Arrest me, not clerics says VP<\/p>\n
Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Vice President Hamzah Haz challenged the authorities on Wednesday
\nto arrest him in place of Muslim clerics charged with having
\nlinks to a terrorist network.<\/p>\n
\"There are no terrorists here. I guarantee that. If they
\n(terrorists) exist, don't arrest any Muslim clerics, arrest me,\"
\nhe was quoted as saying by his aide Said Budairy.<\/p>\n
Said told The Jakarta Post that Hamzah said he would be the
\nfirst man to issue an arrest warrant if the predominantly Muslim
\ncountry harbored any terrorists.<\/p>\n
The Vice President made the statement during an unexpected
\nmeeting with Abu Bakar Ba'asyir in Central Java, a controversial
\nMuslim cleric linked by Singapore and Malaysia with a regional
\nterrorist network.<\/p>\n
The more than one-hour meeting defied earlier criticism of
\nHamzah's close ties with hard-line Muslim groups.<\/p>\n
Hamzah's aides said the Vice President arrived at 2 p.m. in
\nthe Al-Mukmin Islamic boarding school run by Ba'asyir at Ngruki
\nin the town of Sukoharjo, Central Java.<\/p>\n
The Vice President sparked widespread criticism for his
\nunpopular move earlier this month to visit Ja'far Umar Thalib,
\nthe detained leader of the Laskar Jihad hard-line group.<\/p>\n
Ja'far is being held for allegedly inciting a massacre of
\nChristian villagers in the Maluku islands.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/arrest-me-not-clerics-says-vp-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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