Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim on Friday expressed disapproval of certain people trying to recruit terrorists by using marriage as bait.

"Such marriages have no place in religious teachings," he said, adding that marriage is a holy institution expected to deliver peace, hope and love.

In Islam, he reiterated, marriage is not merely a pledge between two human beings but also a covenant with God.

If a marriage is used as a means of recruiting terrorists, it will take away the sacredness of it and will be far removed from the Islamic teachings, he underlined.

It has been reported that one of the suspected terrorists arrested in Bekasi, West Java, recently had recruited a would-be suicide bomber by first marrying the woman.

On Saturday (Dec 10), polices anti-terrorist squad Densus 88 had arrested suspected terrorists Muhammad Nur Solihin, Agus Supriyadi and Dian Yulia Novi in Bekasi.

Dian, the wife of Nur Solihin, is believed to be the "bride" who was to carry out a suicide bombing.

MNS and AS were arrested from the Kalimalang flyover in Bekasi while DYN, a woman, was nabbed from her lodging house on Bintara Jaya 8, Bekasi, West Java.

The police discovered self-made rice cooker bombs in Room 104, occupied by DYN, in the three-storey lodging house.

A bomb defusing team exploded one of the three active bombs found at the location.

Densus 88 also arrested terrorist suspect S alias Abu Iza in Sabrang Kulon, Metasih, Karanganyar, Central Java, that day.

Initial investigations revealed that the MNS network planned to detonate the bomb at the State Palace on Sunday (Dec 12).

"As per the plan, it was to be detonated on Sunday morning (Dec 12). MNS and AS were to take DYN to the Istiqlal Mosque and from there, she was to walk to the palace nearby," Head of Public Participation Section of the National Polices Public Information Bureau, Senior Commissioner Awi Setiyono, disclosed.

DYN was set to act as the "bride" in the "amaliyah" (service) action which was to be carried out at the time of change of palace guards.

Till date, a total of 11 people have been arrested from various regions, all connected to the MNS network.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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