'Vandalism embarrasses Muslims'

'Vandalism embarrasses Muslims'

At least two known vigilante groups have been conducting raids
and trashing entertainment spots across Greater Jakarta during
Ramadhan fasting month. Although Jakarta Police said they
objected to the vandalism, the police only guarded the raid and
had yet to arrest any of the groups' members. The Jakarta Post
asked some residents about their opinion on the vandalism.

Buchari Hanafi, 34, a notary in Lippo Karawaci, Tangerang. He
lives in Pancoran, South Jakarta:

As a Muslim, I think what these people do is a slap in the
face to all Muslims because Islam is a peaceful religion and
doesn't encourage vandalism.

These people have wrongly interpreted the do's and don'ts of
Islam.

They fail to see that even the implementation of sharia in
Muslim countries is in the hands of law enforcement officials,
not the general public.

In Indonesia it has its own legal system, government, and law
enforcement institutions and no one has the right to take the law
into their own hands.

Brian, 30, is an administrative employee at a foreign
insurance company on Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta. He lives in a
rented home in Salemba Bluntas, Central Jakarta:

I am very concerned to hear many reports about vandalism and
violent actions of these groups. It is irony to see that the
groups have exerted violence in the name of religion, though, we
all know that no religion will tolerate violence in their
teachings.

Any form of violence will only victimize the innocent. In the
case of the closure of Sang Timur school used as a house of
worship, it's the students who have become the victims as they
could not study.

In the case of vandalism to entertainment spots, the low-
income workers are mostly affected by the closure of businesses.

I hope all concerned parties could sit in a dialogue to seek
an amicable solution for the problems.

--The Jakarta Post