No international terrorist link in Indonesia: MUI

No international terrorist link in Indonesia: MUI

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) denied on
Thursday international media reports that various Islamic
organizations in Indonesia had become part of global terrorist
networks.

"The media reports are slanderous and I know they have no
evidence to back their allegations," MUI chairman Nazri Adlani
said in Canberra, as quoted by Antara.

Nazri, who is also a member of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) and part of a delegation of MPR leaders currently
visiting Australia. Included in the entourage is MPR Speaker
Amien Rais.

Nazri said that Indonesian Islamic organizations focus on non-
political activities.

"We (Muslims in Indonesia) have also become a target of
terrorism. How can people accuse us of being part of the
terrorism network?" he said

Nasri did not specify how Indonesian Muslims had been
victimized by terrorism.

The latest terrorist attack happened last month when a bomb
exploded at Atrium Plaza in Central Jakarta. Police arrested a
Malaysian national who was badly injured in the incident. Last
week, police reported they had arrested another two Malaysians
whom they said were involved in previous attacks on churches in
Jakarta.

Nasri called on Muslims in Indonesia to refrain from being
provoked by reports hostile toward them.

"Don't be angered easily when hearing news that Muslims in
other parts of the world are being attacked. If we resort to
violence, it will add credence to their notion that we are part
of the international terrorist networks," he said.