Indonesians feel targeted by Aussie police

Indonesians feel targeted by Aussie police

Michael Perry, Reuters, Sydney

Australia's Indonesian migrants are scared and bewildered, their sense of security shattered this week when security forces wielding sledgehammers raided several homes in the hunt for Islamic militants.

Australia's chief intelligence agency and police staged dawn and night-time raids on Muslim homes in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth in the hunt for Jamaah Islamiah "sleepers" after the Bali bombings which killed 180 people, about 90 of them Australian.

Security forces confiscated laptops and boxes of documents, but made no arrests, leaving Indonesian migrants feeling they are being targeted because of their nationality and religion and not because of any hard evidence.

"We have nothing to hide. We didn't do anything," said Romzi Ali, secretary of the Islamic Society of Manly-Warringah which covers Sydney's northern beachside suburbs.

"We are happy to cooperate with police. They do not have to break down our doors. They can ask us questions and we will answer," Ali told Reuters.

As Indonesian migrants arrived for Friday prayers at a small mosque in Sydney's northern beach suburb of Dee Why, heads were bowed and eyes cast down to avoid prying television news cameras.

Few wanted to speak to the media, uncomfortable with the national intrusion into their quiet lives. Selamat Siang (good afternoon) they said politely, before quickly taking off their shoes and entering the safety of the unremarkable mosque.

Surfers driving past, heading to some of Sydney's best waves, pay it no attention. Built of red-brick, like many homes in Sydney, it blends into the streetscape -- a small star of Islam on its roof the only identifying sign.

But the Dee Why mosque is at the center of Australia's hunt for "JI sleepers" after it hosted a 1993 visit by Indonesia's militant Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, the alleged spiritual leader of Jamaah Islamiah.

The Australian government says Bashir, who denies he is linked to JI, visited Australia several times.

Some Indonesian authorities have said the Bali bombings bore the hallmarks of previous violence in the region linked to Jamaah Islamiah, a militant network that regional and Western intelligence agencies say has ties to al-Qaeda.

"In 1993 he came to Australia, he came to our mosque to teach about religion. Like any other cleric he came to preach," Ali said. "The Dee Why mosque has never funded or sympathized with any terrorist."

Inside the mosque, Ali conducts prayers in English and Bahasa Indonesia. His sermon has been carefully scripted to send the message to the gathered media that Islam is a peaceful religion.

"Bombing and maiming innocent men, women and children, all are forbidden, they are despicable acts according to Islam," Ali preaches to a small gathering of 50 Muslims.

After 30 minutes of prayers some of the Muslims stop to talk.

Ahmad Taufik was born in Australia, a second generation Indonesian-Australian, and his reflective sunglasses, T-shirt and shorts more like the typical image of an Australian schoolboy.

But Ahmad is Muslim and is feeling confused.

"I feel it's really bad because they (police) are targeting Indonesians, not other people from other countries that are Muslim," said Taufik, who came to the mosque with his father.

"I'm Australian. It's confusing. I don't get it."

Ahmad Baisa, 45, came to Australia 13 years ago from Tegal in Indonesia and he cannot remember a time that the Indonesian community felt so alienated from the rest of Australia.

"It's sad. We are scared," said the welder, proudly wearing his T-Shirt with a logo of the popular Noosa Heads surf beach.

Police say there have been more than 40 attacks on Australian Muslims in Sydney reported since the Bali bombings but before the security and police raids.