Muslim hardliners sue Indonesia anti-terrorism unit
ICC Note: A Muslim cleric in Indonesia has demanded that the government disband its anti-terrorism unit because it is actually an anti-Islam unit.
7/21/07 Indonesia (Reuters) – Controversial Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir launched a court case on Thursday demanding Indonesia ‘s anti-terrorism police unit be disbanded because it harmed Islam.
The lawsuit charges that Detachment 88, a police unit funded and trained by the United States and Australia , targets innocent Muslim activists and does the bidding of Western powers hostile to Islam
“The unit was formed not to fight terrorists but to fight Islam. That’s exactly what infidels do,” he told reporters after the session adjourned
Regional and Western governments allege that Bashir was the spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiah (JI), a militant group blamed for a string of deadly attacks in Indonesia .
Bashir has denied this
Hundreds of Muslim militants suspected of having links to JI have been arrested since the 2002 nightclub bombings in the resort island of Bali that killed 202 people, mostly foreigners.
In a recent crackdown, Detachment 88 arrested two alleged top JI leaders, including Abu Dujana, who confessed to heading the group’s military wing.
Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country, and about 85 percent of its people follow Islam. While the vast majority of Indonesia ‘s Muslims are relatively moderate, a militant minority has become increasingly vocal.
