Habib Rizieq Shihab, as chief of the paramilitary group,

Habib Rizieq Shihab, as chief of the paramilitary group, should reconsider his plan to revive the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), which he promised to disband two months ago. The people and the authorities should also take the plan into careful consideration.

Much like (the apparently dissolved) Laskar Jihad, the FPI is known as an unauthorized Islamic civilian militia. FPI was infamous for its vigor (and violence) while raiding nightclubs and bars, while Laskar Jihad, with more members, had become the object of foreign media coverage for its role in the "civil wars" in Ambon and Poso against Christians.

Their existence made the job of law enforcement and peace efforts more complicated.

In an interview with this paper Rizieq Shihab once acknowledged that some "individuals" within the organization had demanded money from the owners of nightclubs and bars, which the FPI raided. Isn't that acknowledgement proof that FPI could be used by individuals for their own interest?

Wasn't the FPI's action also a humiliation for Islam?

When announcing the dissolution of FPI in November, Rizieq Shihab said that the organization had been infiltrated by unwanted people, referring to the alleged intrusion of perhaps government or military intelligence into Islamic organizations and movements in the New Order era.

Rizieq Shihab and other Muslim leaders should be aware that FPI's violence has made it easy for FPI to be used or exploited. If you are reputed to take to the street with a sword in your hands, you will be easily accused of committing crime.

As a citizen, Rizieq Shihab has the right to set up any organization. But, the government must be tough and able to act against any organizations which are found to break the laws and take the law into their own hands.

-- Koran Tempo, Jakarta

The ups and downs of 2002

In a matter of days we will enter the year 2003. While counting down we'd better look back to what we've done and achieved.

We've achieved many things and at the same time we have also failed to do many things, which must be dealt with next year.

A peace deal was achieved in restive Aceh (with the help of well-meaning foreigners) and we managed to maintain a semblance of peace in Poso and Ambon through the Malino I and Malino II deals. Papua has been relatively quiet, despite the fact that the murder of Theys Eluay has yet to be resolved entirely.

Police have arrested several Bali bomb suspects, even though there is no guarantee that the relative peace during Idul Fitri and Christmas was due to the arrest of the bomb suspects.

The police should, in the future, always be on alert to anticipate any possible violence, not only on religious holidays.

One thing we must acknowledge is that people have yet to feel secure, especially from criminals and drug traffickers.

In the field of law, law enforcers and judges have been discriminative. Many corruptors are still at large and untouched by the hands of law. Some of them have been acquitted by the courts. Corruption, collusion and nepotistic practices are still rampant.

Some legal cases have yet to be handled properly this year. In short, the government still has many things to do next year.

-- Republika, Jakarta