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Press Release

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

JAKARTA, Indonesia, July 23, 2008 =E2=80=94 On June 1, at the = National Monument in=20 the central district of Jakarta, Indonesia, an event took place that was = little=20 noticed by the world press but could have major implications for world = politics=20 and the international =E2=80=9CWar on Terror.=E2=80=9D During a peaceful = rally by dozens of=20 organizations representing people from various religions in celebration = of=20 Pancasila, the Indonesian concept of embracing all religious beliefs in = their=20 society, the crowd was attacked by a mob of some 200 club-wielding = Islamic=20 extremists. As a result of this attack, dozens of demonstrators were = injured,=20 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 who = are now=20 resorting to violent means in their attempt to institute a radical form = of Islam=20 in the country to the exclusion of other religions.

There are some disturbing facts surrounding this violence. First, the = attackers seemed to be allowed to organize themselves with their weapons = in=20 plain view of the police who had been assigned for crowd control. = Second, there=20 were only a few of the attackers who were arrested who are currently = facing=20 prosecution. In addition, two government Ministers have announced their = support=20 for some of the attackers and have called for their immediate release = without=20 further investigation. This stance stems from the fact that there was a = recent=20 joint ministerial decree by the Home Minister, the Minister of Religious = Affairs, and the Attorney General which permits criminal prosecution for = =E2=80=9Cspreading interpretations and activities which deviate from the = principal=20 teachings of Islam.=E2=80=9D Apparently, that decree accommodates the = use of mob=20 vigilante violence, as demonstrated by this event.

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

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

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

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