APSN Banner

Home Indonesia Aceh West Papua East Timor

TNI demolishes mosque to make way for housing complex

Jakarta Post - May 5, 2011

After months of debate, scores of soldiers from the Bukit Barisan Military Command demolished Al Ikhlas mosque on Jl. Timor in Medan, North Sumatra, early on Wednesday morning, to make way for a new housing complex.

Previously on the day, the soldiers had arrested people guarding the mosque who claimed to be volunteers of the Islam People's Forum (FUI). Several volunteers said they had been taken by police to the Medan Police Headquarters at around 1 a.m., under tight security.

Affan Lubis, one of the volunteers, said he had been forcefully taken to the headquarters. "They ordered us to go into a truck and we did not have the courage to refuse," Affan told reporters in Medan on Wednesday.

Affan said 18 volunteers had been guarding the mosque, and that all had been taken to the police station.

Affan said the police had confiscated all of their cell phones at the police station so that they could not communicate with their friends or the press. He said they had not been poorly treated by the police.

"We were kept in isolation at the police station for more than three hours. After that we were freed," Affan said.

Affan said that when they were allowed to the leave the police station – at about 4 a.m. – the volunteers then tried to check up on the mosque, but were prevented from doing so by soldiers.

Affan said the Muslim community was very disappointed by the demolition of Al Ikhlas mosque. He said his group had taken the case to the Medan District Court.

"There is a strong feeling that the mosque has been demolished in spite of the legal avenue that had been taken," he said.

It was reported that a businessman bought a swath of land in the area, including the mosque, to build a housing complex.

The Bukit Barisan Military Command put up a sign in front of the demolished building, reading "This land and building of Certificate No. 847 belong to the Army/Bukit Barisan Military Command."

Staff at the military compound declined to make comment about the mosque. It was reported that the command would issue an official statement on Friday.