MUI urges govt to disclose mastermind of Cirebon mosque bombing

Serang, Banten (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI)`s branch in Banten province has urged security agencies to immediately disclose the mastermind of suicide bomb attack at a police station`s mosque in Cirebon, West Java, last Friday.

The bombing attack was an uncivilized act which could not be justified by Islam for whatever reasons, KH Wahab Afif, chief of the council`s branch in Banten, said here on Sunday.

"To avoid unrest particularly among Muslims and people elsewhere, security agencies must soon catch the mastermind of the bombing attack," Wahab Afif said.

He asked the people particularly Muslims in Banten not to be easily incited by the incident and to keep watch for suspicious people or teachings contradicting Islam.

The MUI`s branch in Banten strongly condemned the bombing attack which was totally against Islam, he said.

"The act obviously contradicts Islamic teachings. That is the uncivilized act of people who tried to disrupt public peace," he said.

One man was killed and 28 others wounded when a bomb exploded inside Al-Dzikr mosque in the compound of the Cirebon police headquarters during Friday prayers.

The fatality was the man who had detonated the bomb while many of the wounded were police officers including the chief of the resort police, Adj Snr Comr Herukoco.

Former NU chief Hazim Muzadi said "the perpetrators are old actors. They now have the guts to act, to attack publicly."

He said "this proves that terrorism is not identical with Islam because they also attack mosques and security apparatus."

Earlier, on Friday, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia`s largest Islamic organization, also condemned the bomb attack.

"This is proof of our intelligence`s weakness. And what is saddening, this happened in Cirebon, known as the City of Wali (religious leader)," NU Chairman KH Said Aqil Siroj said.(*)