JP/1/FPI

JP/1/FPI

Fachrul defends Wiranto at FPI meeting

Gen. (ret) Fachrul Razi, a key figure of the Wiranto-Solahuddin
Wahid campaign team, briefed a meeting of the Islamic Defenders'
Front (FPI) on Sunday, despite efforts of the Wiranto camp to
distance itself from those considered to be hard-liners. Fachrul
spoke on various "negative campaign" issues targeted at the
candidates ahead of the July 5 direct presidential election.

"Such accusations, calling Pak Wiranto a gross human rights
violator, are baseless. Only the devil is capable of such
violence ... only the devil," Fachrul told the gathering, where
hundreds of small books on the candidates were distributed.

A number of religious leaders affiliated to the FPI said they
supported Wiranto; others said they also supported candidates
Hamzah Haz and Amien Rais -- and definitely not a woman.

FPI secretary-general Habib Hussein said that its main
criteria for candidates should be, "Muslims whose credibility and
independence are unquestionable", who were not "American lackeys"
and who were "males, as demanded by sharia".

Attendees included FPI chairman Habib Riziq Shihab, Ikhwanul
Muslimin leader Habib Hussein Al Habsi and deputy chairman of the
Solo-based Indonesian Mujahiddin Council (MMI) Ustadz Zulfikar.

FPI's Habib Hussein added they would reject President Megawati
Soekarnoputri or Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who both issued
policies that "tarnish Islam, stigmatizing it as a terrorist
movement and arrested activists who fought in the name of Allah".

Susilo was top security minister when police arrested Abu
Bakar Ba'asyir, a noted cleric in Surakarta alleged to have
headed Jamaah Islamiyah, which is suspected to be a terrorist
group.

Later, Al Habsi appeared puzzled, saying most of the attending
religious leaders had agreed to support Wiranto. "People
sometimes confuse me," the visually-impaired cleric said.
(Tiarma Siboro/Jakarta)