Government steps up campaign to correct mistaken jihad ideas
Condemnation of suicide bombers, held to be "morally against" Islam, is unanimous in Indonesia. Police yesterday showed a group of Muslim clerics and lay representatives videos in the wake of the killing of the terrorist Hazari. The video contained threats to the west and the confession of perpetrators of the latest attack in Bali.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - In Indonesia, violent interpretations of Islam are increasingly meeting with dissent and condemnation from the Muslim world. The trend follows video testimonies from the most recent Bali suicide bombers, who show conviction that they have acquired a "ticket to paradise". Vice president Jusuf Kalla, gathered together a group of representatives of the Nahdlatul Ulama (Nu) and Muhammadiyah the two largest Muslim organisations in the country inviting clerics and experts to correct the "mistaken interpretation of the jihad" (holy war) promoted by terrorists. This says Kalla, is "very dangerous" for national unity and Islam.
In Jakarta yesterday, the group of Muslim leaders saw videos found by police last week in the course of operations which led to the killing of Azahari bin Husin, held to be the most formidable expert of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in the production of explosives. Other than the confession of the terrorist suicide bombers of Bali, the tapes contained threats to the West by Top, another JI representative, wanted in connection with the 2002 bombings. The vice head of state said: "The entire Muslim society in Indonesia must be aware that this jihad is out of context and we have the duty to correct this ideology".
Kalla said he was "satisfied and happy" with the response of thousands of people across the country, disposed to help the government spread knowledge of the true meaning of the jihad.
In recent hours, several Islamic leaders have declared themselves against the "exploitation" of religion "as political means" operated by terrorism. Andi Jamaro, executive director of Pengurus Besar (organizing committee) of the NU, recalled that the ""Koran does not contain verses which legitimize terror and murder in any way." He rejected the idea of dying as a holy warrior (mati syahid), used by terrorists to justify their suicidal actions. "Dying as a syuhada is not a human but a divine choice," said Jamaro. However the Muslim leader admitted that terrorism could easily present itself as an alluring "political message" among the poor and oppressed. He suggested that these videos should be kept far from the people, so no one would be "poisoned" by their message.
Din Syamsuddin, president of Muhammadiyah, also gave his views on the danger inherent in mistaken views of the jihad. "Suicide bombers are against the true Islam and haram (morally and legally mistaken). Suicide attacks go against the Koran and they are only undertaken by frustrated people". The scholar said one died as a syuhada only in established circumstances, like war.
Even the Indonesian Council of Ulemas had harsh words of condemnation for suicide bombers; the same cannot be said, however, for other religious representatives. Wahyuddin, director of the Islamic school, Al Mukmin di Ngruki (Central Java), said he was against the national campaign which depicts the decision to be a suicide bomber as an action contrary to Islam. According to this head of school which was once run by Abu Bakar Ba'asyr, today in prison for complicity in the 2002 Bali attacks suicide bombing is morally legitimate in some contexts like Palestine, and not against the Koran. "The idea becomes mistaken if the political agenda is terror," he added.
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11/11/2005
