Central Java : Islamists against the cult of the dead , bewilderment among the population
Jakarta
(AsiaNews) - Bewilderment and concern are widespread among the population of
Yogyakarta , in central Java , following a series of acts of vandalism that
have targeted citizens intent on paying homage to deceased relatives and family
members . The
attacks took place last night in a city cemetery, perpetrated by a group of
unidentified people linked to local extremist movements . Civil
society condemns this "barbaric" act , which threatens to disrupt the
harmony and co-existence in the area. The
practice of paying tribute to the dead is one of the oldest and best-established
in the provinces of Central and East Java , it unites Muslims (especially
during Ramadan) , Catholics, Protestants, members of other faiths according to
a common rite . For
this reason there have been calls from several fronts to the police to find and
punish those responsible though - so far - the investigations have not yielded
any positive development.
Last
night a group of thugs targeted some people trying to pray at the tomb of Kiai
Ageng Prawiro Poebo in Semaki , Yogyakarta . He
was the grandson of the Sultan of Yogyakarta Hamengku Bowono VI , head of the
Islamic Mataram kingdom in central Java between 1855 and 1877 . The
current king of Mataram is Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X , who is also governor
of the Special Region of Yogyakarta.
The
attackers targeted the practice whereby a tribute is made to the deceased,
branding these "secular traditions" as "heretical " and
therefore contrary to a pure and strict vision of Islam. The
extremist group has targeted tombs and other sacred objects belonging to the Mataram
descendants. The
investigators are making inquiries, but refuse to give details of the possible
identity and the motive behind the attack .
The
Governor Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X condemns the act of vandalism dismissing
it as a "madness" perpetrated by people who foment "the spirit
of hatred ." "
I find it hard to understand the reasons of those who pick on the dead - he
adds - and even if there was something ' illicit' , what sense is there in
taking it out on the dead ? " . Even
the Islamic youth movement Pemuda Ansor Youth Movement , which is affiliated to
the moderate Muslim Nahdlatul Ulama (NU ) movement, speaks of " serious
threat " to the country and a possible open confrontation between
moderates and extremists within Islam .
Moreover
episodes of tension and violence within Islam in the most populous Muslim
country in the world are not new nor sporadic. In
the last three weeks, the sub-district of Puger in Jember regency, in the
province of East Java saw tensions between two different groups , also causing
the one death. Even
today, hundreds of policemen and army soldiers are in a condition of high alert
to prevent an escalation of violence despite recent efforts to reach a truce.
24/05/2019 14:25
23/05/2019 12:05