A Muslim guard who died trying to protect churchgoers from one of 33 bombs delivered to churches and priests' homes across Indonesia on Christmas Eve has been hailed a hero by the country's largest Muslim organization.
Syafullah Yusuf, head of the Ansor wing of the 40-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama, said Tuesday that Riyanto (eds:one name), an Ansor member, would be declared an Ansor Hero.
"He must be declared a hero because he fell on duty, protecting religious harmony," Yusuf was quoted as saying by the Detik.com news service.
At least 14 people died in the near-simultaneous explosions that stretched from Lombok island in Indonesia's south-east to Pekanbaru in the north-west, affecting eight cities as Christmas Eve masses were celebrated.
Police managed to defuse 15 of the bombs, including two bombs at separate Jakarta churches weighing 13 and 14 kilograms (28.6 to 30.8 pounds) each.
Riyanto was guarding the Ebeneizer Church in Mojokerto, East Java, when he became suspicious of an abandoned blue bag containing a mass of nails, cables and fuses.
He handed it to a policeman, who, seeing the contents, screamed 'It's a bomb!' and threw it out of his hands, sending everyone except Riyanto scattering, Ansor deputy Imam Gozali told the Detik.com news service.
Riyanto instead picked the bomb up and tried to throw it into a ditch.
The force of the explosion threw him 200 meters. He died on the spot.
"He was trying to minimize the number of victims in case it exploded," Gozali said.
A second blue bag was found in the church after the explosion, immediately removed, and another Ansor guard defused it, Ansor's East Java leader Muhammad Rofiq said.
Muslim leaders have roundly condemned the blasts.
Choked with emotion, prominent Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid denounced the bombings during a Christmas Day address.
"We are concerned and express our condolences," he said, according to the Jakarta Post.
Two radical Muslim groups, the Laskar Jihad (Jihad Warriors) and FPI (Islamic Defenders' Front) issued statements on Monday denying involvement and condemning the blasts -- JAKARTA (AFP)
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