On Heels of FPI Overture, Prabowo Calls For Tolerance
Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Hatta Rajasa have condemned an attack by a Muslim mob on a Christian congregation in Yogyakarta last week — just days after courting the support of Islamic hard-liners.
"Whatever the reason for the attack, such violence is unacceptable in a democratic country," Bara Hasibuan, a spokesman for the Prabowo-Hatta campaign team, said in Jakarta on Monday.
He said the candidates had called on the police to thoroughly investigate the attack on the prayer gathering at the home of a congregation member, adding that the incident "hurt the principles of democracy and the country's rule of the law."
"We urge the government and the police to immediately investigate this matter and not hesitate in taking action against the perpetrators," Bara said.
"For us, the issue of violence is a very fundamental and a very serious matter. If given the mandate to lead Indonesia, our candidates will take firm legal action against groups and individuals who commit violence on the pretext of whatever interest."
The attack last Thursday centered on a prayer gathering at the home of Julius Felicianus, 52, attended by members of the congregation of St. Francis Agung Banteng church.
Julius, whose son was hosting the gathering, said he received a text message from his son that read "People wearing robes are attacking our house."
Julius said he immediately went home upon receiving the message, and brought with him an officer from the Yogyakarta Police.
He said he found six congregation members with injuries, mostly cuts and bruises, and the house in disarray. He said his son had managed to flee the mob and escaped unharmed "because he recognized two people among them, who happened to be our neighbors."
The injured were sent to hospital, but the mob returned soon after, Julius said.
"I was immediately attacked and questioned. Were it not for my friend from the Yogyakarta Police, I would probably have died. I don't know what would have happened. I was assaulted by about eight people carrying bladed weapons," he said.
Michael Irawan, a journalist from Kompas TV who lived nearby, was also attacked and wounded as he tried to photograph the incident. The mob took his camera away and punched him in the face.
He later described the attackers as claiming to be followers of Jafar Umar Thalib, a cleric who led the Laskar Jihad, or jihad warriors — a militant group that was involved in the deadly Muslim-Christian sectarian strife in the Malukus from 1999 to 2001.
Police have to date not made any arrests in connection with the attack.
The Prabowo-Hatta camp's call for justice in the case grates against the vice presidential candidate's own courting last week of Islamic hard-liners, including the Islamic Defenders Front, or FPI.
Rights observers have criticized Hatta's engagement of the FPI and similar groups, calling it "an unwise move."
"It's not very judicious," said Muhammad Subhi Azhari, a researcher at the Wahid Institute.
"People will get the impression that [Prabowo] tolerates violence. They're not setting a good example at all for the people of Indonesia."
Posted by: "Sunny" <ambon@tele2.se>
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