Surabaya – The National Police have only named one suspect out of hundreds of people that participated in an attack on a group of Shiites in Sampang, East Java on Sunday.

"Out of the eight people that have been investigated, one person, whose first initial is 'R,' has been declared a suspect," National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo said on Monday night, as quoted by Antara news agency. "The other seven are still being questioned."

His most recent statement amended an earlier announcement that seven people had been named as suspects in the case. Timur said that the number of suspects may increase if the police are able to uncover new evidence.

On Sunday morning, a mob consisting of 500 Sunni Muslims attacked a group of Shiite students and teachers with swords and machetes in Sampang. Two Shiites died in the attacks while seven more were injured. The mob also torched dozens of homes belonging to the Shiite community.

The wife of Shiite leader Tajul Muluk, Umi Kulsum, who was present at the scene of the unrest, said that she recognized some of the attackers as friends of Roisul Hukama, a key member of the Nangkernang village chapter of the Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama.

Roisul is the brother of Tajul, who was convicted of tainting Islam after Roisul reported him to the police. It is not clear whether or not "R" is Roisul.

On Tuesday, the chairman of the Nadhlatul Ulama branch in East Java, Mutawakkil Alallah, defended the attackers.

"Shiism is against human rights and they despise Islam," Mutawakkil said. "Banning them is not the solution, but we want Shiites to avoid worshiping publicly. If they do not enter the public sphere and keep [their religious activity] within their own home, they will be safer."

He claimed that the people of the Nahdlatul Ulama in Sampang have been living in harmony with members of another Islamic sect, the Muhammadiyah, as well as with other religions, including Christians and Buddhists.

The East Java governor has issued a governor's decree on "Religious Life Guidance and Heresy." "If the decree is implemented, Shiites in Indonesia will be safe," Mutawakkil said, citing that the decree would ban heretical teachings to be spread in public areas.

Mutawakkil claims that Shiites have always rejected the idea of participating in an open dialogue with Sunni Muslims.