Police make key arrest, still hunting for Mahdi<\/p>\n
Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu<\/p>\n
After a concerted manhunt, police officers arrested on Saturday
\noutside of Palu, a key figure from the Mahdi sect, which recently
\nmade headlines after a deadly clash with police.<\/p>\n
Lagu, alias Arifin, was charged with shooting and killing Palu
\npoliceman First Brig. Arwan Arsyad.<\/p>\n
Lagu was the first prominent member of the religious group
\narrested after a botched arrest attempt on Tuesday sparked a
\nbloody clash between a police unit of 16 men and several dozen
\nsect members in an area called Gawalise, a mountainous region of
\nthe province outside of Palu. Three officers and two sect members
\ndied in Tuesday's battle, which began because the police were
\nresponding to local reports that the group was not fasting or
\ndoing their daily prayers -- both of which are obligatory for
\nmainstream Muslims during Ramadhan.<\/p>\n
The police have now arrested dozens of sect members and named
\neight of them suspects, although the sect leader, identified only
\nas Mahdi (27), is still at large.<\/p>\n
During the arrest of Lagu on Saturday morning in neighboring
\nDonggala regency, the police seized a revolver and several
\nbullets belonging to Adj. Comr. Imam, detik.com news portal
\nreported. Imam was one of the three officers killed on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
As of late Saturday, Lagu was being interrogated by detectives
\nat the Central Sulawesi Police headquarters, said Adj. Sr. Comr.
\nAndi Haryoto, who is with the provincial police's detective
\ndivision.<\/p>\n
Separately, Palu Mayor Rudy Mastura gave his full support to
\npolice for their stern treatment against the Mahdi sect. He also
\nclaimed that the group's leader had begun using \"violent means\"
\nto propagate his beliefs; by forcing local residents to profess
\ntheir allegiance to him, and if they refused to do so, Mahdi and
\nhis people would get violent with them.<\/p>\n
Detectives are sill trying to find Mahdi, not only to question
\nhim about Tuesday's clash, but also for \"spreading heretical
\nIslamic beliefs\".<\/p>\n
Mahdi's dogma reportedly centers on his rejection of certain
\naspects of both Islam and Christianity. He preaches that sect
\nmembers will be declared pure after they free themselves from
\nIslamic and Christian practices such as fasting, going to church
\nor doing regular prayers.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-make-key-arrest-still-hunting-for-mahdi-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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