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