Malaysia raids outlawed Al Arqam sect commune

Malaysia raids outlawed Al Arqam sect commune

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian authorities yesterday raided a
commune of the outlawed Al Arqam Moslem sect and detained 121
people, including the daughter-in-law of sect leader Ashaari
Muhammad.

It was the first government raid on one of the sect's
settlements and came a day after Premier Mahathir Mohamad
provided what he said was photographic evidence of plans by the
banned group to become a military force.

Eighty-nine children, 22 women and 10 men were detained in the
raid, a week after the arrest of six Al Arqam members, including
Ashaari and his wife, under Malaysia's tough Internal Security
Act (ISA).

They will be charged in the state Syariah (religious) court.

The pre-dawn raid on the commune in southwestern Negeri
Sembilan state, shocked community members, an Al Arqam spokesman
said.

Among those detained was Ashaari's daughter-in-law Kartini
Maarof, 23, married to his son Ikramullah.

"This time, the government has gone too far. This is sheer
harassment," said the spokesman, adding that the movement was
prepared for "any eventuality."

The operation, mounted jointly by police and state religious
officials, signaled the government's widening efforts to crush
the group.

Ashaari, 57, one of his four wives and their six-month
daughter are already in custody, with four of Al Arqam's senior
members detained last week under the ISA, which allows indefinite
detention without trial.

They were arrested after being expelled by Thailand.

Mental hospital

Mahathir, speaking late Thursday, said an unidentified French
Moslem convert, who had joined the Al Arqam, was now in a mental
hospital "because she could not cope with being passed from one
man to another."

"She is now in a mental hospital in the country. Such cases
show that they use women as a tool," said Mahathir, who last
month charged that the movement had deviated from the Moslem
faith and used women as sex slaves.

Al Arqam, outlawed in predominantly-Moslem Malaysia last month
for preaching what the clergy considers deviationist Islamic
teachings, was founded by Ashaari in 1968. It has since grown
into a powerful missionary group with branches in 16 countries.

Mahathir also showed journalists a photograph of Al Arqam
members marching in military formation which appeared on the
front page of the Thai language Islamic Guidance Post, saying it
clearly proved Al Arqam's military intentions.

The Malaysian Bar Council, in a statement late Thursday, said
it viewed with concern the arrest and detention of Ashaari and
his followers under the ISA, and urged the government to either
charge them in court for the offenses they allegedly committed or
release them.

"The council opposes the use of the ISA for purposes for which
the Act was never intended. We want the government to take steps
to repeal the ISA," the council's chairman Zainur Zakaria said.

The ISA was framed by Kuala Lumpur in 1960 primarily to combat
communist insurgents.

Regional human rights groups, including the Thai Consumer's
Group of Siam, have lambasted the Malaysian government's
strongarm tactics, saying the action reflected intolerance and
religious bigotry.