Cult leaders arrested
Earlier, Malaysia cracks down on cult group, Sky Kingdom. Now, Indonesia acts against another called God's Kingdom
The Electric New Paper, Singapore/February 2, 2006
This group makes bizarre claims.
Called God's Kingdom or Eden Community, the group claims it's a blend of all religions.
And its leader, a woman named Lia Aminuddin, 58, styles herself as the mate of the Archangel Gabriel.
The group's website proclaims her 'Her Majesty the Sun Lia Eden'.
Its bold attempt at online evangelising and its practices have caught the attention of both Malaysian and Indonesian authorities, reported Harian Metro.
The Selangor religious department (Jais) is asking Muslims to stay clear of this new group from Indonesia which, it is claimed, has deviationist teachings similar to that of Ayah Pin's Sky Kingdom.
Like Ayah Pin, who was associated with a giant teapot symbol, Ms Lia, a single mother born in Surabaya, makes big use of symbolic rituals. She used to be a 'flower connoisseur', according to the group's website.
Messages from angel
She claimed to have received special guidance and messages from Gabriel since 1997.
She changed her name to Lia Eden and claimed that she had been chosen to deliver God's directives to mankind.
Ms Lia also boldly announced that any individual or political leader who opposed her group would be punished by God.
And so when parts of Indonesia were hit by floods and landslides recently, she declared them to be God's retribution on her tormentors.
Ms Lia also claimed to have been appointed God's judge to judge people who did not want to believe and who abused the cult and its followers.
Since the cult's teachings were first spread, the number of followers has mounted, and some believers have even married within the group.
In Indonesia, members have also organised demonstrations calling on the government to recognise them as a religious group.
But Indonesia's religious affairs minister, Maftuh Basyuni, has confirmed that the cult's teachings deviate from Islam, Harian Metro reported.
Late last year, the Indonesian authorities raided a two-storey house in Jakarta, which was apparently the group's headquarters.
Hundreds of policemen surrounded the house owned by Lia Eden on 28 Dec and arrested Ms Lia and about 20 followers, comprising men, women and children.
However, the raid did not stop the spread of the group's teachings.
In Malaysia, while there have been no complaints about this group yet, the authorities are investigating.
A spokesman for the Selangor religious department said: 'Jais is taking a proactive approach because we have received complaints of the existence of a number of cults that have been brought in from neighbouring countries.'
The department is gathering information on God's Kingdom, he said.
Other cults in Malaysia
- AL-MA'UNAH In 2000, 29 members of this Klang-based extremist Islamic cult stole more than 100 assault rifles, machine guns and rocket launchers from an army outpost in Kedah to start an Islamic revolution.
- AL-ARQAM This sect was outlawed in 1994 for spreading its brand of Islamic mysticism. The Malaysian government banished Al-Arqam's leader, Ustaz Ashaari Muhammad, to Labuan island in Sabah.
- SKY KINGDOM Also known as the teapot cult for its use of a giant teapot as its symbol, it is led by Ayah Pin, 65, who believes he is the reincarnation of God.
They called for former Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to quit and killed two hostages. They surrendered after four days.
Believed to have more than 1,000 followers, the cult is based in Terengganu, where it runs a commune. Religious authorities have ruled that Ayah Pin's teachings are deviationist and have arrested dozens of his followers so far. Ayah Pin himself is currently in hiding.
Last year, government demolition crews demolished Sky Kingdom's giant teapot which followers believe have healing powers.
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