[Kabar-indonesia] Bogor police probe death of Muslim group member

[Joyo at aol.com]

The Jakarta Post
Thursday, November 2, 2006

Group asks Bogor police to probe member's death

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

Hundreds of members of the Muslim-based Kharisma Usada
Mustika Foundation of Greater Jakarta stood up Wednesday to
urge police to thoroughly investigate the murder of their
colleague in Dermaga district, Bogor, last week.

The foundation's legal officer, Jiffy Ngawiat Prananto, said
the lives of members were threatened because of rumors that
they were promoting controversial sect.

"This foundation established in 1969 is not a religious sect
... We abide by the Koran. We just encourage people to get
closer to Allah by teaching them additional prayers. If they
used to be corrupt, they will stop. If they used to use
drugs, the addiction will go away," he said.

Asked about reports that the foundation, headquartered in
Ciledug, Tangerang, had a ritual that involved dancing in a
darkened room, Jiffy said that was a way to "enlighten the
minds of the people before they receive religious
teachings".

Foundation member M. Ali was killed last Thursday by a group
of people who dragged him behind a motorcycle for 200
meters.

Ali was rumored to be a cleric of a controversial sect whose
beliefs contradicted traditional Islamic ones. The group was
said to teach that it was not mandatory to pray five times a
day and that Ramadhan alms could be paid after Idul Fitri.
The foundation denies embracing such ideas.

No one has been arrested in the case.

After meeting with foundation representatives at his office,
Bogor Police chief Sr. Comr. Sukrawardi Dahlan said the
public should not be so easily provoked into attacking
others for their beliefs.

"Controversial or not, the judgment is made only by God," he
said.

The attacks on controversial groups did not stop with the
murder of Ali.

On Sunday night, a group of people attacked the
Miftahussalam complex in Laladon kampong, Bogor regency.
They destroyed its mosque, four houses and two motorcycles.
The attackers also threw electronic goods into a well in the
complex.

The regency's police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Irlan said police
had arrested nine neighborhood residents for alleged
involvement in the rampage.

"Our preliminary investigation found that the residents
believed the followers of Miftahussalam were promoting a
controversial sect," he said.

Miftahussalam has 50 followers from Bogor, Sukabumi and
Tangerang.

At the time of the attack, the group's leader, Yusuf
Maulana, and his followers were meeting with officials from
Ciomas district to sign a letter admitting that Yusuf taught
non-mainstream beliefs. The group agreed to leave the
neighborhood and instruct its students to return to
traditional teachings.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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