National

Government Considers Al-Haramain Foundation Not Related to Terrorism
28 Pebruari 2004

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Indonesian Government has found no indication of any relationship between the Al-Haramain Foundation/Islamic Studies and Schools Service Institution (LP2SI), which is led by Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) President Hidayat Nur Wahid, and the Al-Haramain Foundation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.




The Al-Haramain Foundation in Riyadh has however been included on the list of international terrorist groups issued by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).




The Indonesian Government came to this conclusion on Nur Wahid’s foundation after investigating the matter with the help of the Indonesian Department of Foreign Affairs and the National Police.




“There is no indication that Al-Haramain Foundation, led by Mr. Nur Wahid, has anything to do with terrorism activities,” said the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs’ secretary Sudi Silalahi in Jakarta on Thursday (26/2).




According to Silalahi, he has also obtained information regarding the Al-Haramain Foundation during a meeting with Nur Wahid last week.




During the meeting, the foundation/LP2SI was reported to focus on Islamic studies and schools service.




“So, the only similarity between this foundation with the one in Saudi Arabia is its name,” stated Silalahi.




Separately, PKS President Hidayat Nur Wahid told reporters after a meeting with US Ambassador for Indonesia, Ralph L. Boyce, in Hotel Hilton Jakarta on Friday (27/2) that the US Government had promised to provide input to the UNSC to have the name of his foundation removed from the list of international terrorist groups.




“This will be done within the next few days,” said Nur Wahid quoting Boyce’s statement.






( Cahyo Junaedy/Faisal Assegaf-Koran Tempo