Police investigation is underway after a makeshift bomb was found at the grand mosque of Kasepuhan Sultanate in Cirebon, West Java, on Saturday.
The bomb was found inside a plastic bag by two caretakers of the mosque inside the main room of the mosque. They immediately reported the finding to the police.
Police arrived at the scene at around 12:30 p.m and immediately combed the area.
News portal kompas.com reported that the bomb consisted of gasoline, 50 thumb-sized firecrackers, pieces of broken glass and a timer.
According to Chief Brig. Agus Ridho, one of the member of the police bomb squad, the bomb had been activated but failed to go off.
Last week, Swadaya Gunung Jati University campus in Cirebon was evacuated following bomb threats that were sent to the local police chief and university lectures.
Adj. Comr. Ari Laksamana Widjaya, chief of Cirebon City Police, said that they have yet connection between the finding and the threats.
Actually, two masjid's caretaker, Rahmat and Hasan have seen that plastic bag at Friday (26 Feb / 12 Rabiul awal) around 3:00 p.m but they assumed if that owned by a someone who pray in that masjid.
Saturday morning they saw that plastic bag again, they opened that and they found a bomb in that. They reported it to palace caretaker and police. Police came, checked that bomb and found the timer was on but it failed to explode because one wire was cut (disconnected). Then they swept the masjid area and found a paper on a pillar with a threat written on it "The bomb will blast the masjid if jama'ah and especially masjid's caretaker do not salat five times per day".
This makeshift bomb was found near area that reserved for Sultan Maulana Pakuningrat and his family in salat juma'ah. However, in that Friday Sultan did salat juma'ah in other masjid.
According to Prince Arief Natadiningrat from Kasepuhan palace, the bomb probably was planned to explode during salat juma'ah or during 'Panjang Jimat ceremony', and the target was Sultan and his family.
Kasepuhan grand mosque, Cirebon, was built around 1500 a.d and popular with the yearly ritual, Panjang Jimat ceremony every 12 rabiul awal in Islamic calendar for celebrate Prophet Muhammad (saw) birthday (mawlid). Thousands people from many cities come to Kasepuhan palace and masjid every year for participate in this ceremony.
Panjang Jimat ceremony itself is a mixed ritual between Islamic and traditional ritual. According to the numbers of Ulama, Panjang Jimat ceremony is bid'ah or even shirk.
Started few years ago, in Indonesia mawlid becomes a controversy after some people made a statement, mawlid is bid'ah, and they also launch 'Anti mawlid movement'.
Firecrackers are harmless things, they were obviously just saving them for a celebration.
Occupation: The term of control of a territory by foreign military forces: Iraq 2003-2005 Liberation:when something or someone is freed: Operation Telic 2003
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