Immigration warns would-be 'jihad' warriors<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government warned on Monday that it would revoke the
\ncitizenship of Indonesians traveling as volunteers to Afghanistan
\nto fight against a possible American military operation.<\/p>\n
Muhamad Indra, director of supervision and enforcement at the
\nImmigration Office, said the government would be within its
\nrights to invoke the provisions of Article 17 of Law No. 62\/1958
\non Citizenship as these Indonesians would be engaging in overseas
\nmilitary action without the consent of the government.<\/p>\n
Indra pointed out that clause F of the article stipulated that
\npermission from the Ministry of Justice was required if an
\nIndonesian citizen wished to join a foreign military campaign.<\/p>\n
When asked why the government did not take similar action
\nagainst volunteers who fought in Afghanistan against the Soviet
\nUnion's occupation in the 1980s, Indra said that the reports
\nabout this were unsubstantiated.<\/p>\n
\"If there were any, the government didn't know about them,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In reaction to a possible military strike by the United States
\nagainst the Taliban regime, several religious groups in Indonesia
\nhave been campaigning for the launching of a jihad (holy war) in
\ndefense of Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
One of these groups, the Islam Youth Movement (GPI), has even
\nstarted registering volunteers.<\/p>\n
While the logistical capabilities of these groups to actually
\nsend a large number of volunteers to Afghanistan remains dubious,
\nthe government is making its stance clear.<\/p>\n
Immigration offices nationwide will be ordered to refuse to
\nissue the travel documents needed for such purposes.<\/p>\n
\"This country is not declaring war against another country.
\nLetting them enter Afghanistan and join military groups to fight
\nthe U.S and its allies is tantamount to us declaring war on the
\nU.S.,\" Indra told The Jakarta Post and Koran Tempo at his office.<\/p>\n
Washington has identified Osama bin Laden as the primary
\nsuspect in the Sept. 11 attack. With the Taliban regime
\ncontinuing to harbor the alleged terrorist, the U.S. seems poised
\nto take military action in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
This in turn has sparked strong anti-American sentiment across
\nthe Muslim world, including Indonesia, with many groups claiming
\nthat Washington is vilifying Muslims.<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, fresh from her trip to the
\nUnited States, has pledged Indonesia's support in the fight
\nagainst terrorism and regretted the radical wave of anti-
\nAmericanism which has suddenly appeared.<\/p>\n
But GPI chairman M. Iqbal Siregar brushed aside the
\ngovernment's threat, claiming that 625 people in Jakarta alone
\nhad signed-up for the jihad in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
\"It could reach thousands if you include our branch offices in
\nplaces such as Sulawesi, Irian Jaya, Aceh, Surakarta and
\nYogyakarta in Central Java, and East Java,\" Iqbal said.<\/p>\n
One volunteer, 31-year-old Sabaruddin from Bekasi, affirmed
\nhis defiance against the government threat as he was registering
\nat the GPI office in Central Jakarta on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"I leave it all to Allah (God) ... I'm defending Islam,\"
\nSabaruddin said. \"Not only am I willing to lose my citizenship,
\nI'm ready of to lose my life!\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/immigration-warns-would-be-jihad-warriors-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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