Activists warn Moslems against exploitation

Activists warn Moslems against exploitation

JAKARTA (JP): Rights activists have warned Moslems against
further exploitation, in the form of having them commit acts of
violence, by as yet unidentified forces.

Munir, the coordinator of the independent Commission for
Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), and Baharuddin
Lopa, the secretary-general of the National Commission on Human
Rights, addressed a mass prayer gathering at Al Munawwar Mosque
in Pasar Minggu subdistrict, South Jakarta on Sunday.

They discussed violence inflicted on and committed by Moslems,
including a mysterious murder spree that originated in the East
Java town of Banyuwangi and recently spread to other Java towns,
claiming close to 200 lives.

"Moslems have been turned against one another. The Banyuwangi
murder case is one obvious example of when Moslems are torn apart
in a war without clear enemies," Munir said.

The gathering marked the launching of a joint one-year
antiviolence campaign by four non-governmental organizations
(NGOs): Koreksi, Sinergi Legal Aid Institute, women's rights
group Nurani Consultant and Legal Aid Institute, and Surabaya-
based Justice Committee (Kompak).

"The Banyuwangi incident is a trial for Moslems, as were
various other cases where some people manipulated religious
symbols to create chaos," Munir told the gathering.

"We have to realize that Islam carries messages of peace and
antiviolence... But look at what happened in East Java. Crowds
yelling Allahu Akbar (Allah is Great) while parading a (severed)
human head in a street rally. How could it be?" Munir said.

Moslems should return and follow the true teaching of Islam
rather than allow themselves to be trapped into mass violence and
wars of religious symbols, he said.

"Religious NGOs could become an effective pressure group
against every violent act initiated by the state.

"The most important task is to build an antiviolence
community, who refuse to be manipulated or become victims of
violence," Munir added.

Lopa also called for unity among Moslems and resistance
against any attempts to disunite them or to persuade them to
commit discriminatory acts.

"I sense attempts to ruin solidarity among religious people.
I'm not only talking about the Banyuwangi case but also about
recent developments in this country," Baharuddin said.

He said his message was for people to be wise and calm in the
face of an onslaught of information about any incidents involving
Moslems.

Munir also reiterated that almost in all cases of human rights
violations, civilians were used as intelligence tools.

"The Armed Forces and the government's security forces must
stop the use of civilians in their intelligence operations," he
demanded.

Meanwhile, about 200 houses and other buildings in Bumijawa
village in Central Java regency of Tegal suffered light to severe
damage after an attack by thousands of residents of a neighboring
village on Saturday. Some public facilities were also damaged.

Residents of Karangmulya village in Bojong district -- some 10
kilometers away from Bumijaya -- were enraged after they heard
that one of them, Solahuddin, was mobbed to death last Tuesday by
Bumijawa villagers who suspected him of being a "ninja".

Ninja is the term used in reference to masked men who have
murdered scores of religious teachers and people suspected of
practicing black magic throughout rural Java.

The chief of the military resort overseeing Banyumas and
Pekalongan, Col. M. Noer Muis, confirmed the incident on Sunday.
He berated residents of the two villages for taking the law onto
their own hands. (edt/45)