Jakarta Tue, 06/02/2009 11:11 AM
Arson attack on Ahmadiyah mosque in South Jakarta
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A mosque belonging to the “deviant” Islamic sect Jamaah Ahmadiyah in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta, has been damaged in an arson attack. There were no injuries in the incident.
Kebayoran Lama Police chief Comr. Makmur S said that the incident occurred during dawn prayers on Tuesday.
Witnesses told police that eight Ahmadiyah members were performing the dawn prayer on the second floor of the two-story building, when two men sprayed the mosque with gasoline from a jerry can and lit the fire. The fire damaged a rug, a chair and a bicycle.
Makmur said the two men had been seen near the mosque on Monday evening.
“[Ahmadiyah] members were suspicious of the men and called the police for protection. We guarded the mosque until 10 p.m.; who would’ve known they’d come back at dawn,” he said as quoted by kompas.com.
Makmur said the mosque had often received threats.
The government, through a joint ministerial decree, has banned members of Jamaah Ahmadiyah Indonesia (JAI) from propagating their religious teachings, but they are allowed to maintain their faith and perform their daily religious duties. (dre)
URL: www.thejakartapost.com/n...south-jakarta.html
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