Indonesia Muslims to guard churches

al Jazzera ^ | 09 Dec 2005

[Semper911]

Volunteers from Indonesia's largest Islamic organisation will guard churches across the world's most populous Muslim nation on Christmas amid fears of terrorist attacks.

Jakarta police have said they will boost security in the capital ahead of Christmas to avoid a repeat of 2000 Christmas Eve bombings on churches in several Indonesian cities, including the country's capital.

A youth wing affiliated with Indonesia's largest Muslim group, Nahdlatul Ulama, 40 million strong, told Reuters on Friday that its members would guard churches for the coming Christmas festivities and it had persuaded youths from other religions to join the project.

Tatang Hidayat, national coordinator of NU's Banser group, said: "We have an annual programme to set up posts to secure Christmas. For this year, I have contacted groups from other religions like the Hindus and Buddhists and they have responded positively."

Hidayat said the volunteers would closely collaborate with existing police operations and the churches' own security.

Around 17,000 policemen are expected to safeguard Christmas celebrations in Jakarta alone.

[neverdem]

reckon .net is taqiyah?

What is taqiyah, propaganda for consumption by infidels?

[King Prout]

yeh.

[xachthegreat]

I checked the link and also cross checked via Yahoo news and sure enough more stories of the same are there. This is wonderful news. Before anyone starts to have doubts or bash al Jazeera, I think one should at least have hope and pray that nothing happens on Christmas to Christians or Muslims. Remember the angel's salutation: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

This could be by far the best news we've seen in quite some time.

[Semper911]

checked the link and also cross checked

Thanks for looking into it.

So you are saying you believe there will be Muslims protecting Christians from the wrath of other Muslims this Christmas?

I am not saying I don't believe it, but as I said...I want to believe.

[Old Student]

"Well said."

I spent 24 years in the Air Force for a reason. One of my dad's friends told an impressionable 17-year-old some very interesting stories about being in the first wave to hit the beach at Iwo Jima. My vision wasn't good enough to be a combat troop, so I decided to be a darned good technician, instead. I've also read enough history to know what it requires to take and hold territory. USAF it ain't. I didn't have what it took to be a Marine, but I could do my best to support them. Got to practice it during Desert Storm, too.

[Semper911]

Thank you for your service to our country, Master Sergeant.

[kanawa]

"Peace on earth to men of goodwill."

And Marines at the doorstep for the rest...

Amen

[hinckley buzzard]

We'll see. It sounds to me too much like the PA offering to bring Hamas to heel. Time will tell.

[Brilliant]

They'll guard them on Christmas, blow them up on the day after.

[thathamiltonwoman]

Class, we're now going to read the story of the fox in the hen house.

[Old Student]

"Class, we're now going to read the story of the fox in the hen house."

No, madam. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. That is why we are still recruiting for all four branches of the military, and the Coast Guard. Hopefully, the Christians in Indonesia are doing their own equivalent. Kindly note that Iraqi soldiers and police are dying every day, working with our people. The Afgani people, likewise. Muslims are not the problem, only some people who claim to be Muslim. (Admittedly, far too many of them for comfort.) There are also Turks, Kurds, and Persians who are on our side, as well. It is quite possible that there are Indonesian Muslims who are not Islamofacists. Time will tell. IIRC, the authorities there have arrested four suspects in the killing of the schoolgirls, for example. Not everyone thinks that sort of thing is proper and appropriate behavior, even there in Indonesia.