MMI not a terrist organization: Executive<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nYogyakarta<\/p>\n
The co-founder of the Indonesian Mujahideen Assembly (MMI)
\nchaired by Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, Irfan S. Awwas, says
\nit is not a terrorist organization and denied any link to Jamaah
\nIslamiyah (JI) or the al-Qaeda terrorist network led by Osama bin
\nLaden.<\/p>\n
\"The idea of establishing MMI was purely my idea and it is me
\nwho dragged him (Ba'asyir) to lead us here mainly because of his
\ndeep knowledge of Islamic law.<\/p>\n
\"Despite being led by the same person, MMI is not affiliated
\nwith JI. The two are organizationally separate and disconnected,\"
\nhe told The Jakarta Post in an interview here on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He said he did not believe alleged terrorist Omar Al-Faruq's
\nclaims of Ba'asyir's leadership role in JI and his alleged
\ninvolvement in terrorist acts.<\/p>\n
He admitted that Ba'asyir frequently used the term Jamaah
\nIslamiyah but the two words were referring to Muslims in general.<\/p>\n
MMI was established on Aug. 7, 2000 with 1,500 Muslims from
\nMalaysia, Singapore and the United States. Following its
\nfounding, the organization elected Ba'asyir, owner of the Al-
\nMukmin Islamic Boarding School in Ngruki, Surakarta, its
\nchairman.<\/p>\n
At his swearing-in ceremony, Ba'asyir called on authorities to
\nallow Muslims to enforce Islamic law. The right to do so had been
\nsuspended since the country's independence in 1945.<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir, who escaped to Malaysia to avoid jail during the New
\nOrder era and allegedly established JI in that country, has also
\npublished a book on what Muslims should do in the fight for the
\nenforcement of Islamic law. The book is compulsory reading for
\nall students at the school.<\/p>\n
Irfan acknowledged the congress had agreed to include a clause
\nto fight for the enforcement of sharia in Indonesia in MMI's
\nstatutes.<\/p>\n
MMI's executive board initially comprised 36 senior clerics,
\nincluding Deliar Noor, Ali Yafie, Mawardi Noer, Ohan Sujana
\n(Jakarta), Alawy Muhammad, Tijani Jauhari (Madura), Asep Mausul
\nAffandi (Tasikmalaya), Abdul Qadir Baraja (Lampung), Abdurrahman
\nA Bassalama (South Sulawesi), Syahirul Alim (Yogyakarta) and
\nAhmad Mansyur Suryanegara (West Java).<\/p>\n
However, Irfan said, only 50 percent of the clerics were
\nactive in MMI's daily activities. Ali Yafie and Alawy Muhammad
\nwere taken off the organization's executive board because both
\nhad never been present at its regular meeting.<\/p>\n
\"We have held many meetings to discuss efforts to uphold
\nIslamic law and published a draft of our own on the amendment of
\nthe 1945 Constitution and a draft of the Criminal Code that were
\nbased on sharia,\" Irfan said.<\/p>\n
The draft has since been socialized to Muslim people
\nnationwide and put forward during the Annual Sessions of the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly.<\/p>\n
MMI plans to hold its second congress in Surakarta in 2003,
\nand has made up its mind to launch concrete efforts to fight for
\nthe enforcement of sharia in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Irfan, who was jailed for nine years under former president
\nSoeharto, said MMI could help bring the nation out its prolonged
\ncrisis through the enforcement of sharia.<\/p>\n
Asked about the possibility of establishing an Islamic state
\nin the country, Irfan said that an Islamic country was an
\nalternative to fight for MMI's objectives.<\/p>\n
\"However, it's not a goal at present,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Irfan said MMI would continue fighting for the enforcement of
\nIslamic law peacefully.<\/p>\n
\"MMI has never been involved in violence or any terrorist acts
\nin fighting for its goals because such means are against Islam,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>",
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