Indonesian Cafes Raided during Ramadhan

By Kenneth Conboy

In what has become an unfortunate Ramadhan tradition, nightspots around Indonesia have been on their guard for raids by hard-line Islamic groups demanding their closure during the fasting month. Between 1998 and 2002, such raids were common in Jakarta and other parts of Java. In more recent years, however, their frequency has dwindled. Thus far during this Ramadhan, there was a 30 September incident involving hundreds of militants from the Islamic Defender’s Front raiding cafés around Bogor (West Java). And on 1 October, 200 persons vandalized street-side stalls that were open in Depok (West Java).

In addition, the police on 21 September interrogated the head of the newly-reformed Front Hizbullah, Sayafuddin Mutho, after claims that his militants destroyed a street-side stall that had remained open in Pandeglang district (Banten province) during daylight hours.

The Banten-based Front Hizbullah, which has no connection to other Hizbullah militias that have periodically sprung up elsewhere in Indonesia, traces its lineage back to 1998. During that year, Cecep Bustomi, a fiery Islamic activist, first established a small radical group calling itself Hizbullah in the town of Pandeglang. This group specialized in raiding nightclubs, bars, and outdoor festivals across Banten province. Not surprisingly, the once thriving tourist industry in northern Banten began to wither. In August 2000, members of Hizbullah attempted to break up an outdoor cultural event near the provincial capital of Serang; during an ensuing altercation, they beat to death a member of the Indonesian army’s Special Forces.

Belatedly realizing his men had crossed the line, Bustomi the following day went to the Special Forces compound in Serang to offer an apology. This was apparently not accepted: unknown assailants riddled his car with automatic weapons fire and killed the cleric during his drive back to Pandeglang. Without a leader, Hizbullah subsequently went into remission.

Seven years later, on 2 September 2007, a new Front Hizbullah was resurrected by Imam Sayafuddin Mutho in Kadu Hejo sub-district, Pandeglang. Only a couple of dozen members were present at its inauguration. Cynics have suggested that Mutho’s motivation might not be based solely on religion. Indeed, authorities expect many new hard-line religious groups to take root in Indonesia over the coming year so that they can be better placed to “rent” themselves out to political parties campaigning during the run-up to the 2009 presidential elections.

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