Controversy on Islamic zealots

Controversy on Islamic zealots

Amid the uproar arising from various elements in society over
the arrests of Islamic activists suspected by the police of being
involved in and planning bombings in several places, I would like
to contribute my view concerning this issue.

I share the opinion that terrorism should be handled according
to the law, so as not to create new terror in society. Those
upholding high democratic values will agree to that. The problem
is now many people become very irrational in responding to such
arrests, even more so when targets of the raids are ex-members of
jihad troops in various places once torn by strife like Poso,
Ambon and even Afghanistan. Since the figures seized are
religious activists, various interpretations follow.

The "conspiracy theory" thus prevails such as the arrests
being ordered by the U.S. and Australia, the suppression of
religious propagation, and the spread of Islamophobia as
practiced by the New Order. If the theory continues to be
developed, it is more negative than positive. The questions arise
whether our nation is so mediocre that it bows so willingly to
foreign pressure, whether Islamic propagation becomes so
restricted with the capture of mosque activists, and whether
Islamophopia is truly revived.

I am sure that as the nation is facing difficulties today, the
dramatic conditions created by such an attitude will even reduce
our awareness of the substance of action against inhuman acts of
terrorism. Who would ever expect that such people as Amrozi, Imam
Samudra and Hambali (all relatively simple Javanese villagers)
were going to perpetrate the bombings in Bali?

The important thing now is to watch how the intelligence
agency and the police force are performing their duties, in order
to ascertain whether or not the "conspiracy theory" really
applies.

WAWAN H. PURWANTO

Jakarta