Muslim scholar raps envoys

Muslim scholar raps envoys

YOGYAKARTA: Noted scholar Syafii Ma'arif criticized on
Thursday diplomats from Middle Eastern countries for their lack
of enthusiasm to study and understand Indonesian culture, saying
that their reluctance hampered closer ties between Indonesia and
those countries.

"As far as I am concerned, almost none of the ambassadors from
Middle Eastern countries in Jakarta has learned the Indonesian
language, much less getting acquainted with Indonesia's very
complex Islamic culture," Syafii was quoted by Antara as saying
on Thursday.

"It's unfair because our ambassadors there are obliged to
learn and master the Arabic language," he said at a seminar on
the relationship between Indonesia and Middle Eastern countries.

Syafii also said that many universities in Indonesia opened
Middle East study centers, but no Middle Eastern countries opened
a study center on Indonesia.

This, according to Syafii, was an indication that Middle
Eastern countries paid little attention to Indonesia, despite the
latter's effort to develop good, strong ties with them.

"A good relationship will not be achieved if Middle Eastern
countries maintain this behavior," said Syafii, who is also
chairman of Muhammadiyah, the country's second-largest Muslim
organization. -- Antara

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IAIN curriculum to be revised
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UII curriculum to be revised

BANDAR LAMPUNG: The curriculum of the State Islamic University
(UII), previously known as IAIN, will be revised thoroughly and
the revision is expected to be implemented in 2003.

"The revision will be discussed at a meeting of vice rectors
of all State Islamic Universities in Ciawi, Bogor, West Java,"
said Bandar Lampung-based Raden Intan Islamic University Rector
Noor Ghozin Sufri.

Under the current curriculum, local content only accounted for
40 percent of the total, he said.

However, under the new curriculum, local content would account
for 60 percent of the total subjects, while national content
would be the remainder, he added.

Noor Ghozin said the new curriculum would enable scholars to
compete globally. --Antara

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Taufik Kiemas to visit Gudang Garam
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Taufiq Kiemas visits Gudang Garam

SURABAYA: Taufiq Kiemas, the husband of President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, is scheduled to make a one-day visit to publicly
listed cigarette producer Gudang Garam, Kediri, East Java, on
Friday.

East Java provincial spokesman Slamet Suprijono said on
Thursday that Taufiq and his entourage would take a special Air
Force F-28 airplane.

"He will arrive at the Iswahyudi Air Force airport in Madiun
at 11 a.m. and will be welcomed by East Java Governor Imam
Utomo," he said.

After Friday prayers, Taufiq would fly to Gudang Garam's
factory in Kediri.

"Taufiq will be briefed about Gudang Garam's profile,
particularly the handmade clove cigarette unit and machine-made
clove cigarettes," said Slamet, adding that Taufiq would return
to Jakarta at 3 p.m. --Antara

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House to complete elections bill

JAKARTA: The House of Representatives (DPR) is expected to
complete its deliberations on the election bill by the end of
January to ensure that the 2004 general election can take place
as scheduled.

Legislator Teras Narang, who chairs a House special team
deliberating the bill, said on Thursday they were working on the
long-awaited bill.

He said although the House was in recess until Jan. 13, his
team would continue to deliberate the bill.

Teras added that due to the existence of many contentious
articles in the bill, legislators had agreed among themselves to
continue the deliberations.

"I believe the bill will be ready for effective use by the
General Elections Commission in January 2003," he added. --Antara

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Yusril to announce Xmas amnesty in Manado
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Yusril to announce Xmas remission

MANADO, North Sulawesi: Minister of Justice and Human Rights
Yusril Ihza Mahendra is expected to grant special remission to
prisoners in Manado.

Employee at the provincial office Berty Rompas said the
minister would announce the remission at a ceremony at Tuminting
Prison here.

The measure would be part of the celebration of Christmas and
New Year.

"The minister is scheduled to arrive in Manado on Dec. 24 and
will announce the remission on Dec. 25," Berty added.

There are 469 prisoners in Manado due to receive an amnesty,
18 of whom will be released.

Prisoners due to receive remission are from Manado, Tondano,
Tahuna, Tomohon, Ulu Siau, Kotamobagu, and Bitung. -- Antara

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Indonesian military, Islamic radical group threaten to sue
European
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MMI reports CGI to police

JAKARTA: The Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI) filed on
Thursday a complaint with the police over what it said was an
effort by the International Crisis Group (ICG) to discredit its
leader Abu Bakar Ba'asyir.

In its Dec. 11 report, ICG accused the detained cleric
Ba'asyir of heading Jamaah Islamiyah and said there appeared to
be a "curious link" between Achenese close to Jamaah Islamiyah
and Indonesia's military intelligence.

MMI also planned to file a lawsuit against ICG "because it has
disseminated false reports that can cause restlessness among the
people," said Fauzan Al Anshori, of the council, after filing the
complaint with police headquarters.

The move follows a threat on Wednesday by the Indonesian
military to sue ICG unless it revised the report titled
Indonesia's Terrorist Network: How Jamaah Islamiyah Works.

Among their objections, they take issue with accusations in
the report that the military's spokesman is in regular contact
with Teungku Fauzi Hasbi, whom, it said, had ties to Jamaah
Islamiyah.

"The report could cause public misunderstanding as it links me
to one of the Jamaah Islamiyah members, Fauzi Hasbi," Maj. Gen.
Sjafrie Syamsuddin said on Wednesday.

Sidney Jones, the Indonesia director of ICG, could not be
reached for comment.

The ICG described Jamaah Islamiyah as a collection of
terrorist cells that included mostly Indonesians who had lived in
Malaysia and fought Christians in eastern Indonesia. --AP

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Manado blast suspects' trial nears
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Manado blast trial nears

MANADO, North Sulawesi: The dossiers on the nine suspects in
the Oct. 12 bombing of the Philippine Consulate in Manado, North
Sulawesi, have been sent to the local prosecutor's office, police
said on Tuesday night.

"The dossiers were handed over to the (prosecutor's) office
last week," head of the Manado Police intelligence division Anom
Wibowo told reporters here after attending a pretrial hearing
requested by four of the nine suspects.

Asked about the delay in the submission of the dossiers to the
prosecutors, Anom said the police had to wait for the result of
forensic examinations from the laboratory at Makassar, South
Sulawesi, which had only one forensic expert. --Antara