Permadi denies denigrating Prophet Muhammad
Permadi denies denigrating Prophet Muhammad
JAKARTA (JP): Soothsayer Permadi, who has become the target of
a Moslem backlash, denied yesterday the accusation that he once
suggested that Prophet Muhammad was a dictator.
More people condemned the controversial soothsayer yesterday,
with one even likening him to Salman Rushdie, the Indian-born
British author who was condemned by Moslems worldwide for
blasphemy against Islam through his book Satanic Verses.
According to a TV news report, a group of young Moslems staged
a demonstration outside Permadi's home in Jakarta.
Last week Permadi was summoned to the Attorney General's
Office for a series of investigations after the Central Java
Military commander said that some of his prophecies, suggesting
political turbulence in Indonesia this year, were disconcerting
and could have destabilizing effects.
The controversy surrounding Permadi took a new twist after Din
Syamsudin, a scholar and leading member of the ruling political
group, said on Friday he discovered that Permadi once made the
remark that Prophet Muhammad was a dictator, who failed to
establish a just and prosperous society.
Following this disclosure, the influential Indonesian Ulema
Council (MUI) quickly issued a statement on Friday accusing
Permadi of blasphemy against the entire Moslem community around
the world.
The statement, signed by MUI chairman Hasan Basri, urged the
government to prosecute the soothsayer.
The United Development Party (PPP), an infusion of Moslem
forces, joined in the chorus yesterday calling for punitive
action against Permadi.
"Permadi, who calls himself a leading paranormal, and his
remarks, is a duplication of Salman Rushdie and his Satanic
Verses," PPP Chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum said.
"His remarks are antagonizing and are creating unrest among
Moslems. But the Moslem community must not be instigated by his
arrogance," Ismail Hasan said during a post-Idul Fitri gathering
at the party's headquarters. "His remarks are clearly
unconstitutional and could be categorized as subversive. He
should be brought to trial immediately. Don't let him poison the
Indonesian people."
Permadi, a residence of Jakarta, was in Yogyakarta yesterday.
When contacted, via his cellular phone, he immediately denied
the accusations leveled against him.
"All I said was that Prophet Muhammad had immense power and
influence as a leader of the people, the religion and a country.
Then I said that dictatorship was acceptable if it is used to
promote the welfare of the people," Permadi told The Jakarta
Post. "If you cut parts of the statement here and there, then
you'd come up with that," he said referring to the allegations
made by Din Syamsudin.
"My speech was manipulated," he added.
Permadi said he made that statement during a seminar at the
Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, that was also attended by
prominent figures such as Muhammadiyah chairman Amin Rais and
former home minister Rudini as well as students of Yogyakarta's
Islamic Institute. "If I had made that remark (as Din suggested),
surely they would've protested then."
Din, chief of Golkar's Research and Development Agency, said
he had the recording of the seminar and of an interview Permadi
gave to a Yogyakarta radio.
The former chairman of the Muhammadiyah Youth Organization
said Permadi's statement was not a normal prediction but a
provocative political statement.
Din said Permadi should retract his statement and apologize to
the Moslem community. (29)