Muslim clerics support police-Muslims dialogs

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Noted Muslim clerics have voiced support for police's moves to hold dialogs with ulema in an effort to combat terrorism, saying such a move is necessary to convince Muslims that the war against terrorism would not mean restoring the government's repressive line against Muslims as had occurred during the New Order regime.

Azyumardi Azra, rector of the Jakarta-based State Islamic University of Syarief Hidayatullah, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that the police approach was also effective in explaining to ulema and Muslims that the investigation on the Bali bombings was not targeting Muslims nor was it aimed at making "Followers of Islam feel they have been tainted by the Bali tragedy."

Azyumardi, who said he had met National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar a few days ago to discuss the issue, further said that he had suggested that the police general intensify meetings between security officers and Muslim leaders at all levels as "I believe that it will be an effective way for the police to clarify whether or not the investigation process is aimed at tarnishing the image of Islam here."

"Rumors are also rife among Muslims that the planned police raids on certain pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) will revive a repressive policy against Islam. If the police want to secure Muslim support, I think they have to have a proper approach toward Muslim leaders," Azyumardi said.

Sharing Azyumardi's view was Masdar Farid Mas'udi of the Association for the Development of Islamic Boarding Schools and Society (PPPM). According to Masdar, holding a meeting with ulema was the only suitable approach to avoid further misunderstandings among Muslims who thought that the "war against terrorism is a war against Islam."

"I have nothing to say except that Dai's policy is the best approach since Islam and terrorism are two sensitive issues. And they are indeed two different issues," Masdar, also a Muslim cleric of the country's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), told the Post.

"Muslims need to be told that certain suspected terrorists who try to hide behind certain pesantren have nothing to do with the tenets of the pesantren itself," Masdar added.

As reported earlier, Da'i said that police would involve ulema and other Muslim leaders to support them in dealing with certain pesantren believed to be harboring suspected terrorists.

On Saturday Da'i invited several ulema to a breaking of the fast gathering in East Java's Police Headquarters in Surabaya. During the meeting he told the gathering that police had yet to link several suspects currently being questioned over their role in the Bali bombing with Jamaah Islamiyah (JI).

The United Nations has declared JI a terrorist group for its links to al-Qaeda's Osama bin Laden who is believed to be responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks in the U.S. last year.

During the Surabaya meeting, the Muslim clerics raised concerns over the police's plan to launch raids on certain Islamic schools. They feared that such a move would pave the way for the government to employ repressive measures. Based on an antiterrorism government regulation in lieu of law issued last month, the police can arrest suspected terrorists even if there is only preliminary evidence supporting the arrests/allegations. The regulation was specially drawn up to deal with the Bali bomb attacks on Oct. 12.

Azyumardi brushed aside possible abuses of power during police raids, saying that "these days, the public and mass media are able to uncover any wrongdoings carried out by security officers."

"I think it will be the right time for the police to make all efforts to stop violence that has been taking place in the country since 1998," Azyumardi said.