Police arrest paramilitary Muslim leader in Surabaya<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Police arrested the commander of the Ahlus
\nSunnah Wal Jamma'ah Muslim group, Ja'far Umar Thalib, on Friday,
\non charges of inciting hatred against a religion in the country,
\nand causing fatal injuries to one of his men.<\/p>\n
National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro said on Friday
\nthat police detectives picked Ja'far up at Juanda Airport in
\nSurabaya, and immediately took him to the National Police
\nHeadquarters for questioning.<\/p>\n
Bimantoro said that one of two charges laid against him was
\nfor allegedly applying a sentence laid down in Islamic law known
\nas rajam (stoning to death) against one of his followers,
\nreportedly over adultery.<\/p>\n
\"Rajam is unrecognized in our country. It is a crime
\npunishable by our existing regulations. My personnel have also
\nbeen studying Ja'far for some time,\" Surojo told reporters at
\nNational Police Headquarters.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi
\nsaid on Friday that police detectives had been compiling
\ninformation on Ja'far since 1999.<\/p>\n
\"We have been gathering information about Ja'far ... since
\n1999, and then when he started the jihad (paramilitary) training
\ncamp in Bogor, we started to watch him more closely,\" Didi told
\nreporters on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"We also observed him when he mobilized mass movements from
\nTanjung Priok in North Jakarta, to Ambon. The Laskar Jihad group
\ncaused trouble for our police forces in Ambon ... he is allegedly
\none of the reasons why there is so little peace in Maluku.\"<\/p>\n
According to official police data, over two years of bloody
\ncommunal violence in the Maluku provinces have left around 8,000
\npeople dead and some 230,000 others seeking refugee.<\/p>\n
Didi said that Ja'far would be questioned according to
\nParagraph a of Article 156a of the Criminal Code on inciting
\nhatred towards a religion followed in Indonesia, and Article 340
\nof the Criminal Code on premeditated murder, with maximum
\npunishment of between five years and 20 years in jail.<\/p>\n
Didi said that the preplanned murder occurred on March 25 in
\nAmbon this year, when Ja'far allegedly had his follower,
\nAbdullah, buried to the waist before ordering the rest of his men
\nto stone him to death.<\/p>\n
\"Abdullah had allegedly committed adultery, but this too
\ncannot be confirmed, since Abdullah is dead,\" Didi said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, about 50 members of Laskar Jihad arrived in a
\npublic minivan on Friday night at the National Police
\nHeadquarters, demanding the release of their leader.<\/p>\n
While about 100 police officers kept watch, the Laskar Jihad
\nmembers left the headquarters after the protest. (ylt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-arrest-paramilitary-muslim-leader-in-surabaya-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}