Jakarta – A group that intercepted nine Muslims at El Tari Airport in Kupang last week has said its actions were not a form of "retaliation" for the recent disruption of a Christmas gathering in Bandung.
In a press release on Friday, the group, which calls itself Brigade Meo, said the media reports claiming that its action was made in retaliation for what had happened in Bandung were not accurate.
"We received a tip-off from a member of the public that nine people would arrive in Kupang and we coordinated with the police," the release said. According to the group, the nine were to be picked up by a supporter of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, "an organization whose ideology is not in line with [the state ideology] Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution."
"Hizbut Tahrir is prohibited from conducting any activities in East Nusa Tenggara," the release read. The group said the police had examined the nine men and then consulted with East Nusa Tenggara's Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).
"Considering all those facts, we, the police, and the MUI agreed to send the nine men back," Brigade said. "So the decision was made collectively. And the event does not have anything to do with any previous events, and definitely nothing to do with what happened in Bandung," the group said.
"I was not an attempt to intimidate our Muslim brothers and sisters but an action to curb radicalism in this country," it added. Brigade Meo has previously cooperated with Nahdlatul Ulama's GP Ansor to curb radicalism, the group said. (evi)