T

he underground music community is taking in stride alleged threats from the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) regarding a potential crack down on their activities, saying that bullying would not deter them from doing what they liked best — making music.

In a speech last week, an FPI preacher allegedly said FPI members should prepare to initiate a campaign to bring members of the underground music community back into mainstream Islam because they had been perverted by Satanism, Zionism and Liberalism.

In a statement published on the group’s website on Thursday, FPI said The Jakarta Post article titled “FPI sets its sights on underground community” published on March 21st, is slanderous and that the organization had no plan to act against underground music.

However, in the statement the FPI said that the underground music community had indeed been infiltrated by what it called “Zionist intrigue” and this had prompted some members of the underground music community to rise up against a “Zionist conspiracy”.

Some members of the underground community have told the Post about a simmering conflict between Muslim-leaning members of the underground music community and more liberal groups.

Members of the liberal grouping, who wished to remain anonymous, talked about intimidation and physical threats made toward them.

Those who were willing to talk openly said that there was no conflict to speak of.

“Everything is fine with this community,” said Irma from underground group Rotorcorp.

The lead singer of legendary metal band Seringai, Arian 13, gave a similar assessment. “All I know is that the underground scene is still alive and kicking.”

Other underground members seemed to take the FPI threat lightly. “As long as they do not threaten our existence and the diversity of the community, we will ignore them,” said Doni Herdadu, a.k.a. Doni Iblis, lead singer of underground thrash metal band Funeral Inception.

Doni said that the FPI could say anything it wanted about the underground scene, as long as it did not resort to violence.

Doni said that the religious underground community, which at times is referred to as “one-fingered metal” started to gain momentum last year when they began to spread Islamic teachings through their music. Members of this grouping aimed their campaign against the so-called “three-fingered metal,” referring to the peace sign used by more liberal underground members.

The Muslim metal community rejected the symbolism of three-fingered metal, considering it as a symbol of Illuminati, a secret society believed to be planning a design for a new world order. One finger, on the other hand, is thought to be a symbol for tauheed (monotheism Islam).

Doni said that members of the Muslim underground were in fact old friends and colleagues, adding that there is little they could do other than share information and start a campaign to raise awareness so that people would not be easily provoked to attack each other.

“I don’t think we are an FPI priority right now. We are probably at the lowest rung in terms of urgent problems they have to deal with,” Doni said.