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

Released : Wednesday, July 23, 2008 7:59 AM

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

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

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

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

For further information, contact: Mr. Anand Krishna at 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=20 information, visit http://www.ereleases.com/.

SOURCE Robert L. Salas

CONTACT: Mr. Anand Krishna, ashram@anandkrishna.org in = Indonesia=20 or Mr. Robert Salas, rsalas@ojai.net in the U.S.

Provider:
PR = Newswire

Keywords:
Civil=20 Rights Law, Top=20 World News, Asia,=20 Eastern=20 Asia, Far=20 East, World=20 Organizations, Southeast=20 Asia, Islam,=20 Indonesia,=20 Legal,=20 Asia=20 Pacific Law, Government,=20 Social=20 Issues, Eastern=20 Religions, Religion