Abu Bakar Bashir

By Kazi Mahmood, IOL South East Asia correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR, October 20 (IslamOnline) - Islamic groups in Indonesia have decided to play a larger political role in the country in order to limit accusations against Islam in Indonesia, sources close to the Indonesian Mujahideen Council (MMI) told IslamOnline on Sunday, October 20.

The source, known as “the Sheikh”, said the Islamic groups will follow the steps of the Laskar Jihad or the Jihad Force (JF) that disbanded itself on Wednesday last week, with several members joining its leader in forming an Islamic school in Java.

Muslim groups targeted as “extremists” are currently being talked into turning their attention to more social and socio-political activities by other elements close to certain corridors of powers in the government.

The Sheikh, a scientist close to detained Islamic leader Abu Bakar Basyir - who is the chairman of the MMI - told IslamOnline that three top politicians in the country has activated a mechanism that would bring the Muslim groups to abandon what he called “extreme acts, such as flag burning or the burning of American or Jewish targets in this country.”

He added that it was high time Islam played a greater political role and urged the Muslim parties and groups to ally into one coalition of Islamic parties and movements in order to face the 2004 general and presidential elections.

The Sheikh contacted IslamOnline to discuss the recent arrest of Basyir, who collapsed in Solo and was in a hospital bed when he was taken away by police.

The Sheikh said Basyir knew he would be arrested after the Bali blasts, adding that the aging leader warned other Islamic groups that “the Indonesian government was under intense pressure to arrest popular and outspoken Islamic radicals and so called extremists in order to please the rest of the world that Indonesia is doing the right thing in the war against terror.”

“Basyir now risks being sent to the US. .for questioning and jailing since the directive to arrest him illico presto came from Washington and was given to the investigators who went to visit Omar Al-Faruq, the CIA agent captured and sent back to the US in June this year,” the Sheikh added.

“Remember, the U.S. has linked Basyir to the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and has also said he was high on the list of suspected terrorists, right on top of the name of Osama Bin Laden,” the Sheikh said.

He dismissed the claims by the Indonesian government that there will be a backlash by local extremist groups after the arrest of Basyir.

Jakarta has moved to crack down on Muslim extremist groups following the Bali carnage, which claimed the lives of more than 180 people last week.

Immediately after the bombing the Islamic Defender Front (FPI) saw its leader Habib Rizieq Shihab detained at police headquarters. The government’s latest move is the arrest of Abu Bakar Basyir.

Other leaders close to Basyir, the JF and the FPI are also the target of arrest under the grounds that they cooperated with their leaders to create chaos and treason in Indonesia.

Informed sources say there is a rift in the regime of Megawati Sukarnoputri and that both the speaker of the National Assembly (MPR) and the Vice President Hamza Haz who are considered strong Islamic elements in the government, could be targets too.

The Sheikh who lives outside Indonesia currently, said he was just a close friend of Basyir during school days and never joined any organizations in his life.

“I lead a simple life, and I do not condone bombings, however I do not believe Basyir was involved in any of the extremists activities in this country,” he said.

He added that Basyir was right in that the Indonesian government was pressed into acting against too obvious Islamic elements in order to satisfy the U.S. and its allies.

Basyir want to prove to the Indonesian government that he has nothing to do with violence in Indonesia and that such violence will continue while he is being detained because the authorities are targeting the wrong group in the fight against terrorism.

Muslim-based political parties have already agreed on a tacit electoral alliance for 2004 while the leaders of these parties, including Amien Rais and Hamza Haz are convincing smaller groups and other militant organizations to rally themselves under the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and the Mohamadiyah, the two largest official Islamic organizations in the country.

“The polarization of the Islamic parties under these groups of influence and of different ideological stance should help clear the scene and allow the Indonesian government to focus on its anti-terror battle without having to arrest innocent Muslim leaders,” the Sheikh concluded.

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