–based framework for evaluating their legitimacy within the Pancasila rule of law. Using a qualitative descriptive design with normative shar’i and socio-empirical approaches, Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and and analysis of statutory and policy documents. The empirical component examines how restrictive policies are experienced and implemented, while the normative component evaluates those practices through siyasah dusturiyah and maqasid al-shariah. The findings indicate that reliance on formal policy instruments and public-order considerations has been accompanied by experiences of stigmatization, social exclusion, and restrictions on religious activities among Ahmadiyya community members. At the same time, the study identifies limitations in the available mechanisms for challenging restrictions affecting constitutional rights, raising a broader question about the adequacy of constitutional protection. This article argues that a maqasid al-shariah–based ethical legal framework can provide normative criteria for evaluating whether restrictions on religious freedom are justified by legitimate public interests, proportionate, non-discriminatory, and consistent with the protection of religion and life (hifz al-din and hifz al-nafs). It concludes that the restrictions examined in this study reveal a tension between administrative implementation, public-order rationales, and constitutional guarantees of religious freedom. From a siyasah dusturiyah perspective, such restrictions require substantive justification, proportionality, and effective accountability rather than reliance on formal legal authorization alone. The study therefore calls for a rights-based reassessment of policies affecting the Ahmadiyya community.
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