ID Nugroho, Surabaya – Police provided tight security Friday for several mosques belonging to a hard-line Islamic group in Jember, East Java, after one of its mosque was attacked by local residents.
There are fears of new attacks as police have made no arrests or named any suspects after Wednesday's attack on a mosque owned by the Indonesian Islamic Propagation Institute (LDII) in Tanggul Wetan, Jember.
Tight security was seen at the group's Baitus Shohirin Mosque on Jl. Sawo, Tanggul, Jember, located some 500 meters from the attacked mosque.
There were rumors that Baitus Shohirin would be attacked after tarawih night prayers on Thursday or after Friday prayers. "We heard that. Therefore we and the police are on alert," LDII member M. Dian told The Jakarta Post. Police guarding the mosque prevented people who did not live in the area from entering the neighborhood.
Residents living near Baitus Shohirin Mosque said there was a lot of tension and fear Friday. Some residents put up signs in front of their houses saying they were not members of the hard-line group.
One resident, Sahal, said he was worried his home could be mistakenly damaged in an attack. Anyone wishing to enter Baitus Shohirin Mosque had to show an identity card. "This is part of efforts to anticipate any trouble," LDII teacher Udin Haryanto said.
As of Friday evening, no incidents were reported at any of the LDII's mosques.
Police in Jember said they had questioned four men linked to Wednesday's attack as witnesses. They were identified as Budiyanto, Slamet Riyadi, Trisnadi and Ahmad Basuki.
The attack was carried out by a mob of residents after tarawih on Wednesday night. Attackers claimed the mosque, still under construction, was built without their consent. No injuries were reported but the incident left the mosque leveled.
Udin blamed a "misperception" of the LDII movement for the attack. "There were negative rumors about the LDII that were not true," he said.
The LDII has been accused of preventing non-members of the group from entering its mosques. If a non-member prays at one of its mosques, the floor is immediately washed afterward because the LDII considers them to be "dirty", according to these rumors. The group, however, denies these stories.