LAKSAMANA.Net, January 4, 2005 10:33 PM
Baasyir's Mujahidin Bound For Aceh
Laksamana.Net - Scores of members of suspected terrorist Abu Bakar Baasyir's
radical Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI) are planning to travel to Aceh to give
"spiritual guidance" to the survivors of the deadly earthquake and tsunamis.
At least 77 members of the group on Tuesday (4/1/05) departed Yogyakarta for
Jakarta in two chartered buses, detikcom online news portal reported.
Wearing sturdy boots, green shirts and vests with the MMI insignia, the youths each
carried a backpack containing "equipment" and clothing.
MMI secretary general Shobbarin Syakur said the "volunteers" will join up with fellow
members of the organization in Jakarta before departing for Banda Aceh on a
chartered aircraft. He did not give a specific date for their departure.
The December 26 disaster has already claimed about 100,000 lives in Aceh. Tens of
thousands more people in the province are expected to die of malnutrition and
festering wounds over coming days.
The MMI party, led by Andrianto and Muhammad Ali Mahdi, includes members from
the Java cities of Solo, Kendal, Cirebon, Majalengka, Pekalongan and Yogyakarta.
When seeing off the youths, Syakur instructed them to behave politely and be well
mannered to everyone during their assignment.
MMI chairman Irfan S. Awwas said the volunteers have been assigned to give
"spiritual guidance" to the disaster victims to help renew their spirits.
"They will also help to improve infrastructure in places of religious duties, as well as
help with healing powers," he said.
It remains to be seen how Australian and US troops presently assisting with relief
efforts and cleanup operations in Aceh will react to the arrival of the MMI members,
assuming they make it to the ravaged province.
Baasyir is now on trial at South Jakarta District Court, accused of inciting his
followers to carry out the October 12, 2002, Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202
people, and the August 5, 2003, bombing at Jakarta's JW Marriott Hotel that killed 12
people.
The cleric has said his trial is the result of pressure on Indonesia from US President
George W. Bush and his "slave" Australian Prime Minister John Howard.
Baasyir founded MMI in August 2000 with the ostensible aim of promoting the
adoption of strict Islamic law in secular Indonesia.
MMI's often unruly members have showed up at all of his trial sessions, much to the
consternation of some witnesses and judges.
Scores of Baasyir's supporters on December 21 attempted to storm the witness stand
and the judges' podium after a key witness identified the cleric as the leader of
regional terrorism network Jemaah Islamiyah, which has been blamed for the Bali and
Marriott attacks.
In November, judges said they felt "terrorized" by the jeers and taunts from the
supporters. In September, MMI members clashed with police guards when the court
threw out Baasyir's pre-trial lawsuit that claimed he had been wrongfully arrested.
Last month a former Australian diplomat called on his country to assassinate Baasyir,
describing him as a legitimate target for a state-sanctioned but "deniable" poisoning.
MMI recently announced it had established dozens of new branches in 53 regencies
across eight provinces across Indonesia to bolster its campaign for Islamic law.
Awwas said the group would continue to set up more branches throughout the country
to spread its message.
Witnesses Fail to Appear
Three prosecution witnesses failed to testify at Baasyir's trial session on Tuesday.
Former justice minister Muladi could not take the stand at South Jakarta District
Court because he was traveling abroad, said public prosecutor Salman Maryadi.
He said two other witnesses, Rudi Satrio and Waluyo Iman Kusworo from the
University of Indonesia, also failed to show up.
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