Owners of entertainment venues in Jakarta are breathing a sigh of relief after a hardline Islamic group pledged not to raid them during the holy month of Ramadan which begins this weekend. “I affirm that the Jakarta chapter of the Islam Defenders Front [FPI] will not be conducting raids this year against nighttime entertainment venues,” Habib Salim bin Umar Al Attas, the group’s head, told ucanews.com yesterday. He was responding to a police statement earlier this week warning groups not to take the law into their own hands and that firm action would be taken against any mass organizations looking to disturb the peace during Ramadan. “If the police ban us from conducting raids, [they must] make sure that they do their job so that Ramadan will not be disturbed,” Habib Salim said. According to police, several types of entertainment venue would be permitted to remain open, although with some restrictions. Karaoke and live music lounges, for example, would only be allowed to operate from 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Pool halls located within other establishments face the same restrictions, while others can operate from 10 a.m. until midnight. The FPI, however, have made no such pledge for other parts of the country and have threatened to raid night spots if they remain open during Ramadan. The hardline group is notorious for its use of mob tactics in raids and acts of violence against groups and places they consider “un-Islamic,” such as stores selling alcohol, nightclubs and other entertainment establishments, particularly during Ramadan. Related reports Opposition to hardliners grows Islamic radicals threaten Catholic gathering