MUSLIM MAN LASHED BECAUSE OF SHARIA LOVE

Posted on October 27, 2012 by tagiyeh

A Muslim man accused of whipping his protegee 40 times with an electric cable for drinking alcohol said he
inflicted the punishment out of love, a Sydney court has been told.
Wassim Fayad allegedly told his victim Cristian Martinez, Next time you think of picking up a drink, you will
remember this pain, Burwood Local Court was told on Monday.
Fayad, 44, Zakaryah Raad, 21, Tolga Cifci, 21, and Cengiz Coskun, 22, have pleaded not guilty over the alleged
incident in Mr Martinezs Silverwater apartment in western Sydney between July 16 and July 17 last year.
They have been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company and stealing CCTV footage.
Mr Martinez, 32, had been introduced to the Islamic faith several years before and had come to regard Fayad,
also known as Fadi Alemaddin, as his spiritual leader, prosecutor Sevinch Morkaya said.
After Mr Martinez got drunk and took cocaine, he called Fayad, telling him, Im in trouble and I need to get off
the drugs.
In one of several phone calls played in court, Fayad could be heard replying, It means Im going to tie you up,
brother, because thats what you need.
Mr Martinez told the court he had no memory of the phone calls.
That night, Raad called around to Mr Martinezs apartment and later let the other three men in before they woke
up a sleeping Mr Martinez, the court heard.
Mr Martinez said he was friends with Raad, but he had only seen the other two men on a couple of occasions
and didnt know their names.
(Fayad) told me I was going to be punished under Islamic law for what Id been doing with drugs and alcohol,
Mr Martinez said.
I was a bit stirred up but I always believed in him.
Mr Martinez said Raad and the other two men then held him down on the bed while Fayad started hitting him with
an electric cable.
I was begging, please no more, I dont want any more, he said.
After the first ten lashes, the men let Mr Martinez go and he vomited while they held a wet towel on his back
before he agreed to return to the bed, the court heard.
They didnt force me, he said.
However, Mr Martinez said he soon began begging and crying again and, after he vomited following the 20th
lash, he was forced back onto the bed.
I knew I had done the wrong thing, but I couldnt believe I was getting these hits, he said.
Mr Martinez said he was told he should be getting 80 lashes for intoxication and that only the infirm were given
40 lashes.
After it was over, the court heard Fayad told Mr Martinez, I did it because I love you.
I couldnt believe it, Mr Martinez said. I was so angry. I was furious.
The court heard Mr Martinez initially only identified Fayad to police.
He later naming Raad as one of his attackers after Raad called him up and told him there were powerful people
in Auburn.
I took that as a threat, Mr Martinez said.
Magistrate Brian Maloney was told the evidence against Cifci and Coskun was circumstantial, and issues would
be raised in relation to Mr Martinezs identification of them.

ACEH SHUTS DOWN BUDDHIST TEMPLES AND CHURCHES

Posted on October 25, 2012 by tagiyeh
Authorities have closed nine churches and six Buddhist temples in Banda Aceh in the last week, following
mounting pressure from local Islamist groups, activists and church officials said on Sunday.
Theophilus Bela, chairman of Jakarta Christian Communication Forum, said that the churches priests were
forced to sign a statement to close their churches. Officials from the province that applies Shariah law supposedly
made the demands in a meeting that was attended by several Islamic organizations, including the Islamic
Defenders Front (FPI).
Its a blatant act of intolerance, Theophilus said.
The churches include the Indonesian Bethel Church (GBI), the Pantekosta Church and the Indonesia Christian
Church.
Nico Tarigan, a priest and head of GBI church, acknowledged that the permit needed for the church to remain
open had not been issued from the mayors office, even though the paperwork for the permit had been submitted
a long time ago.
We admit we have not had the permit, he said by telephone. But they cant just close down our church. We
have 80 members that dont know where to pray.
Illiza Saaduddin Djamal, Banda Aceh deputy mayor, said that the nine churches and six temples have violated
the citys regulation, and should be closed down.
The congregation members can join churches that have secured permits, he said. As a province that applies
Islamist law, Aceh has a special law on this issue.
He also called on Acehs Christians to respect the law.
However, Nico said that other churches were not necessarily open to members from other congregations.
We hope there is a better solution from the Aceh government, Nico said. We have no motive to compete with
other religions or ruin Islamic teaching. We have been here for eight years. They can ask local officials if we have
done damage to Islamic teaching.
The FPI will continue to monitor these illegal churches and temples so that they dont resume their activities,
said FPI chairman Yusuf Al-Qardhawy.

ACEH MEMUSNAHKAN TEMUAN BUDDHIST DAN GEREJA

Dikirim pada 25 Oktober 2012 oleh tagiyeh
Pihak berwenang telah menutup sembilan gereja dan enam kuil Buddha di Banda Aceh pada pekan lalu,
menyusul tekanan yang meningkat dari kelompok Islam setempat, para aktivis dan pejabat gereja mengatakan
pada hari Minggu.
Theophilus Bela, ketua Forum Komunikasi Kristen Jakarta, mengatakan bahwa para imam gereja dipaksa
menandatangani sebuah pernyataan untuk menutup gereja mereka. Pejabat dari provinsi yang menerapkan
hukum Syariah tersebut diduga membuat tuntutan dalam sebuah pertemuan yang dihadiri oleh beberapa
organisasi Islam, termasuk Front Pembela Islam (FPI).
"Ini tindakan intoleransi yang terang-terangan," kata Theophilus.
Gereja-gereja tersebut mencakup Gereja Bethel Indonesia (GBI), Gereja Pantekosta dan Gereja Kristen
Indonesia.
Nico Tarigan, seorang imam dan kepala gereja GBI, mengakui bahwa izin yang dibutuhkan agar gereja tetap
terbuka belum dikeluarkan dari kantor walikota, walaupun surat-surat untuk izin tersebut telah diajukan sejak
lama.
"Kami akui kami belum memiliki izin," katanya melalui telepon. "Tapi mereka tidak bisa menutup gereja kita.
Kami memiliki 80 anggota yang tidak tahu harus sholat. "
Illiza Sa'aduddin Djamal, walikota Banda Aceh, mengatakan bahwa kesembilan gereja dan enam kuil telah
melanggar peraturan kota, dan harus ditutup.
"Anggota kongregasi bisa bergabung dengan gereja-gereja yang memiliki izin," katanya. "Sebagai provinsi yang
menerapkan hukum Islam, Aceh memiliki undang-undang khusus mengenai masalah ini."
Dia juga meminta orang-orang Kristen Aceh untuk menghormati undang-undang tersebut.
Namun, Nico mengatakan bahwa gereja lain tidak harus terbuka untuk anggota jemaat lain.
"Kami berharap ada solusi yang lebih baik dari pemerintah Aceh," kata Nico. "Kami tidak punya motif bersaing
dengan agama lain atau merusak ajaran Islam. Kami telah berada di sini selama delapan tahun. Mereka bisa
bertanya kepada pejabat setempat jika kita telah merusak ajaran Islam. "
"FPI akan terus memantau gereja dan kuil ilegal ini sehingga mereka tidak melanjutkan aktivitasnya," kata ketua
FPI Yusuf Al-Qardhawy.