Recently in Indonesia Category

But...but...didn't John Brennan, Obama's counterterrorism czar, say that "they are not jihadists, for jihad is a holy struggle"? Mohammed Jibril must be a Misunderstander of Islam. Funny how the only ones who don't know Brennan's lessons on jihad are the jihadists themselves. "'Prince of Jihad' to face bombing trial," by Adam Gartrell for AAP, February 18 (thanks to Twostellas):

An Indonesian Islamist nicknamed the "Prince of Jihad" will face trial accused of raising funds for last year's Jakarta hotel attacks but prosecutors admit they may struggle to convict him.

Prosecutors will allege Mohammed Jibril was linked to terrorist Saifuddin Jaelani, also known as Saifuddin Zuhri, one of the chief planners of the July 17 bombings on the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels that killed seven, including three Australians.

They will allege Jaelani received funds from a retired Saudi teacher named Al Khelaw Ali Abdullah which he passed on to Jibril to open an internet cafe in 2008.

"From this internet cafe they could generate some more money as well as using it as a way to communicate their views to the outside world," prosecutor Totok Bambang told AAP ahead of next week's trial.

Before the attacks Jibril, 25, was well-known for publishing a popular radical Islamist website and a glossy magazine called Jihadmagz.

He is the son of prominent radical cleric Abu Jibril, a former student of Abu Bakar Bashir, the spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiah (JI), the group responsible for the 2002 Bali bombings....

Note how it is entirely the responsibility of women to avoid provoking men with "unduly sexy gym suits or physical exercises and movements that excite [them]." For that matter, it is noteworthy that the burden of avoiding "provocation" always falls more heavily on those who are subjugated under Islamic law -- that is, women and unbelievers.

The emergence and survival of a civilized society depends on self control, and that cannot be the duty of only one gender or party.

"Aerobics contrary to Islam, promotes lust, Sumatra Islamic leader says," by Mathias Hariyadi for Asia News, February 15:

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - "Sexy attire" used by women during aerobics class is "against the spirit of Islam," said the Indonesian Islamic Ulemas Council (MUI) in Palembang, South Sumatra province. The statement comes only a few weeks after the agency in charge of public morality and the defence of Islamic values had issued a similar fatwa concerning hairdos and pre-marital photos. In its recent pronouncement, it targeted sexy outfits that "provoke lust in men."

For the MUI, it is wrong especially for young women to wear "improper" garments during aerobic exercises in gyms or in the open air, because of their effect on men.

Aerobic exercises early in the morning, especially during weekends, have become a regular activity for thousands of women of all ages.

Kiai Hajj Sodikun, MUI leader in Palembang, said women should wear more chaste clothing so as not to arouse men. Because of this, unduly sexy gym suits or physical exercises and movements that excite men "should be considered haram (morally illicit)".

Mr Kiai does acknowledge the importance of physical exercises for human health, but insists that they must be practiced with the appropriate clothing.

The main problem is that no one knows with any certainty what garment or exercise is illicit and what is not. In many Indonesian provinces, there are many traditional dances and body movements, different from one to the other.

And that's where edicts like this are headed in the long run, not unlike previous legislation that contained vaguely worded injunctions against "pornography."

"Such views are a very poor argument," gym teacher Herlina told AsiaNews. "What about women wearing bikini at the beach or whilst swimming?" Jakarta resident Maria asks. "The MUI seems to be short of arguments to address problems raised in modern society," she added.

Founded in1975 by then President Suharto, the MUI has grown powerful over the years in the areas of morality and behaviour; it has been able to issue guidelines on its own on what constitute licit or illicit attitudes, customs and habits.

Its members act as if they and they alone held the power to define how Islam must be respected and its principles upheld. Over the years, its fatwas over clothing, smoking, fashion and traditions deeply rooted in the archipelago's history and culture have been controversial.

All of the possible bad puns aside, there is the usual question of priorities. Again, imagine if the same clerics tackled so-called "extremism" in Muslim communities with such directness and zeal. "Indonesian clerics warn against Valentine's Day's 'free sex'," from Agence France-Presse, February 13:

Muslim leaders in Indonesia told the faithful not to celebrate Valentine's Day because it is sinful and leads to "free sex". "We forbid Muslims to celebrate Valentine's Day," said Abdullah Cholil, an East Java leader of Nahdlatul Ulama, the mainly Muslim country's biggest Islamic organisation. "The day is often celebrated by young, unmarried people. They celebrate Valentine's Day by holding hands or having free sex, which they are not supposed to be doing," he said. Lalilurrahman, the East Java branch chief of the country's highest Islamic body, the Indonesian Ulema Council, said the celebration of romance and love was a Western tradition and therefore should not interest Muslims. "Valentine's Day originated from Western culture. It's not in accordance with Islamic and Eastern culture," he said. Shopping centres in Indonesia's major cities are decked out with Valentine's Day gift offerings as well as displays marking Chinese New Year. Most Indonesians are moderate Muslims and few pay much attention to the moral edicts of local Islamic leaders.

There's the standard boilerplate about Modern, Moderate Indonesia. But the usual lack of clarity about what constitutes "moderation" prevails. Here, AFP equates it with inattention or indifference.

Committing murder and mayhem and believing it to be his religious duty to do so. This religious duty is the key to understanding his goals and motives, and it is the one thing that our government and law enforcement authorities have decided is beyond the bounds of legitimate investigation. "Indonesian Said 'God Is Great' as Hotels Attacked," from Reuters, February 10:

JAKARTA (Reuters) - An Indonesian suspect went on trial on Wednesday charged in connection with bomb attacks on two luxury hotels in Jakarta and a plan to assassinate President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Amir Abdillah, 34, is the first to appear of a group of defendants believed to have taken orders from Noordin Mohammad Top, the head of a violent wing of militant Islamic group Jemaah Islamiah, which police said was behind the attacks.

State prosecutor Totok Bambang told South Jakarta Court Abdillah helped other group members to launch suicide bomb attacks at the Ritz Carlton and J.W. Marriott hotels in July 2009, in which 11 people were killed, including the suicide bombers, and 53 wounded.

"The defendant was involved and was aware of the plan and the implementation of the terror acts... The defendant also knew there would be another bombing targeting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono," another prosecutor, Kiki Ahmad Yani, told the court.

Prosecutors said Abdillah was nearby on the morning of the hotel attacks, and, according to his statements to police, said "Allahu Akbar," or "God is great," before and after the bombs exploded....

"When worship continued unabated, a mob took matters into its own hands."

Islamic Tolerance Alert from modern, moderate Indonesia: "Muslim Mob Burns Pastor's Home, 2 Churches," from International Christian Concern via AINA, February 3:

Washington -- International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that a Muslim mob set fire to a pastor's house and two Christian churches in North Sumatra, Indonesia, last Friday.

The arson followed a disagreement between Muslims and Christians over the location of buildings Christians would meet in for worship. The buildings were in the center of a predominantly Muslim community and were not registered as churches. When worship continued unabated, a mob took matters into its own hands.

According to The Jakarta Post, on Friday, January 29, a crowd of about 1000 Muslims surrounded the HKBP and GPdI church buildings and lit them on fire, also torching the pastor's house nearby....

"This is the type of article one might expect to see on the Muslim Brotherhood's web site. Yet, it was paid for by US taxpayers and it was distributed by Uncle Sam..." So says Shariah Finance Watch, and they're right. Be sure to read all their excellent observations on this.

"Focus on the Little Guy Could Boost Islamic Banking in Indonesia," by Sara Schonhardt for VOA News, January 31 (thanks to Shariah Finance Watch):

Indonesia's central bank has recently embraced new regulations for Islamic banking, which it sees as key to building on last year's strong economic growth. In a country that is home to more than 200 million Muslims, the potential for expansion is enormous, although Islamic finance still accounts for a small part of the country's financial market. [...]

Some financial experts say Islamic banking principles, which limit the use of sophisticated derivatives and require transactions to be backed by real assets, could prevent the excessive leverage that undermined the global financial system two years ago.

Bank Indonesia senior bank researcher Dadang Muljawan says those characteristics helped convince the government to develop its dual-banking system. "The Islamic bank can survive very well the economic crisis. This is maybe what has been seen by the Indonesian government as an opportunity .... If we have two systems that can work together and then if one goes bust - I hope not - the other one can sustain," he says.

That does not negate the need for better supervision. The system still requires proper supervision. "Jokingly we sometimes say that we can't say Islamic banks are too holy to fail ... it's not the magic word," he says. [...]

For now, the focus will remain on building small and medium-sized businesses in the financial sector. But there is hope that improved regulations and new government measures could see Indonesia grab a bigger slice of what the central bank says is a $900 billion global market for Islamic banking.

A dime game gets them a public caning, but they opt out. Sharia Alert from modern, moderate Indonesia: "Indonesian gambling convicts escape before caning," from The Associated Press, January 30:

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Three Indonesian men convicted of playing dominoes for money have escaped from jail moments before a public caning in devoutly Muslim Aceh province.

Local Islamic police chief Muhammad Rusli said Saturday the men bolted during an unguarded bathroom visit minutes before the punishment for violating anti-gambling laws.

The men were caught playing dominoes for 1,000 rupiah ($0.10) per game. They were to be caned six times each outside a mosque on Friday....

In practice, the permit system described in the article below functions rather like a modern-day Pact of Umar, making the construction of churches -- or the use of existing buildings as churches -- similarly subject to the whims of local Muslim communities. These churches were not approved, and thus, not "protected" under the dhimma pact. "North Sumatra, two Protestant churches burnt: 'too many faithful and too many prayers'," by Mathias Hariyadi for AsiaNews, January 23:

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - A crowd of at least 1000 people burned down two Protestant churches last night in Sibuhuan (district of Padang Lawas, North Sumatra). The blaze was the culmination of tension between the faithful and the local Islamic community, tired of seeing " too many faithful and too many prayers " in a place not registered as a church.

The district chief of Padang Lawas, Basrah Lubis, said that "the attackers arrived in a flash. Their number was enormous, more or less a thousand. They were angry because the administration of the church had not responded to their demands: to change the use of buildings from 'places of prayer' to 'neutral buildings'. "

Both burned churches - two adjoining buildings - belong to the Synod of the Protestant Batak Church (Huria Kristen Batak Protestant, Hkbp), and are Pentecostal churches, whose faithful belong predominantly to the ethnic Batak group. Even their liturgies, with dances and songs are in Batak language.

According to police, neither of the two buildings had a building permit and had to be considered "places of prayer" and not "churches". In Indonesia, to build a church a special legal permit (Izin Mendirikan Bangunan, IMB) is necessary. The process to get the permit is almost always hard and the Islamic community has boycotted the emergence of new churches. This lack of legal permits has become the main source of Muslims violence against Christians.

According to local witnesses, the first skirmishes took place last Christmas, when a large group of Sibuhuan residents held a sit-in protest against the existence of two churches, which has "too many members and disturbs the neighbours."

In fact, the services of the Pentecostal community are full of songs and musical instruments and it is possible that the religious holiday services were a nuisance to local members of another religion.

Conflicting with previous statements, the locals also argue against the community's attempts to turn these "places of prayer" in "real churches". "The legal basis for declaring a church is that the number of believers is at least 60 members. But this community has only 23 members", claims Basrah Lubis.

The Hkbp community of Sibuhuan is in existence since 1982 and still can not get permission to convert buildings into real recognized churches. Lubis Basrah admits that non Christian local hinder recognition.

Now that the two buildings have been reduced to ashes, Hkbp communities have to travel to Sosa, 28 kilometres from Sibuhuan, where there are three permanent churches.

The Rev. Gomar Gultom, executive secretary of the Synod of Christian Churches in Indonesia (PGI), points out that all this anti-Christian violence occurs because some radical Islamic groups are deeply opposed to the construction of Christian places of worship and seek to restrain the public practise of other faiths. "In Indonesia, Christianity is legal - he says - but often, Christians are threatened."

Only yesterday in Jakarta, Prof. Said Agil Siradj of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest (moderate) Muslim organization in the country, submitted a report by the Wahid Institute to promote pluralism in Indonesia. The report shows that in 2009, out of about 35 cases of violation of religious freedom, 28 are against Christians. Prof. Sirad says that the violence against Christians is caused by small groups of Islamic extremists, whose knowledge of "true Islam is very poor."

But the spokesman for pluralism insists it's the Christians who need to be sensitive:

He also encouraged Christians to keep good relations with Muslims, showing sensitivity towards them. Trying to build a church, all right - he said - but "it is better and wiser to discuss the plan with the local population to minimize misunderstandings."...

I received this interesting email from an Australian military officer, referring to this post:

Dear Robert,

I was interested to read about British troops helping build a mosque in Afghanistan.

When I was in Aceh with the Australian Army following the Tsunami, despite this being the main stronghold for political Islam in Indonesia, and despite youths running around in OBL T-shirts, a well-meaning but surprisingly naive Australian senior army surgeon asked soldiers to put money into a hat at eid al adha to, you guessed it, help rebuild their mosque. After explaining how eid al adha is the "point of departure" between Judaism and Christianity vs Islam, he went on about how we are all Abrahamic cousins, without the slightest clue about how that in fact represents replacement theology of the worst kind on the part of Islam.

Anyway, I refused, saying exactly what you did, to wit that it would be used to preach hatred towards us and that that could manifest in tangible ways. I said that we had given 1 or 2 months away from our families and seen all sorts of horrible things (and helped hundreds of wounded) and that is the payment I would make. I would not put a cent into rebuilding their house of hate.

These sorts of dhimmi vs enlightened discussions are rare, unfortunately, as the Australian Army is riddled with either under-informed or misinformed individuals. The post-modernist left are not all that apparent, but some misguided but otherwise observant christians are quite prominent. This particular surgeon is a good man who has done great things and is very active in his (Roman Catholic) church, but for every copy of your books, or most recently Lee Harris' "Suicide of Reason" I lend him, he will read something by Fisk or Jeremy Scahill (Blackwater). It's very frustrating.

I think it is a really uphill battle to counter the fear of being labelled racist in the military environment. As I have said to many others before, political correctness doesn't just result in ostracism, but is backed up by Defence Force Discipline Act and can result in a charge.

Abuses of power were inevitable: among Sharia's many defects are its sense of entitlement to rule, and inadequate limitations on power and jurisdiction. Yes, the perpetrators are being held accountable in this case, but that is to the credit of the civil government. One can only imagine how vast and how much worse abuses of power will be where Sharia reigns unchallenged.

"Indonesia Sharia police accused of gang rape," by Karima Anjani and John M. Glionna for the Los Angeles Times, January 15 (thanks to all who sent this in):

Reporting from Tokyo and Jakarta, Indonesia - Three members of a civilian patrol that enforces Islam's strict Sharia law in Indonesia's Aceh province have been accused of gang-raping a 20-year-old university student, authorities there said.

The attack allegedly occurred this month at a small-town police station after the patrol members, known here as the Sharia police, took the woman into custody. Two men, ages 27 and 29, were arrested and one is still being sought, authorities said.

Activists say the accusation seriously undermines the credibility of the controversial Sharia police patrols.

"They don't have the authority to detain people -- their role is to give moral advice, that's it," said Norma Manalu, director of Aceh's human rights coalition. "They misused their power." Aceh's "vice and virtue patrol" enforces religious codes across the only province in the nation to employ Sharia, or Islamic law, for its criminal code. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country.

Sharia was introduced in 2002 after the region was granted autonomy as part of efforts to end a decades-long guerrilla war. Supervisors say the Sharia police, formed three years later, consider themselves the community's public conscience. [...]

The Sharia policemen allegedly stopped a couple by the road near a plantation. In an interview, the victim's father said his daughter's friend was beaten by the group and the couple was then brought to a nearby Sharia police station.

The men later returned while off duty and raped the woman, investigators say.

"She was treated like an animal. They suffocated and raped her -- it was inhumane," the victim's father said. "She's in deep trauma."

Marzuki Abdullah, head of the 1,500-member Sharia police force, said the case was not linked to the patrols because any crime the officers might have committed was done while they were off duty.

Activists say the case should bring a review of the patrols.

"It's time for the Sharia police to introspect their institution, role and officers," said Manalu. "Are they really needed to judge our morality? We don't have any guarantees that they have a higher moral standard than us."

Indonesia is often held up as a model of democracy and moderation in Islam. The Christians there know otherwise. Islamic Tolerance Alert from modern, moderate Indonesia: "West Java: denial of religious freedom pushes Christians before the human rights commission," by Mathias Hariyadi for AsiaNews, January 12 (thanks to C. Cantoni):

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Hundreds of members of the Huria Batak Protestant Christians Group (HKBP) of Bekasi, West Java, streamed before the National Human Right Commission (Komnas Ham) to demand that their right to religious freedom be upheld. They complain that Muslim hard-line groups and their local authorities have forcibly stopped their activities and cancelled their Sunday services.

At the end of the meeting between the Komnas Ham and the HBKP, an umbrella organisation for a number of Protestant groups in Indonesia, Rev Palti Panjaitan said he was hopeful that "our requests will be heeded," and that "local authorities would rescind their decision to suspend our activities."

"The decision by Bekasi officials is against the law" and violates fundamental human rights, including freedom of religion. More importantly, it "is contrary to the constitution," Rev Panjaitan insisted.

Worshippers at the HKBP church in Pondok Timur Indah, Mustika Jaya sub-district in East Bekasi, were notified of the decision last Sunday during the liturgical service. The letter ordering them to stop was issued on 31 December, and informed them that they had to suspend services as of 1 January 2010.

The clergyman said he was bitter about the decision because "more than 1,500 people have no place to worship anymore."...

Not in Indonesia

There Is No Fun In Islam Alert from modern, moderate Indonesia: "Six arrested in Indonesia for 'sexy dancing,'" from AFP, January 6 (thanks to John):

Indonesian police arrested six people for the alleged performance of a "sexy dance" at a cafe in the early hours of New Year's Day, a police official said Tuesday.

Police arrested six people - four female dancers, the dance group's leader and the cafe owner, local police chief detective Arman Achdiat said.

"We're charging them for preparing the dance and performing it in public, which is against morality," he added.

Achdiat did not give any details about the dance but said the dancers, who had performed at a live music cafe in Bandung, south of Jakarta, were in skimpy clothing.

"It could be described as sexy dancing. But more importantly, they were wearing minimal clothing and performing in public, which can stir desires," he said.

Under the country's anti-pornography law, the dancers could face up to 15 years in jail if convicted, he added....

Not to mention the churches that have been attacked outright. Islamic Tolerance Alert. "Hundreds to worship outside churches amid tight security," by Yuli Tri Suwarni and Suherdjoko for the Jakarta Post, December 24:

Fifteen police officers backed up by soldiers and local residents will guard every church across West Java during Christmas celebrations to prevent possible attacks, police said.

Dozens of churches in the province have closed since 2004 after being stormed or attacked by hard-line Muslim mobs. In 2000, militants bombed churches across the archipelago on Christmas Eve.

This week in Bandung, West Java, many Christians won't be able to celebrate Christmas in a church because they were denied permits to build their places of worship.

West Java Church Federation (BKSG) leader John Simon Timorason said Wednesday the biggest obstacle was applying for a building permit to build a church, so local Christians eventually opted to hold Christmas prayers in shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, shops and homes.

He said more than 60 percent of the 1,920 churches in West Java were built without permits because of difficulties in obtaining permits. Only 15 percent of churches have permanent buildings and have permits.

"We face difficulties obtaining permits. Those equipped with permits, such as the churches in Purwakarta, Bekasi and Depok, had their permits revoked due to pressure from intolerant groups," Simon told The Jakarta Post.

Last year, 77 families from the Pasundan Christian Church in Dayeuhkolot, Bandung, who were holding prayers at their preacher's house were evicted by a mob.

Church caretaker Ranto Gunawan Simamora said, fearing violence, they had to hold mass in a chapel at the Immanuel Hospital on Jl. Kopo, Bandung.

West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Timur Pradopo said more than 10,000 personnel would provide security for Christmas mass in churches and other locations throughout the province.

Timur said the police would also secure public places, such as shopping malls, hotels and tourist sites as part of Operation Lilin-Lodaya that starts Dec. 24 and runs for 10 days....

Once again, as the Ayatollah Khomeini said, There is no fun in Islam. "Aceh Sharia forbids Chinese dance of the lions," by Mathias Hariyadi from AsiaNews, December 21 (thanks to C. Cantoni):

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Indonesians of Chinese descent are in revolt against the decision of the Religious Affairs Office of Aceh, which has banned the popular barongsay (the dance of the lions, ed) during the commemorations of the fifth anniversary of the tsunami. The authorities explain that it is clearly extraneous to local culture and they want to "maintain religious harmony." The descendants of the Chinese replicate by describing the decision as "ridiculous".

Kim, an Indonesian of Chinese descent in North Jakarta, speaks of a "ridiculous and shameful" decision, in open violation of the five basic principles (the Pancasila) that "ensure full respect for cultural diversity." They are the five pillars of secular nationalism, on which the country has built its history since independence in 1945. "The decision to ban the barongsay - he adds - humiliates the various ethnic groups in Indonesia, including the Chinese people of Aceh."...

A. Rahman TB, an official of the Religious Affairs Office of Aceh - the most fundamentalist province of the country, where Islamic law is in force - justifies the decision stressing that the dance "has never been represented before" and the desire to maintain" religious harmony among the Muslims of Aceh and other ethnic groups in the province".

"It's stupid" replies Martini, a woman of Chinese origin who lives in Jakarta, based on "completely unfounded reasons". The Chinese community states that the barongsay has"no religious character", but is only a" cultural show ". Finally they add that they received all necessary permits from local authorities, including a police permit....

The 7th-century Pact of Umar forbade the construction of new churches or repair of existing ones. The pact is in the spirit of Qur'an 9:29, which commands that non-Muslims "feel themselves subdued" -- a fundamental reason why incidents such as this are neither new nor isolated.

"A thousand Islamic extremists, including women and children, storm a Church near Jakarta," by Mathias Hariyadi for AsiaNews, December 18:

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Last night a crowd of angry Muslims, including women and children, attacked the Church of Saint Albert, in Bekasi Regency, about 30 kilometres east of Jakarta. The situation is now under control but the local Catholic community is afraid of an escalation before Christmas.

Kurniadi is a member of the committee charged with the church's construction. He told AsiaNews, "Suddenly, a bunch of bikers arrived in the area where the church stands." They had banners and kerosene tanks. "We don't know why we were attacked," he said.

Kristina Maria Renteana, who was present when the Church was attacked, said, "The mob had about a thousand people," not only men, but "women and children" as well.

Running around in cars and motorbikes is a tradition for Indonesian Muslims during "national celebrations."

Last night was the first day of the Islamic New Year, the start of the month of Muharram. Local sources told AsiaNews, on condition of anonymity, that the "crowd was made of people from Tarumajaya and Babelan", two villages in North Bekasi where Islamic extremists are a majority.

Saint Albert's Church, a chapel that is part of Saint Arnold' Church in Bekasi, was not yet finished. Started on 11 May 2008, it had the required building permit for places of worship and was 80 per cent complete. Workers had finished the walls and the roof. Only ceramic floor tiles had to be laid.

Although not yet finished, it was set to host Christmas Mass for the local Christian community.

Now it is damaged but police and government authorities have urged the parish priest, Fr Joseph Jagadwa, to go ahead with the Mass anyway.

This latest There Is No Fun In Islam* Update comes from modern, moderate Indonesia, where they have found a marvelous accord between Islamic tradition and modern sensibilities: "Sexy Costumes Spark Halloween Raids in Indonesia's Kalimantan," from the Jakarta Globe, November 2 (thanks to all who sent this in):

A Halloween party in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, on Saturday night got more spooks than it hoped for when public order officers arrived to break up the festivities apparently because some of the young women were wearing costumes deemed too revealing.

The city's spokesman, Muhammad Faisal, said on Sunday that about 10 young women under the age of 22 were arrested at 11 p.m. after celebrating at a local nightspot called Platinum. The women, he said, tried to hide but the officers were able to find them.

"They were released this morning. They only had to bring their ID cards and did not need wear costumes like that to the party," he said.

"We had received complaints from residents that they were disturbed by such parties."

Although Samarinda does not have any regulations regarding inappropriate dress, Faisal said some residents had complained....

* The Ayatollah Khomeini said that.

"Southeast Asian radicals" -- radical Muslims, that is, not Maoists -- "are divided over the wisdom of attacking hotels, nightclubs and other 'soft targets' where Muslims may be killed alongside Westerners -- an internal split that could weaken the terrorist enterprise, authorities told The Associated Press."

This is because a Muslim must not kill another Muslim: "If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein forever" (Sura 4:93). Radical Muslims get around this by considering the Muslims they're killing to be essentially unbelievers (i.e., "infidels like the Turks," to use a phrase from Osama bin Laden's meeting with a Saudi sheikh shortly after 9/11). Obviously this justification can't be used everywhere.

But anyway, no one has any trouble with killing non-Muslims: "Some militants inside the al-Qaida-linked Southeast Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiyah want their jihad, or holy war, to focus on fighting Christians in certain regions of Indonesia rather than bombing Western targets where Muslims die, too, according to government officials, defense attorneys and an intelligence adviser to Indonesia.

"The debate among Indonesian militants appears to have intensified after the Aug. 5 bombing of the JW Marriott in Jakarta - whose 12 fatalities were mostly Muslim. A prominent group of Muslim defense lawyers told AP they would not accept any Marriott bombers as clients.

"After the Marriott bombing, several senior militants close to Zulkarnaen, Jemaah's Islamiyah's purported operations chief, expressed displeasure because most the victims were Muslim, said the senior intelligence adviser who asked that his name not be used."

Joko Harmono files this report from Indonesia:

Christians slain by Terrorists during Church Service
by Joko Harmono

POSO, INDONESIA, Nov 30 2003: Tonight, as the congregation in Tabamawo, 120 km (70 miles) east of Poso, sat attentively, taking in the sermon being delivered by their pastor's wife, Sandra Tengker, two gunmen arrived on motorcycles, coming to the Church door and delivered their fatal shots.

It was 7.30 pm and the service was nearing its end. The Christians had spent a time in prayer praying for the Indonesian Government and for peace in the land when the terrorists broke in. Ruslam (32) and Arifin (28) were slain being shot several times each in front of the congregation and their families, leaving their young wives and children in shock. Moda (37) is still fighting for his life and has been transported to the Ampana District Hospital. Moda was shot through the face and in the back and even if he survives will need much intensive care. Two others were wounded and survived, Sandra Tengker, the pastor's wife and Yulmin (23).

Another terrorist attack occurred just fifteen minutes earlier at 7.15 pm, 175 km (110 miles) away to the west, on the other side of Poso, reports Ferdinand Saerang of Poso Watch. "Kilo Trans a majority Christian village consisting of Balinese Christians and Balinese Hindus was attacked during evening prayers at the local church by 20 well-armed and well-trained gunmen shooting wildly into the houses," he said. It was a miracle that there were not more deaths and injuries. The community was spared the bullets ripping through their homes as they were in church praying.

Two Balinese Hindu men were caught up in the panic of the attack. Mr. I Made Simson aged 27, died instantly, and Mr. I Ketut Sarman (Village Chief) aged 43 died on route to the Poso Hospital. Several others were wounded and then the terrorists disappeared into the night.

The Jakarta English daily, Jakarta Post reporter, Irvan NR, reports that, "Attacks on villagers resumed in October of this year, initiated by a group of masked gunmen, claiming 10 lives. Police reinforcements were dispatched to Poso, but the violence has not subsided," he said.

All the attacked villages are Christian majority villages and this is not a communal conflict. It is a one-side organized massacre of innocent people carried out in the name of Allah by violent hate-charged Islamic extremists trying to extend the authority and wealth of their religion. Such bigoted violent terrorism must not be allowed to continue. It is a disease that must be exterminated.

"The Jakarta Superior Court has overturned militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir's treason and sedition conviction, and cut his jail term from four years to three." This from Straits Times, with thanks to nicolei.

Judges said prosecutors failed to prove Bashir had taken part in a plot by the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terror network to overthrow the government. . . .

Police detained him following last year's Bali bombings. Prosecutors accused him of two counts of treason, of having false papers, and of illegally exiting and entering the country. . . .

In the trial that ended in September, he beat the more serious treason charges, but was convicted on the other three. Prosecutors had sought a 15-year jail term.

The international community criticised September's verdict, saw the punishment as light, and questioned Jakarta's resolve to root out potential terrorists.

This latest ruling is likely to further disappoint some foreign governments, including several major donors to Indonesia, which have insisted Bashir led JI at least until 2000, and continued to play a major role after that.

A foreign diplomat based in Jakarta said: 'By rolling back Bashir's jail term, the court hurts the country's efforts to fight terror. The body of evidence for his leadership of JI is clear and convincing.' . . .

Despite foreign intelligence information that Bashir played a major role in JI, the authorities have not linked him to either the Bali blasts or August's blast at the JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta. Both incidents have been blamed on the group.

Joko Harmono reports in Christian Monitor that the situation of Christians in Indonesia has not improved since the Malino Accord of December 2001.

In fact, since then "there have been repeated provocative violations of the agreement. In January and February 2002 there were some promising signs that perhaps the Malino Accord could produce a lasting peace. Thousands of weapons, mainly hand-made, were handed in by both the Muslim and Christian communities and destroyed by the police.

"There were, however, serious concerns from the Christian community due to the absence of the organic or military issue weapons being handed in by the Laskar Jihad. Such weapons had been regularly seen being carried around the streets of Poso, during attacks on villages and even photographed at Jihad inspection posts on the main highway during November 2001. These concerns were well founded as attacks against the Christian community began again to increase throughout 2002 while the Christians now had no weapons, not even the simple hand-made ones they had used to defend themselves in 2001. Several attempts to smuggle weapons into the area by the Jihad were thwarted by the police, but how many succeeded in getting more weapons and munitions to the jihad forces?

"These repeated violations by the terrorists led to no significant arrests or imprisonments. At the same time, Rev. Damanik, leading an evacuation team to Mayumba and Peleru to help the Christian residents escape the brutal attacks on their homes, church and families, was arrested. It seemed strange that Rev. Damanik should be arrested while none of the terrorists attacking and looting the village, shooting at and killing villagers was arrested.

"The disturbing sequence of events witnessed in 2001 with the build up of jihad forces was repeated in 2002. It is even more disturbing to see the same pattern building up through 2003 and the Government's resolve or ability to read what is going on must be seriously questioned.

"The first five months of 2003 were relatively quiet with no major incidents recorded that could be deemed to be a part of the ongoing attacks against the Christian community.

"As a result of the improving conditions, on May 28, 2003, the government ordered the withdrawal of 1,000 soldiers and police officers from the Central Sulawesi regency of Poso. Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Taufiq Ridha said the 1,000 security personnel were reinforcement troops sent to Poso to curb sectarian clashes between 1999 and 2002. 'What's important is that security in the former conflict zone is becoming better,' Taufiq said. However, there was an immediate escalation of violence. Some have accused the security forces of complicity to prevent their early departure and to secure their 'investments' in the area."

There is much more to this important report at the Christian Monitor site.

Just as foreign jihadists are traveling to Iraq to wage jihad, so "Indonesian militants from the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah (JI) network are probably training Filipino guerillas in mountainous areas on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, a top official said yesterday." This from AFP, with thanks to Nicolei.

"Defence Secretary Eduardo Ermita, quoting military intelligence reports, said the Indonesians were believed to be in the Lanao province and near areas controlled by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the country's largest separatist force negotiating peace with Manila.

"The 31 Indonesians could be the remnants of a group who infiltrated Mindanao as early as 1999 with the help of bomb expert Fathur Rohman al-Ghozie, who was killed by troops in October, he said. He warned the MILF against associating with the Indonesians."

Endy M. Bayuni of the Jakarta Post offers a clear-eyed assessment of the future of radical Islam and democracy in Indonesia: "Political Islam has been making significant inroads ever since Indonesia embarked on democracy in 1998. To the casual observer, the specter of Islamist political forces overrunning secular parties in democratic elections seems all too real in a country where nearly 90 percent of its 220 million people are Muslims.

"If it happened in predominantly Muslim countries like Algeria and Turkey (where the military intervened and trampled democracy), then it could also happen in Indonesia, the country with the world's largest Muslim population, so the argument goes."

However, Bayuni doesn't believe that all is lost in Indonesia: "The reality on the ground portrays quite a different picture. As Islamist political parties discover their voice in a democratic Indonesia, they also find limitations of their influence in a nation that has had a long tradition of religious pluralism and tolerance. . . .

"Still, there are concerns that Islam is rapidly intruding into the political arena. These concerns are founded on indicators and trends that typically include the following:

"Bolder, open expressions that call for turning Indonesia into an Islamic state, or for the introduction of sharia (Islamic law).

"An aggressive campaign to have sharia written into the Constitution.

"Hamzah Haz' election as vice president in 2001. Haz chairs the Islamist United Development Party (PPP), which came third in the 1999 elections.

"The emergence of new political parties, besides PPP, and of organizations that use Islamic attributes.

"The adoption of sharia at local levels, starting in Aceh and, more recently, in a number of regencies.

"The establishment of Islamic paramilitary groups like Laskar Jihad, which sent its volunteers to Maluku and Central Sulawesi to fight in wars between Christians and Muslims, and the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), whose members vandalized bars and nightclubs.

"The bomb attacks, including the ones in Bali nightclubs that killed over 200, mostly Western tourists last year, perpetrated by radical Islamic groups.

"Most of these are phenomena that would have been hard to find during Soeharto's rule between 1966 and 1998. Soeharto regarded political Islam the greatest threat to national security next to communism, and he used the Army effectively to decimate Islamic political forces, including moderate voices, from the outset of his rule.

"Today, with freedom of expression and of association guaranteed by the Constitution, Muslims and political Islam no longer need to suppress their aspirations. Now that the lid has been lifted, we find various kinds of political expression from Indonesian Muslims. And we also learn that political Islam comes in several voices. Some, unfortunately, use violence as a means to achieve their goals."

Bayuni says that there are now over 10 radical Muslim political parties in Indonesia, but "Islamist parties learned of their limitations as early as 1999, when Indonesia held its first democratic elections in over 40 years. Only three Islamist parties out of the pack won seats in the legislature. PPP, PBB and PKS pooled barely 15 percent of the vote between them. . . . Islamist parties were repeatedly defeated in their campaign to write sharia into the Constitution, but they have had occasional victories in other areas. This year, for example, they succeeded in promoting the national education law, which requires Christian schools to hire Muslim teachers to teach Muslim students."

Bayuni concludes on an optimistic note. Here's hoping indeed that he and others will be able to tame this tiger in Indonesia. (Thanks to nicolei.)

The Bali bomber has called on other Muslims to "continue the struggle" (which is jihad in Arabic):

"The Bali bombing mastermind sentenced to death for his crimes urged fellow terrorists in Turkey, Iraq and elsewhere to 'continue the struggle', a report here said Tuesday." This from AFP, with thanks to nicolei.)

"Imam Samudra, convicted of masterminding last year's attacks on the resort island, made the comments to reporters after he met other Bali bombers for prayers and expressions of forgiveness in the Bali prison to mark the start of the Eid-al-Fitr holy day at the end of the Ramadan fasting month, Detikcom online news service reported.

"'To all my comrades in Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan and Kashmir: Continue the struggle,' he said.

"In September, a court in Bali declared him the 'intellectual actor' behind the October 2002 attacks on two Bali nightclubs, which killed 202 mostly Western vacationers. He was sentenced to death.

"On Tuesday, he reiterated his wish to die a 'martyr's death', Detikcom reported.

"'I will not apologise except to Muslims, and we will not ask for clemency except from God,' he said.

"Detikcom reported that tensions rose during the greeting ceremony when Samudra and Ali Ghufron, alias Mukhlas, who authorised the attacks, suddenly shouted 'God is great'. . . .

"Mukhlas has also been sentenced to death for his role in the attacks, which police have blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah, a regional extremist network which the authorities say has links to al-Qaeda.

"The bombers said they were seeking to avenge injustices against Muslims worldwide."

Maybe. But Jemaah Islamiyah is also on record as saying that they're fighting to create a Sharia-ruled Islamic megastate in Southeast Asia, comprising Indonesia, Malaysia, southern Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, and the southern Philippines island of Mindanao.

Will there be a Christmas jihad in Indonesia? "The countdown to Christmas has begun and it is giving security officials here sleepless nights." This from Straits Times, with thanks to LGF.

"What they fear is that Dec 25 will be ushered in with another terrorist bombing blitz. There are signs that preparations are under way, and in recent weeks, both security czar Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and national police chief Dai Bachtiar have been sounding the alarm.

"What they have revealed so far is that the authorities have obtained - through the interrogation of suspects - a list of targets in the capital.

"These include Citibank branches, offices of US-owned oil company Caltex, a suburb popular with expatriates and two interna- tional schools.

"Churches are not on that list. But they could very well be one of the key targets for the Jemaah Islamiah (JI). On Christmas Eve three years ago, a series of church bombings left 19 people dead.

"The Straits Times understands that over the past month, militants have been secretly videotaping at least two Jakarta churches during services on Sunday."

Hmmm. A synagogue in Maryland and churches in Indonesia. I begin to perceive a pattern.

"One of the churches in the posh residential district of Menteng in central Jakarta, St Theresia's, is packed every weekend with expatriates, especially Americans.

"A foreign businessman attending services there with his wife and two children said recently: 'There was this guy on a motorcycle filming the church from across the road. When he realised that I had seen him, he just sped off.'

"Intelligence officials investigating the reports said it follows the modus operandi of groups such as the JI.

"It is standard practice for JI operatives to survey a target as part of their planning before any attack.

"After all, that is what terrorists tried to do in Singapore before they were stopped in their tracks by the Internal Security Department."

The article also says that "despite being emasculated by the arrests of top leaders such as Hambali, JI is alive and well in Indonesia. . . . Its new leader, Islamic cleric Zulkarnaen, is also focusing his efforts on a suicide bombing unit, the Laskhar Khos."

Wait a minute. I thought suicide bombing was a product of desperation and poverty among Palestinians. Why would Indonesians be doing it as well? (For the truth about how suicide bombers are recruited, see Onward Muslim Soldiers.)

They weren't planning on going to sing a few hymns, either. According to the Barnabas Fund, "Church service schedules have been found in a raid on terror suspects. The discovery was made days after the alleged mastermind of the Bali bombings shouted during his trial 'We are ready to win the crusade against Christians! We will win!' Westerners and local Christians are clearly considered one and same enemy."

This is especially interesting in light of Walid Phares' observation (below) that the Riyadh bombings show that Al-Qaeda also is waging jihad against Christians.

Meanwhile, Christians are again being murdered in Indonesia. "On Sunday 16 November the bodies of Mr Tadjodja and his nephew were found in their car between two Muslim villages near Poso. Mr Tadjodja, 58 . . . had been sent by the church's synod to preach in one of the villages hit in the 12 October attacks.

"That same day another member of GKST [the Central Sulawesi Christian Church], known as Dennis, was travelling through Poso on the way to Palu, when an irate Muslim mob forced him to come to a halt and then dragged him from his motorbike. He was beaten to death. His body was found near the market area in Poso along with the body of another Christian and GKST member assumed to be Mr Bowo, though his identity is as yet unconfirmed. He had been killed in a similar brutal fashion; his burnt out motorbike was discovered nearby."