Two Indonesian women who were kidnapped by an Islamic militant group in Iraq and released earlier this week arrived in Jakarta Thursday.
After meeting with President Megawati Sukarnoputri and a tearful reunion with family, the two women -- Istiqomah binti Misnad and Casingkem binti Aspin -- told reporters about how they were taken hostage by a group called the Islamic Army in Iraq.
The women said they had their eyes blindfolded and hands tied and were taken to a warehouse and beaten.
But when they told the kidnappers they were Muslims from Indonesia and were able to recite the Koran, the women were treated well by their kidnappers.
Istiqomah said she and Casingkem had set out for Jordan after being promised work there as house maids. But they were driven to the war-torn city of Fallujah in Iraq instead, and were taken hostage before they even reached the city.
She said the kidnappers released them after Megawati, broadcasted by Al-Jazeera television station, made an appeal for their release.
Initially, the kidnappers demanded the release of Indonesian terror suspect Abu Bakar Baasyir, but the Muslim militant preacher has strongly rejected such a ransom.
© Copyright 2004 by United Press International
