Muslim mob attacks Indonesia Christians

BBC ^ | April 28, 2003

[Frances_Marion]

Sunday, 28 April, 2002, 07:15 GMT 08:15 UK Muslim mob attacks Indonesia Christians

At least 12 people have been killed by a Muslim mob which attacked a Christian village in the Moluccan islands in eastern Indonesia. The violence then spread to the regional capital, Ambon city, where a bomb went off, and a centre for Christian and Muslim children and one of the city's main churches were set on fire.

It is the most serious outbreak of violence in the Moluccas since a peace deal was signed by Christian and Muslim leaders in February 2002.

The deal was intended to put an end to three years of sectarian violence in which more than 6,000 people have died.

Homes set alight

The violence began early on Sunday in the village of Soya.

"They attacked the village by using home-made bombs and set fire to some of the houses,"a local journalist said.

There are reports that some 30 homes and a church were set on fire.

Six people are reported to have been stabbed to death, and a further six are said to have died in the fires.

Christian sources say the Soya attack was carried out by a Muslim mob armed with machetes, knives and bombs.

Two of the attackers also died in the fighting.

Many of the villagers, particularly the women and children, have now fled the area.

Ambon police chief Brigadier-General Sunarko Danu Artanto confirmed the attack, but gave no further details.

Independence

The violence comes after the Christian separatist South Moluccas Republic (RMS) group raised flags in Ambon on Thursday, the 52nd anniversary of a failed independence bid.

Angry Muslim crowds took to the streets in response, and the leader of the extremist Islamic organisation, Laskar Jihad, called on all Muslims in the Moluccan islands to launch a renewed war against the Christian community.

The group's commander, Jafar Umar Thalib, told thousands attending a rally after Friday prayers that the peace agreement should be ignored.

BBC Jakarta correspondent Richard Galpin says the critical issue now is whether the authorities can prevent the violence from spreading - which would mean clamping down on the activities of Laskar Jihad, which so far the government has been afraid to do.

Muslims make up 85% of Indonesia's 210 million people, but in the Moluccas half the population is Christian.

[Frances_Marion]

Two of the attackers also died in the fighting.

Only two. Damn.

More of Laskar Jihad's antics....if you fly a freakin' flag, you deserve death according to the jihadists. Looks like it could be E. Timor all over again. Funny that Bill Clinton who supplied the Indonesian jihadists with the most weapons of any administration was sent over as a representative for E. Timor's Independence Day...how he got out of there alive, I'll never know.

[jimtorr]

.....the critical issue now is whether the authorities can prevent the violence from spreading.........

I think a better question might be, are the authorities willing to halt the violence? Will they actually participate, as they did in E. Timor?

[Frances_Marion]

Exactly.

[ZULU]

More from the "Peaceful" religion. Why is it that you never hear of Muslims as victims in interreligious murders these days, unless they are victims of another sect of the "Peaceful" religion??


Why does the U.N. and the U.S. continue to sit quietly and idlely by while the"Peaceful" religion goes on to murder non-Muslims in Nigeria, the Sudan, Indonesia, and other areas of the world? Why are these people continually permitted to commit religious genocide??

[Gabrielle Reilly]

Actually, I think the best question is... are they capable of controlling 178 million people?
Jikharta has been bombed twice in the past week due to the action against the Bali bombers.
Although the Sidharta family was so corrupt, at least they had control. I wonder if this recent violence is the result of the long term effects of corruption and the fall out of the economy, lack of strong leadership or both?
If anyone is interested in a fantastic novel on the region "Revolt in Paradise" by Katut Tantri who just died recently. Katut is the Indonesian name given to the fourth child. The author was actually an American women.

[Gritty]

Where Muslims exist in large numbers, there are usually bloodly persecutions involved - against the other side.

[Destructor]

Remember: Islam is a religion of peace.

[Gabrielle Reilly]

Yes we do need to keep telling the world Islam is a religion of peace. The extreme fundamentalists only represent a small portion of the religion. Thanks for reminding me.

[joesnuffy]

The few do the violence the rest just cheer them on

[mikeIII]

Muslims make up 85% of Indonesia's 210 million people,

They won't rest until the remaining 15% is eliminated. It's not for nothing they claim it is the fastest spreading "religion"!

[Michael2001]

The religion of peace strikes again

[John Valentine]

Jikharta = Jakarta
Sidharta = Suharto
Katut = Ketut

If you want to read a REALLY superb novel set in this part of the world, read the "Buru Quartet" by Pramoedya Ananta Toer. Four books and world class stuff, translated by the Australian journalist, Max Lane.

Book One: This Earth of Mankind
Book Two: Child of All Nations
Book Three: Footsteps
Book Four: Glass House

[chasio649]

good point!

[Dec31,1999]

The violence then spread

It's as if "violence" as a concept in and of itself took upon itself to do something. Amazing!

Concepts just "spead" without any doers of the action in question.

That's the BBC for ya!

[Dec31,1999]

where a bomb went off,

A bomb "went off". It wasn't detonated, just, "went off"; probably a case of bombs thinking for themseves, according to the BBC.

Again, there was no doer of the action.

[Dec31,1999]

The few do the violence the rest just cheer them on

You got that right. Some don't though. Which ones are which?

[Dec31,1999]

Not usually... Always!

[Gabrielle Reilly]

Thanks for the book recommendations and editing for me. I have always been far too interested in exploring ideas and concepts rather than paying attention to bothersome grammer and typo's. Much to my Father's disdain also. So unfortunately, please expect them in my posts as am I normally writing on the fly.

[John Valentine]

No criticism meant or impleid....

[Gabrielle Reilly]

None taken. Or translated into Australian... no worries. Thank you for being so diplomatic though. The world needs so much more of that right now. I look forward to looking at the books you recommended.