Attack on churches politically engineered<\/p>\n
SURABAYA (JP): The Oct. 10 attack on churches in the East Java
\ntown of Situbondo was \"politically engineered\" to appear like a
\nconflict between local Moslems and Christians, a discussion here
\nhas concluded.<\/p>\n
About 200 youths from various religious organizations agreed
\nat Hotel Elmi yesterday that the attack, which claimed five
\nlives, not only inflicted great losses on local Christians but
\nalso tarnished Islam as a religion of peace and unity.<\/p>\n
\"This is why the case should be solved in an honest and open
\nmanner,\" stated the meeting of members of the Indonesian
\nChristian Youths Movement (GAMKI), the Indonesian Catholic
\nStudents Association, the Indonesian Nationalist Students
\nMovement, the Ansor youth wing of Indonesia's largest Moslem
\norganization, Nahdlatul Ulama, and other religious organizations.<\/p>\n
K.H. Lora Kholil As'ad, the youngest son of the late Nahdlatul
\nUlama leader K.H. As'ad Syamsul Arifin, also attended. Lora is a
\nrespected ulema who was suspected of being behind the incident.<\/p>\n
The attack occurred after about 3,000 people were outraged at
\nwhat they considered a lenient sentence requested for Saleh, a
\nlocal Moslem standing trial for blasphemy and slandering As'ad.
\nThe mob rampaged after unidentified people shouted that Saleh had
\ntaken refuge in a local church.<\/p>\n
Fonumero Ziralau, the chairman of the GAMKI local chapter,
\nsaid the Oct. 10 attack was contrived by \"certain parties\"
\nmisusing religious issues.<\/p>\n
\"This case has damaged religious co-existence in the region.
\nWe're all suffering losses because of this third party's
\nmisdeeds,\" he said, but declined to identify the party he accused
\nof engineering the attack.<\/p>\n
Choirul Anam of the Ansor youth movement reiterated his
\nconviction that the attackers were people from outside of the
\npredominately-Moslem Situbondo.<\/p>\n
\"I have never believed the religious people of Situbondo would
\ndo such a thing. Those people who set churches on fire while
\nholding and drinking alcohol could not be Situbondo people,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The authorities have detained and interrogated 53 people
\nsuspected of being involved in the attack. Sources said dossiers
\non the suspected attackers have been completed and submitted to
\nthe prosecutors' office, and that they will stand trial on
\nThursday, Nov. 28.<\/p>\n
Saleh, the man at the center of the tension, was sentenced
\nearlier this month to five years in prison for blasphemy.<\/p>\n
Lora Kholil, who founded and now leads the Wali Songo Mimbaan
\nPesantren (Islamic boarding school), agreed the attack was a
\npolitical maneuver devised by people wishing to pit Moslems
\nagainst Christians.<\/p>\n
\"We all suffer. The Christians suffer because they lost their
\nplaces of worship, Moslems suffer because they are now thought of
\nas people who cannot respect other religions,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Lora called on those at the meeting to dig deeper and realize
\nthat national unity had yet to take roots among people.<\/p>\n
\"It (unity) is a mere appearance, it's too formal,\" he said.
\n\"We see it in politics, where people hurt each other for their
\nown interests. Democratization and honesty are nothing but a
\nfacade.\" (25\/swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/attack-on-churches-politically-engineered-1447893297",
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