Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy chairman for politics and security, Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR), Azis Syamsuddin, has asked the police to ascertain the motive behind the recent knife attack on popular Muslim preacher Sheikh Ali Jaber.
The attack took place while Sheikh Ali Jaber was attending a mass Islamic gathering at the Falahudin Mosque in Suka Jawa neighborhood of Tanjung Karang Barat sub-district, Bandar Lampung city, Lampung province, on Sunday.
The attack on the charismatic preacher was a despicable and uncivilized act, said Syamsuddin.
"I strongly condemn this incident. Law enforcement officers must immediately reveal the motive of the perpetrator of the immoral attack. The police should not easily conclude 'psychiatric disorders' against the perpetrator," he said in a statement issued in Jakarta on Monday.
Azis asked the police to be quick and firm in investigating the case in detail so that the real motive can be determined.
According to him, if there are other actors behind the attacker, they must be exposed and firm action must be taken against them, in accordance with law.
The deputy chairman of Golkar said he hoped the incident serves as a lesson for security forces so that Islamic mass gatherings can be made more secure in the future.
Azis said he will oversee the investigation carried out by the police.
"I question the operational standards of the security being carried out. I ask that the early detection and security functions in the future be carried out properly by the police and intelligence," he stated.
The people of Lampung are quite peaceful, he observed adding, the stabbing incident has greatly disturbed public order in the area.
He said he hoped that the community returns to calm so that preachers can continue their activities on dakwah (religious proselytizing) without worrying.
"I pray for Sheikh Ali Jaber to recover from the wounds he suffered and to return to dakwah in the process of practicing worship and providing enlightenment in society," he added.
Sheikh Ali Jaber sustained a minor injury on the right arm after he was suddenly attacked by Alfin Andrian, 24, while conversing with two of the event’s participants onstage.
According to a video of the incident circulated on the YouTube channel, Andrian, who reportedly resides near the mosque, was caught by several participants shortly after he attacked Ali Jaber.
Tanjung Karang Barat Police Chief, Adjunct Commissioner David Sianipar, informed ANTARA that Sheikh Ali Jaber has been admitted to the Gedong Air Public Health Center for treatment, while the attacker has been detained.
Local police have interrogated the suspect to determine the motive behind the sudden knife attack, Sianipar remarked.
Born in Medina, Saudi Arabia, on February 3, 1976, Sheikh Ali Jaber, whose full name is Ali Saleh Mohammed Ali Jaber, is widely known as a Muslim preacher and ulema. (INE)
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EDITED BY INE
