Hard-liners want JIL evicted before Ramadhan

Hard-liners want JIL evicted before Ramadhan

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Several Muslim leaders claiming to represent Utan Kayu residents
in East Jakarta told district officials late on Tuesday to evict
the Liberal Islam Network (JIL) from the area before the
beginning of Ramadhan in early October.

As district officials were holding a dialog with
representatives of the Utan Kayu Community at the Al-Muslimun
mosque -- about five minutes walk from JIL's headquarters --
mosque leader Ustadz Syafruddin Tandjung took the floor and at
least 100 people shouted their desire to see JIL forced to leave
the area.

"They asked the district leaders to solve the matter before
the beginning of Ramadhan and said that there was no need for
further dialog," recounted Radio 68H production director Heru
Hendratmoko, who also attended Tuesday's meeting.

It was not immediately clear what would happen if JIL was
still operating by the beginning of the fasting month, which will
start on Oct. 5.

Rumors have been simmering that some Muslim extremist groups
would attack JIL, which is headed by noted Muslim scholar Ulil
Absar Abdala. Ulil recently went to the United States to begin a
doctoral course.

The Utan Kayu Community complex, where JIL is located, also
houses several other institutions, including Galeri Lontar, the
Institute for the Studies on the Free Flow of Information (ISAI)
and private radio station Radio 68H.

Hard-line Muslim elements have been pushing for the eviction
of JIL since the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued its much-
criticized fatwa banning liberal concepts of Islam, secularism
and pluralism in July.

However, JIL members were not invited to Tuesday's meeting and
were not given a chance to speak at a similar meeting held last
Sunday.

Previously, Heru said, religious activists at the Al-Muslimun
mosque accused ISAI, Radio 68H and Galeri Lontar of being under
the JIL umbrella for similarly promoting liberal Islam,
secularism and pluralism.

Eventually, the right-wing Islamist groups began calling for
the eviction of JIL. A bulletin board in front of the mosque
displayed the MUI edicts, as well as accusations against JIL.

Tandjung and 27 other mosque leaders in the area, claimed that
JIL had been outlawed as a result of the MUI fatwa and their very
existence was thus causing the "locals to become restless".

Despite his claims, several residents in the area said that
they were not fully aware of the issue and did not feel a bit
restless until Tuesday's meeting.

"We just recently heard that JIL has a different opinion to
that of the Muslims," explained Dina, who lives just two houses
from the mosque. "But, basically, we are not bothered by it. It
has nothing to do with our daily routines."

Last month, the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) had reportedly
planned to attack the JIL office, but that fizzled out as the
building was tightly guarded by police officers.

Prominent lawyers Todung Mulya Lubis, Nono Anwar Makarim and
Adnan Buyung Nasution serve as JIL's legal representatives.
"However, we do not think legal action against them would do us
any good. It is just a precaution," said one of the JIL founders,
Nong Darol Mahmada.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Ustadz Tandjung, who had planned to
visit JIL's headquarters to verify the group's legal standing and
other documents, failed to turn up.

The Utan Kayu Community continues to strive to give support to
JIL and any threat against them.

"This is more than just taking a stand for what we believe,
this is a threat to the freedom of thought and expression in this
country," Heru said.