Gus Dur says groups of fanning religious discord

JAKARTA (JP): The chairman of the country's largest Moslem group Nahdlatul Ulama, Abdurrahman Wahid, said on Monday there were parties exploiting religious sensitivities to stir up unrest.

Recent riots with religious overtones, including the vandalization and arson of six mosques in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, on Monday, "did not happen just like that", Antara quoted him as saying.

"I think there are parties behind this but I cannot reveal their identity," he said late Monday at his residence in Ciganjur, South Jakarta.

Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, later met with Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja and philosopher Franz Magnis Suseno.

The Kupang unrest occurred after a ceremony marking the Ketapang riot in Jakarta on Nov. 22 in which 22 churches were damaged and 14 people killed.

Abdurrahman cited his sources as saying that a group of unidentified people urged the gathering crowd to attack mosques.

"I don't think the people were from the town."

He urged all Moslems to refrain from seeking reprisals.

"Moslems must not be tricked by the action, which seems to be a religious affair, because there are political interests behind it."

Referring to various incidents with religious characteristics, he said they were "designed as though there is a conflict among religious groups at the grass roots. Actually, it is only pitting religious groups against one another".

Earlier, the head of the Central Board of the Indonesian Mosque Council, Zaini A Noeh, said the council coordinated with the Ministry of Religious Affairs to contain the riots.

Antara reported that he added that Moslems should not be provoked "by certain groups seeking only to make trouble for Moslems".

The Catholic Democratic Party in a press release on Monday regretted what it said was an example of the "politics of divide and conquer". Chairman Marcus Mali and secretary-general Nirwan Sembiring said the use of such political ploys should stop because they would only ruin unity and harmony among religious groups.

It urged an immediate investigation into the riots. (anr)