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)