NU rejects Lia's claim

SURABAYA, East Java: The board of Nahdlatul Ulama's East Java branch has rejected a recent claim by ascetic Lia Aminuddin that she is the reincarnation of the messianic Imam Mahdi.

Antara reported on Monday that the statement was signed by the head of the branch's legislative board, Imron Hamzah.

The ascetic recently announced that she had a religious experience and that she had given birth to Jesus, adding that she had been learning from the Angel Gabriel for the past three years.

The board cited the Ghofir surah in the Koran, stating that the Angel Gabriel communicated with humans in their capacity as prophets. Islam believes Mohammad is the last prophet.

It also cited a number of the Prophet's sayings that Imam Mahdi's reincarnation would be a man living in the Middle East.