Muslim groups condemn blast, say Islam not to blame

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, the country's two largest Muslim organizations, led a chorus of condemnation against the bomb attack on JW Marriott Hotel and called on people to remain calm.

In their joint statement issued on Wednesday, the two groups that boast 75 million followers between them, asked people, including community leaders and observers, to refrain from speculating on what caused or who perpetrated the act of terror that claimed at least 14 lives, but to leave it to the police.

On behalf of their constituents, Hasyim Muzadi, who chairs NU, and Ahmad Syafii Maarif, who heads Muhammadiyah, said in their statement that speculation and conspiracy theories over the tragedy would only complicate the matter.

They called on people to remain calm and ignore provocation and speculation about the tragedy.

Both figures demanded the government "uncover the case and the terrorist network behind the incident immediately, professionally and transparently".

"The party behind the bombing is cruel, despicable and barbaric. I personally feel tired of this but we must not give up. Security officers must get tough with the perpetrators, regardless of their religion or ethnicity," Syafii said.

The series of bombings across the country this year revealed the government's weakness in investigating and preventing the crimes, they said.

"We demand that the government, particularly the police, improve their performance to counter terror acts. We demand the improvement not only in the investigation but also preemptive moves in a bid to prevent similar cases from occurring in the future," the joint statement read.

They admitted that the police should not be singled out in the case as the fight against terrorism was not only the duty of security officers but the whole nation.

"We encourage the police to investigate the case and the government must fulfill their needs. But they must abandon political motives and work as professional officers," Syafii said.

The two leaders of moderate Muslim organizations also expressed condolences to the victims and their families over the tragedy.

"The blast not only hurt the victims and their families, but the whole nation. The blast has not only done physical damage to the country, but has threatened Indonesia's interests in politics, economics and culture in both the regional and international communities," Hasyim told a joint press conference at Muhammadiyah headquarters in Central Jakarta.

Both Hasyim and Syafii agreed that the Marriott bombing had nothing to do with Islam.

"The police must take the perpetrators to justice regardless of their religion. There is no other choice but to provide strong evidence," said Syafii.

Earlier, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) joined the condemnation against people behind the bombing and threw its weight behind the government's efforts to investigate the case.

"The government should be open to the public about any developments in the investigation to avoid rumors among people," said Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara, Komnas HAM chairman, in his statement.

A number of political parties, including the National Mandate Party and the Bull Nationalist Freedom Party (PNBK), also condemned the bombings, saying it was an affront to humanity.