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)