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

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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

By:=20 iStockAnalyst=20 Wednesday, July 23, 2008 7:59 AM

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

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

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

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

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

SOURCE Robert L.=20 Salas

(Source: PR Newswire=20 )

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