Paras Indonesia, August, 05 2006 @ 06:28 am
FPI Militant Sentenced Over US Embassy Attack
By: Roy Tupai
A senior member of the radical Islamic Defenders' Front (FPI) has been sentenced to
five months and 15 days in jail for inciting violence outside the US Embassy in Jakarta
during a protest against a depiction of the Prophet Muhammad on a marble relief at
the US Supreme Court building earlier this year.
Central Jakarta District Court on Thursday (3/8/2006) found Machsuni Kaloko guilty of
deliberately inciting FPI members to attack the heavily guarded embassy compound
during the February 19 protest.
"The defendant violated Article 160 of the Criminal Code," said presiding judge Aman
Barus. Article 160 relates to disturbing public order and carries a maximum
punishment of six years in jail.
Barus said Kaloko was spared the eight-month sentence recommended by the
prosecution because he had acknowledged, regretted and promised not to repeat his
action, he was frank and polite during the trial, and it was his first offense.
Kaloko's wife, who had attended every session of the trial, burst into tears upon
hearing the sentence. But Kaloko is due to be released within a couple of days as he
had been detained since February 20, first at Jakarta Police headquarters and then at
Salemba jail. The prosecution and defense both said they were yet to decide whether
to appeal the verdict.
Defense lawyer Ari Yusuf Amir said the verdict was "regrettable" because the
prosecution had not produced any witnesses, including police, to testify that Kaloko
was seen ordering the attack.
He said the incident at the embassy was a spontaneous action that had not been
provoked.
Fellow lawyer Sugito later told reporters the verdict was unjust because Kaloko had
been made a scapegoat for the other FPI members. "Why weren't the perpetrators of
the destruction investigated and legally processed? Why was only the only
investigation against the person considered to have incited [the violence]? He has
become a scapegoat. The investigators did not want to lose face in front of the US,"
the lawyer was quoted as saying by detikcom online news portal.
Chief prosecutor Wahyudi had previously told the court that closed circuit television
footage from embassy's security post showed Kaloko making a speech about "the US
devil" after which the FPI masses began attacking the perimeter of the compound.
About 400 FPI members had rallied outside the embassy on February 19 to demand
the destruction of the US Supreme Court's relief of Muhammad, which has existed
since 1932 but never before sparked any protests in Indonesia. They also bizarrely
claimed the US had masterminded a Danish newspaper's controversial publication of
cartoons depicting Muhammad. The cartoons, published by the Jyllands-Posten in
September 2005, prompted a wave of often violent protests in Muslim countries over
January and February.
The FPI members had hurled stones, rotten eggs and traffic cones at the embassy's
gate, fence and security post. They succeeded in smashing the windows of the post
but failed to break through the gate. They also burned US flags and a poster of US
President George W. Bush depicted as a pig.
Kaloko has long been a prominent FPI member. In November 2004, when he was
chief of FPI Operational Staff, he announced the group had recruited 300 volunteers to
send to a holy war in Iraq. In January 2005, when serving as FPI coordinator for Banda
Aceh, he was linked to the military's beating of anti-corruption activist Farid Faqih,
who was jailed for a year after accusing soldiers of embezzling tsunami aid.
FPI was established in 1998 has gained notoriety for attacking bars, nightclubs,
brothels, pool halls and other entertainment venues deemed an affront to Islam. The
group has only a few thousand members and little public support.
The US Embassy deploring the February attack, with Ambassador B. Lynne Pascoe
saying it was a "premeditated event that was staged for television by a small group
which seeks to disrupt the relationship between the United States and Indonesia by
attempting to inflame popular opinion".
"This sort of thuggery is unacceptable and needs to be treated as what it is. We are
confident that their efforts will fail, and we share President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono's statements and commitment that the cartoon issue should not be used
as a wedge between cultures," the embassy said in a statement.
Several Indonesian legislators also condemned that attack, saying it was a publicity
stunt that discredited Islam and could harm bilateral relations.
The US Embassy in recent weeks has been the scene of several demonstrations
against Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
On Tuesday, protesters brandished toy guns and fake explosive belts outside the
embassy. Many of the protesters were children and babies, although older members
of the crowd said they would go the Middle East to fight Israel. Police confiscated
their toy guns and explosives.
Embassy Expulsion Demand
Conservative Muslim groups on Friday rallied outside the US Embassy to demand
that Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso immediately expel the foreign mission from its
compound on Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan.
Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) executive Cholil Ridwan said the US was a
colonizer because it fully supported Israel's "Zionist aggression against Lebanon and
Palestine".
"Why is the colonizer's embassy on Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan? It is Sutiyoso's
responsibility to expel colonizer's embassy," shouted Ridwan.
"Expel! Expel!" screamed the crowd, which included members of the Muslim People's
Forum (FUI), Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia and the Indonesian Committee for Palestinian
Solidarity.
Ridwan, who is a leading proponent of MUI's edicts against secularism and pluralism,
said the US is currently engaged in political imperialism against Islamic countries.
"So this is the colonizer's embassy."
He said that if the US fails to withdraw its support for Israel, Indonesia should boycott
all American products.
In addition to Ridwan, other prominent Muslim figures at the rally included Achmad
Sumargono of the Indonesian Committee for World Muslim Solidarity (KISDI); Jafar
Umar Thalib, leader of the now defunct Islamic militia group Laskar Jihad; former
terrorism suspect Abu Jibril; and Jibril's former lawyer Munarman.
FUI secretary general Muhammad Al Khaththath said the rally aimed to make
Muslims more aware of the fate of Palestinian and Lebanese people. He said FUI did
not want to meet US Embassy officials.
"We denounce Israeli acts as well as the US for defending Israel and demand the
abolition of America's veto right in the United Nations [Security Council]. We also ask
the Indonesian government to deploy a peacekeeping force to Palestine and
Lebanon," he said.
He said FUI had registered "hundreds" of people to wage a holy war in the Middle
East but declined to mention an exact figure.
Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia spokesman Ismail Yusanto said his group denounced Israel's
actions, called on Muslims to be united and hoped that leaders of Muslim nations will
seriously fight for the settlement of the conflict. Some of the Hizbut Tahrir protesters
carried dolls wrapped in funeral shrouds to symbolize the child victims of the Israeli
strikes against Lebanon.
The US Embassy was guarded on Friday by two companies from the Central Jakarta
Police, six companies of Mobile Brigade (Brimob) police, two companies of Anti-Riot
(Dalmas) police, a negotiation team from Jakarta Police and two water canons. Many
of the police sheltered under nearby trees to avoid the glare of the hot sun.
Jihad Post
FPI's chapter in the Central Java city of Pekalongan has started to register Muslim
volunteers to travel to Lebanon to assist the victims of the Israeli attacks. "We have
set up a command post to register volunteers who are willing to depart for Lebanon to
assist Muslims who are now the target of Israeli attacks," local FPI coordinator Abu
Ayyas was quoted as saying Thursday by state news agency Antara.
He said volunteers were badly needed because Israel has gone too far in fighting
Muslims. "That is why we are going to prepare volunteers to assist Muslims in
Lebanon according to the call by the Islamic organization Muhammadiyah and the
FPI's executive board."
Ayyas said at least five Muslims had signed up with FPI since the registration began
on July 28. "We hope the number will increase until the August 12 deadline," he
added.
'Suicide Attacks on Jewish Targets Planned'
Australian newspapers reported Friday that suicide bombers from Southeast Asia are
preparing to attack Jewish interests in countries around the world. The reports said
the plot was linked to "the radical Jakarta-based Muslim Youth Movement (AMYM)".
Presumably they were referring to the so-called ASEAN Muslim Youth Secretariat
(AMSEC), which despite its name is obviously not affiliated to the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations, but is linked to Indonesia's Gerakan Pemuda Islam (Islam
Youth Movement, GPI).
The Australian newspaper reported that about 200 jihadists from the Asian Muslim
Youth Movement would be sent to attack Jewish targets in countries that supported
Israel, such as Britain, the US and Australia.
AMSEC leader Suaib Bidu, who is also chairman of GPI, told The Australian the plot
was being partly funded by cash donations from two unnamed Australian-Indonesian
businessmen. He said 217 jihadis had already been sent to third countries to fight
Israel from "behind" and warned that thousands more jihadis were preparing to join the
resistance and die as "martyrs".
He said a "passing-out" ceremony for more than 3,000 jihadis would be held Saturday
in the West Kalimantan capital of Pontianak. He said 200 would be sent immediately
to targets aboard, while the remainder would remain active supporters.
Bidu warned that his group would "monitor" Australia's position toward Israel's military
operation in Lebanon, and that it too could become a target for suicide attacks. "We
have a lot of support, including in Australia, from people who don't believe Israel's
attack is just," he said.
Australian Human Services Minister Joe Hockey said his government was taking the
claims seriously. "The Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Department of Foreign
Affairs are investigating what is reported in the papers today and we are treating it
very, very seriously," he was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.
The Australian Federal Police has raised the issue with Indonesia's National Police,
which is investigating the reports and may question and detain Bidu if he and the
alleged jihadis are found to have violated immigration laws by possession of improper
travel documents.
The latest reports on Bidu are not exactly new. Reports by Antara on July 18 (in
Indonesian) and on July 28 (in English) provided details of his plans to send
Indonesians on a holy war to the Middle East. He said 72 Indonesians had joined a
guerilla group called Pasukan Bom Jihad Palestina (Palestine Jihad Bomb Force),
which also included people from other Southeast Asian countries, such as the
Philippines (57 people), Malaysia (36), Thailand (43), Brunei (5), Singapore (1) and
Bangladesh (3).
He said the recruits ranged in age from 30 to 45 and some of them had experience in
wars in Palestine and Afghanistan. "They will lead the inexperienced members."
Bidu also said three of the members were non-Muslims. "They want to wage a war for
humanitarian reasons. Moreover, Jerusalem is a holy city not only for Muslims."
Meanwhile, FPI has continued its effort to recruit youths to wage jihad against Jewish
targets. Politics student Rahmat Hidayat (21) on Thursday pledged yesterday to die
fighting Israel and its supporters, including Australia. He told The Australian he
wanted to fight Australia because it always "supported Israeli movements".
"Not only am I prepared to carry a gun, but if I have a bomb attached to my body - so
long as I can damage Israel - I am ready for that," he said.
Also registering was Eka Jaya (31), who said he was ready to die to help his Muslim
brothers and sisters. "Mujahidins seek a martyr's death. It is the risk we face and it is
what we yearn for," he said.
Calls for Restraint
Indonesian Mujahidin Council leader Abu Bakar Baasyir, who was recently released
from jail after serving a 26 month sentence for conspiracy in the October 2002 Bali
bombings, called for an end to acts of terror in the name of Islam in Indonesia.
"There should be no more violence. There should be no more bombing. If the aim is to
fight the United States, I say that the fight must be non-violent," he was quoted as
saying by Antara.
He said if Muslims want to launch bomb attacks, they should do so in war-ravaged
countries such as Lebanon and Palestine. "These countries are being destroyed by
Israel, and thus Muslims wishing to fight for their religion should go there instead of
waging their war in Indonesia."
Baasyir said violence would not settle problems in Indonesia. "The acts of violence in
the past had happened because of a misinterpretation of the concept of jihad so that
there is a need for efforts to deepen Muslims' understanding of their own religion," he
said.
"Preaching is the best way, not violence. We can invite Muslims to go back to the
holy Koran and sunnah [practicing the sayings and actions of Muhammad] and thus,
violence does not settle the problem," he added.
The cleric said Indonesian Muslims were now easily influenced by outsiders due to
their lack of understanding of Islam. Commenting on the Israeli attacks on Lebanon
and Palestine, Baasyir said fighting for Islam should not always be done by war but
also by donating money and praying.
Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin made similar comments last week, saying
reports that a number of youths wanted to go to the Middle East to wage jihad against
Israel did not necessarily mean the young men were planning to become martyrs.
"It is merely a symbolic expression, which may not always indicate a suicidal
tendency. Each person has a different intention and we can't stop them from trying to
meet their intention," he was quoted as saying by Antara.
He said none of the youths really wanted to go to the Middle East because the
journey is too expensive. He also warned that it would not be easy to wage war in
Lebanon, where modern weapons and jet fighters are involved.
Syamsuddin called on Indonesian Muslims not to be too emotional in their desire for
holy war, as jihad can also involve urging international bodies to take firm action
against Israel. He further said the Palestinian and Lebanese people need more
humanitarian relief aid, rather than people wishing to get killed by Israeli soldiers.
FPI Ban?
A new report by Australia's Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Radio said "the
Indonesian government - led by an upswell in moderate Muslim voices - is working
towards banning the FPI". Unlikely, given that the government has repeatedly refused
to ban regional terror network Jemaah Islamiyah.
Despite all the violence in the Middle East, one of FPI's main targets this year has
been the Indonesian edition of Playboy magazine, which group has accused of
indecency, even though the publication contains no nudity.
FPI has also filed a police complaint against Indonesia's entrant in this year's Miss
Universe pageant, Nadine Chandrawinata, because she wore a white bikini during part
of the competition. "We have reported Nadine Chandrawinata as she has harassed
Indonesian women by appearing in vulgar poses at the Miss Universe 2006 contest on
behalf of Indonesia," said FPI lawyer Adnan Assegaf.
He said Nadine's participation in the event was against Indonesian culture "which
does not permit women to wear a bikini in public". FPI's police complaint also named
78-year-old cosmetics executive and legislator Mooryati Sudibyo, Miss Indonesia
Foundation (YPI) chairman Wardiman Djojonegoro, YPI spokeswoman Mega
Angkasa, Miss Indonesia travel manager Kusuma Dewi and Miss Indonesia 2004
Artika Sari Devi.
"They have supported and financed the departure of Nadine so that they can be
charged with engaging and participating in an activity forbidden in public regulations,"
said Assegaf.
Incidentally, Nadine did not make it to the final top 10 of the pageant and later issued
an apology for her failure. "I am sad but this is the best that I've done. Although on
this occasion my contribution is not as the Indonesian people had expected, but I'm
sure that everyone has its own destiny," she said on July 24 after being knocked out
of the pageant in Los Angeles.
Some commentators have ridiculed FPI for being equally concerned by a woman in a
bikini and Israeli forces killing about 1,000 Lebanese.
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