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National = Press=20 Release

Extremists Attack Peaceful Demonstrators in Jakarta, = Indonesia; A=20 Statement from Robert L. Salas with Information from Anand = Krishna, Anand=20 Ashram Foundation, Indonesia, a United Nations NGO

JAKARTA, Indonesia, July 23 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 1, at = the=20 National Monument in the central district of Jakarta, Indonesia, = an event=20 took place that was little noticed by the world press but could = have major=20 implications for world politics and the international "War on = Terror."=20 During a peaceful rally by dozens of organizations representing = people=20 from various religions in celebration of Pancasila, the Indonesian = concept=20 of embracing all religious beliefs in their society, the crowd was = attacked by a mob of some 200 club-wielding Islamic extremists. As = a=20 result of this attack, dozens of demonstrators were injured, some=20 seriously injured. The attackers are considered to be members of = the Islam=20 Defenders Front (FPI), one of a growing number of extremist groups = who are=20 now resorting to violent means in their attempt to institute a = radical=20 form of Islam in the country to the exclusion of other = religions.

There are some disturbing facts surrounding this violence. = First, the=20 attackers seemed to be allowed to organize themselves with their = weapons=20 in plain view of the police who had been assigned for crowd = control.=20 Second, there were only a few of the attackers who were arrested = who are=20 currently facing prosecution. In addition, two government = Ministers have=20 announced their support for some of the attackers and have called = for=20 their immediate release without further investigation. This stance = stems=20 from the fact that there was a recent joint ministerial decree by = the Home=20 Minister, the Minister of Religious Affairs, and the Attorney = General=20 which permits criminal prosecution for "spreading interpretations = and=20 activities which deviate from the principal teachings of Islam."=20 Apparently, that decree accommodates the use of mob vigilante = violence, as=20 demonstrated by this event.

Understandably, the June 1 incident has come to the attention = and the=20 concern of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom=20 (USCIRF). The USCIRF is an official U.S. Commission associated = with the=20 U.S. State Department and provides policy recommendations to the=20 President, Secretary of State and the Congress. On June 11, the = USCIRF=20 issued a recommendation that calls on the U.S. government to urge=20 President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to reverse the = ministerial decree and prosecute anyone using violence to = intimidate any=20 religious minority in Indonesia.

These recent events have major implications because Indonesia = is a=20 country of nearly 300 million people, most of whom practice the = Islamic=20 faith. It has become a prime target for Islamic extremists. If = they were=20 to gain a strong foothold in Indonesia, as they seem to be = attempting, the=20 battle against such extremists worldwide would become = exponentially more=20 difficult.

For further information, contact: Mr. Anand = Krishna at=20 ashram@anandkrishna.org in=20 Indonesia or Mr. Robert Salas at rsalas@ojai.net in the = U.S.

This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more = information,=20 visit http://www.ereleases.com/.

SOURCE Robert L. Salas

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