Islam Online- News Section

عربي

Home

News

Shari`ah

Counseling:

Search »

Advanced Search »

Hajj 1429 New
Ibrahim's Call

Overcoming Masturbation New

America in Transition New

Iraq in Focus **

World Economic
Crisis **

World in Pictures

Financial Crisis Hits US Sales

Islam, Muslims & Violence

Pakistan

I Witness Hajj & Adha

Radio Broadcast

» Special Pages

Services

Indonesian Muslims Reject Allegations Against Ba'asyir, Call for Justice

Ba'asyir’s innocence rests on the sole testimony of Al-Faruq, extradited to the U.S.

By Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia Correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR, October 22 (IslamOnline) - Indonesian Muslims in Jakarta rejected the injustice in the case of Abu-Bakar Ba'asyir, the Chairman of the Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI), who was arrested by police Saturday, October 19.

Ba'asyir’s case rests on the sole testimony of the so-called “CIA agent” Umar Al-Faruq, an Iraqi who said he was of Yemeni origin and held Indonesian identity before his extradition to the United States in June 2002.

An outspoken legislator said Indonesian Muslims do not accept the injustice done Ba'asyir and urged the Indonesian government to bring Umar Al-Faruq back to Indonesia to investigate his claims.

"If Al-Faruq is not brought in, all the accusations against Abu-bakar Ba'asyir will not be proved. And that means Abu-bakar Ba'asyir should be acquitted from all charges", Ahmad Sumargono told Antara.

Al-Faruq's testimony was needed for the sake of truth and justice, said Sumargono of the Crescent and Star Party (PBB) faction in the House of Representatives (DPR).

In this case, his party would continue striving to uphold truth and justice in line with the people's aspiration, he said, in a first sign of dissention in the DPR that could spread to the MPR, sources said.

Sumargono said he agreed with those stating that the recent Bali bomb blast was part of a foreign grand scenario to press the Indonesian government and people to follow their agenda.

"That's why I urge the government to uncover who is really responsible for the Bali tragedy," Sumargono said.

Meanwhile, reports by the Singapore Straits Sunday Times alleging that Osama Bin Laden had transferred U.S.133, 440 to the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the banned underground Islamic organization based in Singapore, for the Bali bombing, raised the ire of Muslims in Jakarta.

More than a week after the Bali bombings, investigators are still in the dark about the perpetrators, but the report in the Sunday Times of Singapore, claims that Bin Laden allegedly sent money to Abu-Bakar Ba'asyir to purchase C4, the powerful explosive believed to have been used in the bombing that killed nearly 200 people.

The multinational team investigating the blasts said they had yet to link the attack to any foreign group, but the Singapore newspaper claimed that Bin Laden transferred money to the Jemaah Islamiyah organization, which Ba'asyir chairs, to buy explosives.

Again Umar Al-Faruq is quoted as saying that the money was transferred to the JI from an account in the name of Sheikh Abu-Abdullah Emirati, a pseudonym of Bin Laden.

Observers in Jakarta are arguing how Al-Faruq got to knew about the transfer since he is currently in U.S. custody. They also wonder why he revealed this information after the Bali blast, and not before it happened.

Some observers said both Al-Faruq and the Indonesian newspaper should bring the proof of the transfer, which they say is a “fallacy” invented to nail Ba'asyir.

Details of the transfer, believed to have taken place earlier this year, were given to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) by Al-Faruq.

The newspaper said it had seen a confidential document detailing Al-Faruq's statement that the money was used to buy three tons of explosives from Indonesian military sources.

Ba'asyir risks death penalty under the new decree issued by President Megawati Sukarnoputri, if he is found guilty of involvement in terror activities. He denies all the allegations made against him.