Indonesian Islamic Council Declares Gafatar Movement as 'Illegal'

Liputan6.com, Jakarta It is almost like a restless battle against terrorism for Indonesia as the nation now currently faces not only the potential harm from the notoriously known terrorist network Islamic State (IS), but also the evidently growing prominence of domestic-bred people’s organization which called itself ‘Fajar Nusantara Movement’ (Gafatar).

Gafatar is viewed to be a movement whose teachings are heavily misguiding and nurtured principality that evidently signaled a sign of extremism. Its immediate rise into the public’s eye was becoming apparent following the disappearance of a female doctor from Yogyakarta along with her child last December.

Chairman of Indonesia’s Islamic Council (MUI) Din Syamsuddin informs that the ringleaders of Gafatar movement are former convicts who earlier called themselves Al Qiyadah Al Islamiyah under Ahmad Mussadeq leadership.

“Ahmad Mussadeq claimed to be a prophet after spending his time meditating in the mountaineous area of Hede. His teachings raised suspicion and later led to his detainment,” Din explained on January 13 2016.

“Gafatar’s principles often misled teachings of Islam with shalat, fasting, and other religious duties considered as optional,” he continued.

He further states that MUI has issued laws confirming the movement’s illegal presence and it deviant ideologies.

Social and Cultural Director from the Indonesian Police Intelligence and Security division Bambang Sucahyo confirms that probe continues hitherto over the status of Gafatar’s movement and that it is an organization that is not enlisted by the Ministry of Home Affairs’.

“I don’t think that we need official reports to arrest Gafatar members. We would only be needing reports from the people and what happened in the areas where Gafatar movement is reportedly present. MUI declared it as misleading and therefore reports are unnecessary to justify arrest,” Bambang shared on January 21 2016.

Gafatar’s influence reportedly spread to many provinces within Indonesia with many individuals successfully lured into its spectrum ranging from students to white collar civil servants.