JIL finds support from local, district officials

JIL finds support from local, district officials

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

East Jakarta officials came to the defense of the Islamic Liberal
Network (JIL) on Thursday, saying that the organization was legal
and could not evicted from the Utan Kayu area as demanded by a
group claiming to represent local residents.

"District officials have recognized that we have all the
necessary legal documents and therefore there is no reason for
any eviction to take place," deputy coordinator Nong Darol
Mahmada said after a public meeting with Utan Kayu district
officials.

Utan Kayu Utara sub-district and East Jakarta municipality
officials supported the statement, telling the meeting that "JIL
is legally recognized."

Previously, the Utan Kayu Muslim Forum led by Ustadz
Syafruddin Tandjung, who claimed to represent residents, branded
JIL an illegal group and threatened to evict it from the area.

At a meeting last week with several district and police sub-
precinct officials, JIL presented documents showing the group had
been legally registered. Tandjung and Imam Pambudi, a
representative from a neighboring mosque, failed to show up.

Nong told the meeting he hoped the support from district
officials would resolve the issue positively.

Muslim hard-liners have been pushing for the eviction of JIL
since the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued a much-criticized
edict in July, outlawing all forms of liberalism, secularism and
pluralism.

Reports surfaced earlier last month that members of the
religious vigilante group, the Islam Defenders Front (FPI),
planned to attack the JIL office. The building was put under
tight police guard and the threat failed to materialize.

Established in 2001, JIL developed from interfaith dialog at
the Institute for Free Flow of Information (ISAI). The group aims
to promote an openness of ijtihad (interpretation) in all aspects
of the Islamic faith.

At Thursday's meeting, JIL's legal representatives Todung
Mulya Lubis and Nono Anwar Makarim said any attack against the
organization would be a violation of the Constitution.

Nono cited articles from the Constitution protecting the
freedom to practice one's religious beliefs. The group would deal
with future violations of these human rights in the courts, he
said.

"We have seen this official support as a positive sign and
will not initiate any legal processes unless forced to," Nong
said.

"After all, we are not aiming to offend anyone."