Religious leaders want police to respect human rights<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The country's second largest Muslim organization has expressed
\nconcern with the security forces' fight against terrorism,
\nincluding the Bali attack investigation, saying the process was
\nconfusing and ignored human rights.<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah also expressed fears the ongoing investigations
\nwould tarnish the image of pesantren (Islamic boarding schools)
\nacross the country.<\/p>\n
\"We realize the government has become confused in its war on
\nterrorism. But even in this confusing situation, the government
\nmust not violate human rights,\" Ahmad Sjafii Maarif, Muhammadiyah
\nchairman Ahmad Sjafii Maarif said at a press conference in
\nJakarta Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Sjafii said he was concerned Indonesian security forces had
\narrested terror suspect Omar al-Faruq and handed him to U.S.
\nauthorities.<\/p>\n
Indonesian police later sent representatives to question al-
\nFaruq, and, based on his account, named Abu Bakar Ba'asyir,
\nchairman of the Indonesian Mujahiddin Council (MMI) and the Al
\nMukmin boarding school in Surakarta, Central Java, a terror
\nsuspect for his involvement in a string of bombings in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"We have never heard al-Faruq's account directly, while our
\npolice personnel who were sent to question al-Faruq in the U.S.
\nreportedly never made contact with him. Isn't this situation
\nconfusing to our people?\"<\/p>\n
Police maintain they did question al-Faruq.<\/p>\n
Indonesia faces international pressure to arrest several
\nMuslim leaders, including Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, allegedly
\nresponsible for establishing Jamaah Islamiyah, a shadowy group
\nwith suspected links to al-Qaeda.<\/p>\n
Sjafii also demanded the joint investigative team in Bali end
\nconfusion over the bomb materials used in the attack.<\/p>\n
\"The public has the right to know, even if the information
\nleads to the involvement of certain foreign countries.\"<\/p>\n
He refused to elaborate further.<\/p>\n
Syafii, joined by leaders of other religions and faiths,
\nissued a statement that supported the government's war on
\nterrorism, but warned that it should not equate terrorism with
\nIslam.<\/p>\n
The statement was also signed by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman
\nHasyim Muzadi, Bishop's Council of Indonesia (KWI) chairman
\nJulius Kardinal Darmaatmadja, Indonesian Communion of Churches
\n(PGI) chairman AA Yewangoe, nationalist figure Roeslan Abdoelgani
\nand Muslim scholar Nurcholis Madjid.<\/p>\n
Also present at the press conference were reverend IP Lambe of
\nPGI and catholic priest Ismartono of KWI.<\/p>\n
\"We demand all parties, including foreign countries, stop
\nlaunching propaganda that equates terrorism with certain
\nreligions, especially Islam,\" Lambe said as he read the joint
\nstatement.<\/p>\n
\"The bombing attack in Legian, Kuta, proved that even our
\ncountry has been attacked by terrorist groups.\"<\/p>\n
Indonesia is home to the world's largest Muslim population.<\/p>\n
Separately, the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDI Perjuangan), called on the public to support the police
\ninvestigation.<\/p>\n
\"Please, do not view these developments with skepticism. Let's
\njust wait for the police to complete their investigation,\" PDI
\nPerjuangan deputy chairman Roy B.B. Janis said after attending
\nthe party's weekly meeting led by chairwoman Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
The party's meeting on Tuesday especially discussed the Bali
\nbombing and its investigation, and the impact of the bombing on
\nthe public.<\/p>\n
Roy gave assurances that the police were not fabricating the
\nrecent findings in the case.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that the ongoing investigation and the transparency
\nof the investigation will provide enough evidence to satisfy the
\npublic that the whole thing has not been engineered,\" he
\nremarked.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/religious-leaders-want-police-to-respect-human-rights-1447893297",
"image": ""
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