Tarmizi to join ASEAN meeting on Arqam in Langkawi
Tarmizi to join ASEAN meeting on Arqam in Langkawi
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher is
scheduled to leave for the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi
today to take part in a meeting with his counterparts from
Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia.
At the top of their agenda is the fate of the Al Arqam, a
Moslem sect which has its base in Malaysia, and the possibility
of the governments of the four countries moving to ban the
organization from the region because it is considered a potential
political threat.
Tarmizi will be accompanied by his secretary general, Zarkowi
Soejoeti, Director General for Islamic Affairs Amidhan and
Hasbullah Mursyid, head of the ministry's research and
development agency, according to the Antara news agency.
Malaysia is almost certain to ban the organization this week.
Al Arqam's leader Ashaari Muhammad has announced his intention
to challenge the leadership of Prime Minister Mahathir Muhammad.
The Indonesian government is also considering banning the
organization following demands from the influential Indonesian
Ulema Council (MUI), but a number of Moslem intellectuals have
warned that there is no real grounds to ban Al Arqam in Indonesia
given that its activities has not posed any security threat.
The activities of the Al Arqam, or popularly known in
Indonesia as Darul Arqam, have been barred in West Sumatra, Aceh
and Riau, but the MUI now wants the government to ban it
nationwide.
The Al Arqam issue was discussed by Attorney General's office
with representatives of the MUI and the Armed Forces (ABRI) last
week but a decision is not expected until later this month,
possibly taking into account the outcome of the Langkawi meeting.
Meanwhile the leader of the Al Arqam in Jakarta, Ahmadi
Rafe'i, made an 11th hour appeal yesterday to the government not
to ban his organization.
"What aspects of Darul Arqam will they ban?" Ahmadi asked in a
statement, a copy of which was made available to The Jakarta
Post.
"Darul Arqam is not a separate teaching. It is a missionary
organization to promote the teaching of Islam, there is no Darul
Arqam teaching," he said. (emb)