Police invite Gus Dur for mass prayers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Police has invited President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid and Cabinet officials to attend a mass prayer
\nat the mosque within the Jakarta Police headquarters on Jl.
\nSudirman early Saturday morning.<\/p>\n
City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam said on
\nThursday that the police would host a Semaan (recital of Koranic
\nverses) at the mosque for the safety of police officers
\nnationwide.<\/p>\n
\"City police chief Insp. Gen. Sofjan Yacob has invited the
\nPresident and Cabinet officials to join the prayers,\" Anton told
\nThe Jakarta Post on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The prayers will be held at 4 a.m. on Saturday, and all city
\nresidents are invited.<\/p>\n
\"The more, the merrier,\" Anton said.<\/p>\n
These prayers are necessary for the safety of the nation and
\nin particular, the capital. \"We will thank God for everything
\nthat he has bestowed upon us,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Anton did not seem sure whether Vice President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri had been invited for the prayers.<\/p>\n
Anton added that Saturday's prayer session would concentrate
\non \"just that, prayers\" and had nothing to do with the special
\nsession of the People's Consultative Assembly starting on August
\n1.<\/p>\n
Some 42,000 security personnel will be put on alert and
\ndeployed across Greater Jakarta, ahead of the Assembly's special
\nsession.<\/p>\n
\"Do not turn this into a political issue. You may ask why is
\nthe President invited when he sacked our National Police chief
\n(Gen. Surojo Bimantoro)? Everybody should pray. So we have
\ninvited everybody,\" Anton said.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman recently dismissed Bimantoro and offered him a
\npost as Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Bimantoro accepted the dismissal, but rejected the offer of
\nthe ambassadorial post. (ylt)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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