Survey finds Muslims oppose hard-line measures<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite the general rejection of violent acts carried out in the
\nname of Islam, a large percentage of Indonesians were not
\ntolerant toward people of different faiths, a survey revealed on
\nThursday..<\/p>\n
\"Forty-nine percent of respondents staunchly oppose the
\nbuilding of church in a predominantly Muslim neighborhood,\" said
\nthe survey jointly conducted by the Freedom Institute, the
\nLiberal Islam Network and the Center for Islamic and Community
\nStudies (PPIM) of the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic
\nUniversity (UIN).<\/p>\n
It also found that 40.8 percent of Muslim respondents were
\nwary about Christians conducting services in a majority Muslim
\nneighborhood.<\/p>\n
However, respondents showed little resistance about the
\npossibility of Christians teaching at public schools. \"Only 24.8
\npercent of respondents opposed such a possibility,\" it said.<\/p>\n
The survey found that in general, Muslims oppose the radical
\ninterpretation of Islamic teachings as espoused by hard-line
\ngroups that promote violence as a means to achieve their goals.<\/p>\n
It said the rate of approval for actions taken by radical
\ngroups like the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), the Indonesian
\nMujahidin Council (MMI) and regional terror network Jamaah
\nIslamiyah (JI) was considerably low.<\/p>\n
\"Of the 41.8 percent of respondents who are knowledgeable
\nabout Jamaah Islamiyah, only 13.4 percent of them supported the
\norganization's aims. For the Islamic Defenders Front, of 37.6
\npercent of respondents who know about the organization, 18.1
\npercent approved their actions,\" the survey said.<\/p>\n
The survey interviewed 1,200 respondents in the country's 32
\nprovinces between Nov. 1 and Nov. 3, and has a 3 percent margin
\nof error.<\/p>\n
JI has been blamed for a string of terror attacks across the
\ncountry since 2000, including the Oct. 12, 2002 Bali bombing and
\nthe attack on the JW Marriott Hotel on Aug. 5, 2003.<\/p>\n
The FPI is notorious for its raids against Jakarta's
\nnightspots, especially during the Ramadhan fasting month,
\nclaiming that such venues promoted sinful acts that tarnished the
\nholy month. The MMI is a radical Islamic group once led by cleric
\nAbu Bakar Ba'asyir.<\/p>\n
The survey also discovered that only 15.9 percent of
\nrespondents supported the terror attacks allegedly carried out by
\ntop terror suspect Noordin Moh. Top, Azahari bin Husin and
\nconvicted Bali bombers Imam Samudra and Amrozi.<\/p>\n
\"Fifty-nine percent of the respondents disagreed with the
\nattacks, while another 25.2 percent did not give an opinion,\" it
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Researcher Sjaiful Mujani said the survey findings indicated
\nthat the public were divided over how to respond as regards the
\nvariety of Islam-based agenda that exist today.<\/p>\n
\"Although they stand against acts of terror carried out on
\nbehalf of Muslims in general, a large number of Muslims in the
\ncountry are intolerant toward those who subscribe to different
\nreligious beliefs, especially Christians,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/survey-finds-muslims-oppose-hard-line-measures-1447893297",
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