Police find it difficult to ban 'tablig akbar'

YOGYAKARTA (JP): A noted sociologist said the police could not issue an official ban on Muslim gathering, locally called tablig akbar', unless the gathering is proven to be organized to generate anarchy.

Lambang Triyono of the Gadjah Mada University here said on Wednesday that the police could not, in general, prohibit people from organizing such an event.

"Basically, recent tablig akbar gatherings were aimed at putting political pressure on the government over its handling of sectarian clashes in Maluku," he said.

However, Lambang stressed that in the reform era, in which democracy is flourishing, political pressure through mass rally was no longer effective.

"Now people can easily demand a dialog with the government and use political channels such as the House of Representative or provincial legislative council."

Lambang was responding to debate on the use of mass demonstrations to press the government for certain goals. Mass gatherings over the past two weeks ended in rioting.

Police in this sultanate town have banned any mass gathering following attacks on at least seven churches which marred a peaceful rally on Sunday to condemn violence in Maluku.

National Police chief Lt. Gen. Rusdihardjo said in Bandung on Tuesday that police could not issue an official ban on tablig akbar despite the fact the forum had frequently resulted in riots.

"The purpose of tablig Akbar is noble, such as fund raising and collecting medicines for victims of violence in certain places," he said at the Indonesian Air Force Staff and Command School in Bandung.

But Rusdihardjo said a ban could be issued by local police, depending on the situation.

He acknowledged that certain groups of people had used such gatherings for promoting violence and rioting.

A Muslim solidarity gathering at the National Monument in Jakarta early last month reportedly was incited to cries for jihad. Police have questioned a man concerning the rally.

Lambang said the police should learn how to prevent tablig akbar from being used by certain people to organize others for destructive actions.

He acknowledged that almost all tablig akbar had been improperly influenced by certain political groups as political tools to destabilize the country. "At least, their propaganda could be conveyed to the people in the gathering."

"The target is the government. The instigators want to attack the government. So, from this point of view, tablig akbar has nothing to do with the efforts to overcome the sectarian conflicts in Maluku," he said.

Lambang disagreed with Lt. Gen. Rusdihardjo on the purpose of tablig akbar to raise funds.

"Who knows the money is used to buy weapons or to transport the jihad militia?" he said. (43/27/sur)