JAKARTA, July 29: Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) allowed Muslim followers to detonate suicide bombs as a last resort when fighting for their basic rights, it was reported Monday.

“Suicide bombers should be seen as an attempt to sacrifice themselves for the sake of Islamic principles, as well as in the people’s interest,” said Abdul Malik Madani, an NU activist, at the end of a four-day meeting on Sunday.

However, Madani said, Islam prohibits its followers from committing suicide without good reason, namely fighting for the truth, or to further religious principles.

“The suicide bomb is only allowed in Islam under certain conditions, which include upholding Islamic principles, but not primarily for bombers to intentionally kill themselves or to attract public attention,” The Jakarta Post quoted Madani as saying.

The group of 40 milllion members recommended that convicted corrupt officials be sentenced to death in an effort to fight against such acts that took their toll on many people’s lives by causing great poverty and misery.

“That’s why corruptors must be given a very heavy sentence,” said M. Subadar, a senior cleric who chaired an NU commission dealing with corruption and other crucial problems.

Corruption has become rampant in the world’s fourth most populous nation. Indonesia consistently ranks as one of the world’s most corrupt countries.

A 10-point recommendation issued by the congress said that although the NU fully supported current efforts to ammend the 1945 constitution, it wanted an article guaranteeing freedom of religion kept untouched.

Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim-populated state with nearly 88 per cent of its 215 million people following Islam, but Islam is not the state religion and different faiths are widely accepted.

The NU also rejected any plan by the United States and its allies to attack Iraq and reiterated its support for Palestinian statehood, urged the world and the United Nations to halt what it called Israeli aggression in the Middle East.—dpa