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Indonesian Muslims ask Taliban to release Korean hostages | August 05, 2007

JAKARTA, Indonesia: Muslim organizations in Indonesia urged the Taliban Saturday to release 21 South Korean hostages in Afghanistan, saying the kidnappings contradict the teachings of Islam and had damaged the religion's image.

The Associated Press
Published: August 4, 2007

JAKARTA, Indonesia: Muslim organizations in Indonesia urged the Taliban Saturday to release 21 South Korean hostages in Afghanistan, saying the kidnappings contradict the teachings of Islam and had damaged the religion's image.

Two of the largest Islamic organizations in the world's most populous Muslim nation — Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah — said separately that Indonesian Muslims strongly condemned the act of kidnapping and the killing of two Korean hostages.

"It has damaged the image of Islam and is contradictory to Islamic teachings," said Din Syamsuddin, chairman of Muhammadiyah, told The Associated Press by telephone from an interfaith conference in Kyoto, Japan.

Meanwhile, Hasyim Muzadi, who leads Indonesia's moderate 40-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama, asked the Taliban to follow the Islamic teachings that women are prohibited from being captured and urged Muslim communities all over the world to help in freeing the hostages.

"Though the kidnappers are Muslim, it has no connection with religion," Muzadi said, adding that the Taliban were pursuing their own political interests.

Muzadi said he would seek the help of Islamic clerics in the Middle East and Afghanistan to release the hostages.

The South Koreans were abducted on July 19 in Afghanistan's Ghazni province. The Taliban have already shot and killed two men in the church group, which was doing voluntary health work in Afghanistan.

Posted by admin at August 5, 2007 12:52 PM


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