On destroying places of worship

On destroying places of worship

It was very saddening to read a news item and photo clip in
The Jakarta Post on Sept. 22, about the ransacking of Ahmadiyah-
owned mosques, houses and vehicles in Cianjur, West
Java. What type of people are happy to pull down mosques and
throw the name of Allah on the ground so cruelly?

Are they serving God by destroying mosques, harming innocent
fellow humans and disrespecting the name of Allah? In my limited
knowledge of Islam, there is no mention of destroying
places of worship that are serving the very purpose of worship;
neither in the Holy Koran or in the sayings and actions of the
Prophet Muhammad.

So how come a Muslim dares to destroy a mosque, which is the
house of God and sacred to all Muslims? What I know through the
Holy Koran is the mention of protecting places of worships, even
those belonging to religions other than Islam. Therefore I
request all Muslims in general and the government of the Republic
of Indonesia in particular to take this matter very seriously. Do
not let any group play politics in the name of religion. The
culprits involved in such incidents should be handed severe
punishments, so that peace and harmony can prevail between all
faiths. And so this country can be respected in the modern world
as a true picture of a moderate Muslim society.

FAZAL-E-MUJEEB, Jakarta