Ba'asyir's devotees stage protest<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni and Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post,
\nSurakarta\/Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Hundreds of alumni from Al-Mukmin Islamic Boarding School went on
\nstrike in Yogyakarta on Wednesday to protest the police arrest of
\ntheir headmaster and terror suspect Abu Bakar Ba'asyir.<\/p>\n
Calling the methods used by police to forcibly remove the
\nsuspect an "abduction", the protesters gathered at the state-run
\nradio station RRI in the city. After demanding that Ba'asyir be
\nreleased immediately, the protesters marched to the nearby
\nYogyakarta provincial legislature building.<\/p>\n
They accused the U.S. of waging war against Islam and Muslim
\npeople ever since President George Bush's government and its
\nallies began to notice that many terrorist acts had been the work
\nof Muslim figures.<\/p>\n
"As Muslims and citizens, we declare that we will continuously
\nfight against the U.S.'s arbitrary policy aimed at discrediting
\nIslam," said Fachrurrozi who led the demonstration.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the situation in nearby Surakarta has been tense,
\nbut relatively calm in the last two days despite a violent clash
\nbetween the police and the disciples of Ba'asyir during his
\nforced removal from Surakarta to Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The students from the Al Mukmin Islamic Boarding School in
\nNgruki, who had been on guard at the Muhammadiyah hospital in the
\ntown to block the police from arresting him, have reportedly gone
\nback to their campus.<\/p>\n
The police, however, have made a concerted effort to
\nstrengthen security in several areas of the city, especially in
\nSebelas Maret University's campus and the Islamic Boarding School
\nin Ngruki, Sukoharjo.<\/p>\n
"We are here in anticipation of possible violence amid strong
\nrumors that Ba'asyir's supporters will disturb the security in
\nthe town to protest Ba'asyir's detention in Jakarta," said one
\npoliceman.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of Ba'asyir loyalists were involved in a bloody clash
\nwith security personnel when the police took Ba'asyir from the
\nhospital by force on Monday.<\/p>\n
Several security personnel and protesters were injured in the
\nincident.<\/p>\n
Beforehand, Ba'asyir's followers also staged a demonstration
\nin the city to protest the police's decision to declare Ba'asyir
\na suspect in the alleged plot to kill President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri and the bombing of several churches in the 2001
\nChristmas.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, some 100 members of the Muhammadiyah Student
\nAssociation (IMM) went on strike in the town to protest
\nBa'asyir's arrest with a call for Megawati to ask for "divine
\ninspiration", instead of bowing U.S. President George Bush's
\ndemands, in fighting terrorism.<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir became sick and checked himself into the hospital on
\nOct. 18 with an unspecified illness when he was declared a
\nsuspect for masterminding series of bombing attacks in the
\ncountry and a plot to kill the president.<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir has denied the charges for which he could face the
\ndeath penalty, saying the charges were manufactured by the U.S.
\nand its allies to discredit Islam.<\/p>\n
According to Ba'asyir, his arrest was illegal as doctors had
\nnot yet recommended that he was healthy for the police
\ninterrogation.<\/p>\n
The police, however, claimed he was fit enough to be taken to
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir is now in the National Police Hospital in Jakarta,
\nwhere doctors have examined him and declared him physically fit
\nfor police interrogation.<\/p>\n
A number of politicians, including Vice President Hamzah Haz,
\nwho was once a vocal Ba'asyir defender, has expressed his support
\nfor the police investigation of Ba'asyir.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/baasyirs-devotees-stage-protest-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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