Should We Ban the Clerics Council for a Member Involved in Terrorism?

TheIndonesia.co - The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD said the government is not considering disbanding the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) after police arrested one of its members related to involvement with a terrorist group.

Indonesia’s Chief Security Minister said the arrest shouldn’t trigger any public assumption that MUI needs to be disbanded. He also emphasized that the arrest was in no way an attack towards the Islamic organization.

“In regards to the arrest of three terrorism suspects which involved an MUI member, let’s not assume that MUI must be disbanded, and let’s not create a provocation by saying that the government, through Densus 88 [the National Police’s counterterrorism unit], attacked MUI,” he tweeted on Saturday, November 20.

According to him, MUI has a strong legal standing as it’s regulated in several laws in Indonesia, including Law No. 33/2014 and Law No. 21/2008.

Furthermore, Mahfud asked the public to not see the arrest as an attack targeted at MUI as he slammed the view as totally baseless. He stressed that the government remained committed to its fight against terrorism and that legal enforcers would do what it takes to combat the problem.

“Also, the arrest shouldn’t be interpreted as officials attacking MUI’s authority. Terrorists can be arrested in many different places. . . . [Meanwhile,] authorities will be accused of not doing their work properly if they do nothing and something happens. We will see a public legal proceeding [regarding the case],” the Coordinating Minister said.

As reported, Densus 88 arrested three individuals on suspicious links with extremist group Jemaah Islamiyah, or JI, on Tuesday, 16 November, in Bekasi, West Java.

The suspected members were member of Fatwa Commission at MUI Ahmad Zain An-Najah, chairman of Indonesian People’s Dawah Party (PDRI) Ahmad Farid Okbah, and Anung Al Hamat.

While MUI distanced themselves from Zain’s personal view and involvement in the extremist group, it has announced its intention to provide legal assistance for its member if needed.