Jakarta, NU online
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) condemned the suicide bombing that took place at Tugu Kartasura Security Post, Sukoharjo in Central Java, Antara news agency reported.

The bomb exploded near the Security Post at Tugu Kartasura, Sukoharjo on Monday night (3/6), at 23.00 WIB.

"Islam clearly and strongly denounces the practice of suicide bombings. From the Indonesian Ulema Council the problem of suicide bombings is clarified through fatwa number 3 of 2004," said the Secretary General of the MUI, Anwar Abbas, in Jakarta on Tuesday.

In the fatwa, it was explained that suicide bombings are haram (forbidden) because they are a form of despair (al-ya'su) and self-harm (ihlak an-nafs), both in peace and in war.

"Therefore, if someone commits a suicide bombing, the MUI condemns the action because the act clearly violates the provisions of religious teachings," he said.

He added that he hoped the police can reveal the motives of the perpetrators and look for solutions in the future, so that similar events do not happen again.

"So we hope that the police can find the real motives, so that we, as a nation, can seek solutions and preventive actions in the future," he said. (Masdar)