Muninggar Sri Saraswati – A man from the East Java town of Blitar says he will continue to sell "tickets to heaven" for Rp 4 million ($336), despite the Indonesia Council of Ulema, or MUI, alleging that the man's teachings are a "deviation."
"I only teach [people] how to find a peaceful life. I accept people from different backgrounds and religions," said Suliyani, 62, challenging the MUI to meet him to discuss his teachings.
Speaking to Metro TV, Suliyani, 62, said he would continue to seek and accept more followers to add to his 250 current students if the MUI did not take the time to discuss the issue. He said that the payments for his courses were compensation for guiding followers, who were having problems in their lives.
"A ticket to heaven may not be the correct term, but I always assure my followers that I will pay the money back if they do not find peace in their lives within a year," he said.
Ahmad Su'udi, MUI secretary in Blitar, said that Suliyani's teachings were a deviation because of the fees he charged his followers. "We will question him about his teachings after we gather enough material," he said.
Another group the MUI deemed to be "deviant," the sect of Satrio Piningit Weteng Buwono in Jakarta, allegedly practiced group sex rituals. Jakarta Police named its leader, Agus Imam Solichin, as a suspect for blasphemy.