The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) says that there is no need to ban the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) despite the latter's continuous violent methods in preaching supposedly peaceful Islamic teachings.
"Let the law handle the [FPI]. As long as the police are firm on them, there is no need for them to become an illegal organization," PKS senior politician Agus Purnomo told reporters over the phone Tuesday.
Agus said that FPI's brutality often came as a result of the police's ignorance.
Agus also denied that FPI members were a vital part of his party's constituents.
"The majority of our voters are not from the FPI," he said.
Previously, a caucus of legislators coming from various parties at the House of Representatives officially launched a statement demanding the FPI be banned.
The PKS, which recently announced to be more pluralist, had none of its legislators signing the statement. So is the case with the United Development Party (PPP), another Islamic party, and the relatively inclusive National Mandate Party (PAN).
The only Islamic party to have signed the statement was the National Awakening Party (PKB), which was founded by the country's most prominent pluralist figure, the late Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.
The latest violent conduct made by the FPI was the ousting of three legislators during a free health clinic event.
The FPI suspected the event was a reunion of the now disbanded Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) members.
In recent years, the country has also recorded numerous violent incidents conducted by the FPI. Most were clashes with other people from different religions and some even with their Muslim counterparts, who the FPI deemed as being "too liberal to be Muslim".
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wo 30 jun 2010 - 1:10