'Suaka Metro' tabloid protested

JAKARTA (JP): About 400 members of the Islam Defender Front (FPI) staged a protest on Friday in front of Suaka Metro daily's office in Central Jakarta, demanding the closure of the tabloid on the grounds that it had insulted the FPI leadership.

In a front-page report on Thursday, the tabloid displayed a picture of four FPI leaders sitting in a hospital lobby with the caption: "Four faith healers (dukun) in Arabic dress visited Pak Harto in Pertamina hospital".

FPI, denying that they visited Pak Harto (Soeharto), the country's former president who was treated at the hospital and released on Friday, said members of the front in fact hated Soeharto for his authoritarian rule.

FPI spokesman Reza Fahlevi told the tabloid's editor that the caption hurt not only the feelings of members of the front but also insulted Muslims, saying, "Our leaders are not dukun and we do not have any relations with Soeharto."

During the meeting with Asdar Muis, the tabloid's editor, Reza explained the four FPI leaders were in the hospital to visit another member, who underwent medical treatment on the same floor as Soeharto.

Despite Asdar's apology, FPI said that it would file a legal suit against the tabloid and demanded its closure. The protesters also threatened to burn down the office of Suaka Metro.

Earlier in the meeting, Asdar said it was he alone who was responsible for the editorial error and would comply with FPI's demands.

The angry protesters, demanding that police arrest Asdar for insulting Islam, said that they would burn the police station if their demand was not met.

Police troops, who had come to the site to calm down the situation, took Asdar to the station and the protesters dispersed. (04)