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View all search resultsDiplomats scramble to save detained Indonesians
The Indonesian government, via the Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah, is striving to persuade the Saudi authorities to immediately release 11 Indonesian citizens arrested after they performed Idul Fitri prayers on July 18
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T
he Indonesian government, via the Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah, is striving to persuade the Saudi authorities to immediately release 11 Indonesian citizens arrested after they performed Idul Fitri prayers on July 18.
The Foreign Ministry's director for legal aid and the protection of Indonesian nationals overseas, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, said as quoted by Antara in Jakarta on Monday that the government had made a breakthrough to free the 11 Indonesian nationals, who have been in detention for 16 days on charges of 'syirik', a belief in more than one God.
'The case is clear, it should have been settled by now. Zubir has insisted he never claimed to be the 'Mahdi' [the messianic guide who according to Islamic teaching will appear shortly before the end of the world],' said Iqbal, referring to Zubir Amir Abdullah, one of the detained Indonesians.
'The use of the word was just a matter of word choice and did not refer to the 'Mahdi' mentioned in the hadith,' he went on.
Iqbal further explained that recent statements obtained from the arrestees would be used as the basis for the government to ask the Saudi authorities to immediately release them.
Earlier, Zubir, the founder of religious group Himpunan Pemuda Sinar Syahid (Himpass), to which all the detained Indonesians belong, claimed before Saudi investigators that he was 'Imam Mahdi' or the savior of the world.
Saudi authorities deem heretical the teachings surrounding the 'Mahdi'.
In his examination, Zubir's older brother, Harmain Amir Abdullah, a senior member of the group, denied his brother had referred to himself as 'Imam Mahdi', claiming it was rather the group's followers who had labeled him as such. However, Harmain added that the appellation was in any case valid, as it could refer simply to one who gave guidance to others.
'We are hopeful that we can immediately obtain the release of the 10 Indonesian citizens [, but not Zubir],' said Iqbal. (ebf)(+++)
