Obscure Islamist group on Batam recruiting members<\/p>\n
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam<\/p>\n
Around 1,000 people from Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and
\nIndonesia, calling themselves Jamaah Usaha Dakwah or preaching
\ncommunity, arrived here on Saturday for a three-day gathering
\namid growing concerns over radicalism and the spread of militant
\nideas.<\/p>\n
The little-known group, all of whom were men, were dressed in
\nqamish (Arab Muslim coat) and turban and held wooden sticks. They
\nwere seen walking around the Baiturrahman mosque in Sekupang
\ndistrict in Batam on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Although it is unclear when exactly the group was established,
\nit is public knowledge that top terrorist suspect Omar al-Farouq,
\nan alleged senior leader of al-Qaeda terror network, who in July
\nescaped from a U.S. maximum-security prison in Afghanistan, had
\njoined the group. Al-Farouq was arrested in Bogor, West Java,
\nthree years ago, but was immediately handed over to the U.S.<\/p>\n
Head of the board of patrons of Jamaah Usaha Dakwah, Zuher,
\ntold The Jakarta Post that the community was merely spreading the
\ntrue teachings of Islam to its members.<\/p>\n
He was reluctant to provide details about the group.<\/p>\n
Zuher also refused to comment on terrorist attacks conducted
\nby militants such as Azahari bin Husin, Noordin M. Top and
\nAmrozi.<\/p>\n
"If you want to know more about us, leave your family and come
\nand join us for three days and you shall understand what we're
\ndoing," Zuher said.<\/p>\n
He claimed that high-ranking police and intelligence officers
\nfrom Riau Islands joined the three-day gathering.<\/p>\n
The event was mostly filled with religious discourses from the
\nclerics and discussion between the group members on various
\nmatters.<\/p>\n
A member of the group, Haris, explained that it was fairly
\neasy to join the community. Those who wished to join are given an
\norientation about Islam for three days and if they succeed they
\ncan proceed to the next level not only for three days but 40 days
\nor four months or even for a life time.<\/p>\n
"I have joined it for 40 days, and I even had to go to
\nThailand. I won't be able to come along again now because I can't
\nabandon my family all the time," Haris said.<\/p>\n
He admitted that he once shook hands with al-Farouq in a
\ngathering held in Tanjung Pinang before he was wanted by the
\npolice.<\/p>\n
The government is working hand-in-hand with the country's
\nmoderate Muslim leaders to campaign against the spread of
\nmilitant ideas by terrorists under the banner of Islam.<\/p>",
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