Students protest Harmoko

JAKARTA (JP): About 30 students demonstrated outside the Moslem-based United Development Party's headquarters yesterday, criticizing party chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum's "lenient" stance on Minister of Information Harmoko's alleged insult to Islam.

Watched by dozens of police officers, the students unfurled banners, chanted "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is Great) and hurled criticism at both Ismail Hasan and Harmoko. They say Harmoko ridiculed Koranic verses while acting as a dalang (shadow puppet master) in Surakarta, Central Java recently .

"Bring him to court," a protester yelled. They also complained that Ismail Hasan had implored the Moslem community early in the week to "forgive" Harmoko because the minister had only made a "slip of the tongue".

Ismail Hasan defended his stand yesterday.

Harmoko was attempting to entertain the audience when he allegedly twisted words in a verse from the Koran.

Harmoko has reportedly apologized to the Indonesian Council of Ulemas, of which he is an advisory board member, and to Indonesian Moslems in general.

Soothsayer Permadi Satrio Wiwoho is currently being tried and two Yogyakartan university students were sentenced to two-and-a- half years in prison in 1992 for similar "slips of the tongue". (swe)