Malaysia raids outlawed Al Arqam sect commune<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian authorities yesterday raided a
\ncommune of the outlawed Al Arqam Moslem sect and detained 121
\npeople, including the daughter-in-law of sect leader Ashaari
\nMuhammad.<\/p>\n
It was the first government raid on one of the sect's
\nsettlements and came a day after Premier Mahathir Mohamad
\nprovided what he said was photographic evidence of plans by the
\nbanned group to become a military force.<\/p>\n
Eighty-nine children, 22 women and 10 men were detained in the
\nraid, a week after the arrest of six Al Arqam members, including
\nAshaari and his wife, under Malaysia's tough Internal Security
\nAct (ISA).<\/p>\n
They will be charged in the state Syariah (religious) court.<\/p>\n
The pre-dawn raid on the commune in southwestern Negeri
\nSembilan state, shocked community members, an Al Arqam spokesman
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Among those detained was Ashaari's daughter-in-law Kartini
\nMaarof, 23, married to his son Ikramullah.<\/p>\n
\"This time, the government has gone too far. This is sheer
\nharassment,\" said the spokesman, adding that the movement was
\nprepared for \"any eventuality.\"<\/p>\n
The operation, mounted jointly by police and state religious
\nofficials, signaled the government's widening efforts to crush
\nthe group.<\/p>\n
Ashaari, 57, one of his four wives and their six-month
\ndaughter are already in custody, with four of Al Arqam's senior
\nmembers detained last week under the ISA, which allows indefinite
\ndetention without trial.<\/p>\n
They were arrested after being expelled by Thailand.<\/p>\n
Mental hospital<\/p>\n
Mahathir, speaking late Thursday, said an unidentified French
\nMoslem convert, who had joined the Al Arqam, was now in a mental
\nhospital \"because she could not cope with being passed from one
\nman to another.\"<\/p>\n
\"She is now in a mental hospital in the country. Such cases
\nshow that they use women as a tool,\" said Mahathir, who last
\nmonth charged that the movement had deviated from the Moslem
\nfaith and used women as sex slaves.<\/p>\n
Al Arqam, outlawed in predominantly-Moslem Malaysia last month
\nfor preaching what the clergy considers deviationist Islamic
\nteachings, was founded by Ashaari in 1968. It has since grown
\ninto a powerful missionary group with branches in 16 countries.<\/p>\n
Mahathir also showed journalists a photograph of Al Arqam
\nmembers marching in military formation which appeared on the
\nfront page of the Thai language Islamic Guidance Post, saying it
\nclearly proved Al Arqam's military intentions.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian Bar Council, in a statement late Thursday, said
\nit viewed with concern the arrest and detention of Ashaari and
\nhis followers under the ISA, and urged the government to either
\ncharge them in court for the offenses they allegedly committed or
\nrelease them.<\/p>\n
\"The council opposes the use of the ISA for purposes for which
\nthe Act was never intended. We want the government to take steps
\nto repeal the ISA,\" the council's chairman Zainur Zakaria said.<\/p>\n
The ISA was framed by Kuala Lumpur in 1960 primarily to combat
\ncommunist insurgents.<\/p>\n
Regional human rights groups, including the Thai Consumer's
\nGroup of Siam, have lambasted the Malaysian government's
\nstrongarm tactics, saying the action reflected intolerance and
\nreligious bigotry.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/malaysia-raids-outlawed-al-arqam-sect-commune-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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