Tarmizi Taher criticized over blood statement<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Moslem leaders and activists strongly
\nprotested yesterday Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher's
\nrecent statement that rioters are allowed to be killed.<\/p>\n
The Forum of Yogyakarta Non-governmental Organizations
\ncondemned Tarmizi's statement as an arbitrary interpretation of
\nIslamic law. A number of ulemas, including Noer Iskandar Al-
\nBarsany of the Nahdlatul Ulama, expressed shock over the
\nstatement and said it could only cause further unrest.<\/p>\n
"The minister has spoken out of turn. The statement doesn't
\nsolve anything," Noer Iskandar said.<\/p>\n
Tarmizi was quoted by the Kedaulatan Rakyat daily as telling
\n500 ulemas and local leaders in Surabaya on Tuesday that "the
\nblood and lives of rioters are halal (religiously
\npermissible)...(to be shed)".<\/p>\n
Tarmizi likened the current social political situation, which
\nhad recently been marked by riots, to the years of 1948 and 1965,
\nwhen communists attempted to usurp the government.<\/p>\n
"The current situation is similar to that of before (the coup
\nattempt) by PKI (the banned Indonesian Communist Party)," he
\nsaid. "The spate of (recent) riots were masterminded by PKI
\nmembers seeking to undermine (the state ideology) Pancasila
\nagain."<\/p>\n
Angger Jati Wijaya, Forum of Yogyakarta NGOs chairman, said
\nthat killing is permissible under Islamic law only for qishash;
\nthat is when a person has killed someone else. Another ground is
\nbughot or when a group of people betray the legitimate
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
The forum said in a statement that legal processes, supported
\nby Islamic law experts, have to be conducted before a person's
\nblood is halal.<\/p>\n
"Tarmizi's statement cannot be justified by either Islamic law
\nor laws that are in effect in Indonesia," the statement said,
\nadding that "what the government should do is look for and
\novercome the roots of problems that trigger unrest".<\/p>\n
The forum also urged the minister to retract his statement.
\n(23\/har\/swe)<\/p>",
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