Muslim preachers told to support Aceh war

Muslim preachers told to support Aceh war

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Governor Sutiyoso told Muslim preachers on Tuesday not to use
mosques as a forum to rally people against the military operation
now taking place in Aceh province.

"We ask Muslim preachers to avoid provoking people, as this
could spread hatred against others," Achyat M. Awe, an
administration spokesman, quoted Sutiyoso as saying after a
consultative meeting with mosque leaders in Jakarta.

Achyat said the governor had learned that many Muslim
preachers were speaking out against the military operation in
Aceh during Friday prayers.

According to the spokesman, Sutiyoso said he prayed at a
mosque in West Jakarta with Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen.
Makbul Padmanagara and the preacher there attacked the Aceh
military operation.

The government declared martial law in Aceh last month to
fight the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). However, criticism of the
military has grown along with the number of civilian casualties.

Meanwhile, Sutiyoso has ordered public order officers to
tighten security in the city, including launching raids
targeting suspected GAM members hiding in Jakarta.

In cooperation with the police, the Sutiyoso administration
also plans to launch operations aimed at rounding up new arrivals
to the city, particularly Acehnese, who do not have identity
cards.

The raids would allow the Jakarta security authorities to
fingerprint the newcomers.

During the meeting on Tuesday with the mosque leaders, the
governor also reportedly urged Muslims not to build new mosques
in the city, which is already home to at least 2,766 mosques and
more than 5,000 musholla (small Islamic houses of worship).

Achyat said Muslims should enlarge or renovate existing
mosques rather than build new ones, adding that the city
administration would not issue permits for the construction of
mosques in prohibited areas like greenbelts.