LAKSAMANA.Net, November 19, 2003 04:45 PM
FPI Leader Released
Laksamana.Net - Habib Rizieq Shihab, leader of the radical Islamic Defenders' Front
(FPI), was released from jail on Wednesday (19/11/03) after serving a seven-month
sentence for ordering his militant followers to attack Jakarta nightspots.
His wife, child and about 500 cheering supporters were present to greet him as he
walked out of Central Jakarta's Salemba jail, detikcom online news portal reported.
Rizieq told the crowd he would continue his campaign for the imposition of Islamic law
and the closure of entertainment venues deemed an affront to Islam.
"I will continue my attacks on corrupt officials who give protection to these places of
sin like nightclubs and gambling dens," he was quoted as saying by the Associated
Press.
"I'm happy to have gotten out of a small prison but now I've been released into a much
bigger prison - the Republic of Indonesia," he added.
Rizieq stopped short of saying he would order more attacks on Jakarta nightspots,
some of which are now closed or operating under reduced hours during the holy
Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan.
Last month, the cleric said his followers would take the law into their own hands if city
officials fail to close down bars and nightclubs over Ramadhan, but so far there have
been no attacks.
FPI was established in August 1998 and first hit the streets in November to help
military-backed civilian security forces prevent pro-democracy activists from marching
to parliament to express their demands for reform.
The radical group soon became notorious for attacking bars, nightclubs, brothels, pool
halls and other entertainment venues.
The organization significantly toned down its violent activities after last year's October
12 Bali nightclub bombings, which have been blamed on regional terrorism group
Jemaah Islamiyah.
FPI has not been linked to Jemaah Islamiyah, but has instead been accused of
extorting protection payments from owners of Jakarta's nightspots.
Prior to the Bali blasts, authorities had generally turned a blind eye to FPI's violent
raids, lending credence to claims the organization was backed by powerful officials in
the security forces.
Rizieq has long demanded the destruction of nightspots on the grounds that they are
hangouts of prostitutes, gamblers and drug abusers. He has also instructed his
followers to trash signs advertising alcohol.
At the opening of his trial in May, the cleric denied any wrongdoing and defended his
actions, claiming they were in line with the religious and state laws. He said
managers of "immoral" nightspots and the police who protect them were the ones who
should be on trial.
Rizieq was arrested on October 16, 2002, four days after the Bali blasts. He was
released in November 2002 and placed under house arrest after FPI pledged to end its
violent raids.
But FPI in February 2003 announced it was making a comeback and threatened to
attack Westerners. The group also urged Muslims to sign up to fight Americans in
Iraq.
Rizieq broke the terms of his house arrest status on April 8 by leaving Indonesia,
ostensibly to participate in a humanitarian mission in Iraq, although it was unclear
whether he actually went there.
He was subsequently arrested upon his return to Jakarta on April 20. The following
day his supporters helped him escape from police custody at a public prosecutor's
office, but he later surrendered and was sent to jail.
On August 11, 2003, he was sentenced to seven months behind bars for inciting
public unrest and insulting the government.
Rizieq was one of several high-profile Muslim radicals to be jailed as part of the
government's effort to crack down on Islamic extremism. Abu Bakar Baasyir, the
alleged spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, was earlier this year sentenced to four
years in jail for treason.
Several of his followers are among more than 30 suspects accused of responsibility
for the Bali bombings. Already 20 people have been convicted of involvement in the
bombings, with sentences ranging from three years to death.
Jafar Umar Thalib, leader of the now defunct Islamic militia organization Laskar Jihad,
was in January 2003 acquitted by East Jakarta District Court on charges of fomenting
religious violence in the Maluku islands and inciting hatred of the government and
president.
The verdict raised serious doubts over whether Indonesia was serious about tackling
criminal acts involving Islamic radicalism and communal violence. These doubts were
reiterated when Baasyir received his four-year sentence in August. Critics slammed
the verdict as "lenient" and criticized state prosecutors for failing to prove the cleric
had ordered terrorist attacks.
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