Indonesia: Retired generals backing hardliners in plot to topple government: Al Jazeera

Ahmadiyah, possibly the most persecuted group in the country’s history, has about 200,000 followers. The Indonesian Ulema Council released fatwas in the 1980s against the group and in 2005 declared Ahmadiyah deviant for believing that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is the last prophet, not Mohammed as most Muslims believe.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Post
By TJP | National: March 22, 2011

Retired generals backing hardliners in plot to topple SBY: Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera has reported that “senior retired generals” have been secretly backing hard-line groups to incite religious violence in a plot to remove President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono from power.

"The generals are using the groups in their efforts to topple President Yudhoyono because they feel he is too weak and too reformist," Al Jazeera correspondent Step Vassen said in the report.


Vassen said reports that the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) had powerful backing “can now be confirmed for the first time”.

The FPI has been linked to a series of attacks in the country, including violence against Christians and Ahmadis.

"This revelation shows that behind religious violence a dangerous political power play is happening," she said.
Ahmadiyah, possibly the most persecuted group in the country’s history, has about 200,000 followers. The Indonesian Ulema Council released fatwas in the 1980s against the group and in 2005 declared Ahmadiyah deviant for believing that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is the last prophet, not Mohammed as most Muslims believe.

One of the deadliest attacks on Ahmadis in Indonesia took place in a small village in Banten in early February, when 1,500 men, some armed with machetes, assaulted 20 Ahmadis. Three Ahmadis were killed in the incident.

Vassen quoted Islam Reform Movement leader Chep Hernawan, who said that the Ahmadiyah issue had emerged because of the generals. He said they “are fed up with the President's lies."

Chep said the generals had attempted to use a number of issues, including corruption, to fuel a backlash against the President "but they failed."

Now, the generals that want Yudhoyono’s ouster "are using the Ahmadiyah issue and it works," Chep said.
Chep said he was approached by a retired three-star general in January.

"He told me that we should keep fighting a jihad, we should not back down so the liar can be toppled."
He said the generals told him that Ahmadiyah had to be disbanded “or we'll have a revolution."

Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha was not immediately available for comment on Tuesday.

Read original post here: Retired generals backing hardliners in plot to topple SBY: Al Jazeera