Of course, most analysts are still sure that the problem in Israel is ultimately a local conflict, which can settled by various territorial concessions by Israel. But this assessment leaves utterly mysterious why an Indonesian group would recruit fighters for a struggle half a world away. “Islamic hardliners open registration for ‘jihadis’ for Lebanon,” from AFP, with thanks to Sr. Soph:
JAKARTA – A hardline Indonesian Islamic group planned on Tuesday to open a register for volunteers to fight against Israel in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, its leaders said as police vowed to stop them leaving.
The Indonesian Mujahedin Council (MMI), led by radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir who has served a jail sentence over his role in the 2002 Bali bombing, already had 500 members willing to go, it said.
“We are opening registration in Jakarta today (Tuesday),” deputy MMI chairman Irfan Suryahadi Awwas told AFP.
“Each of our 50 chapters have readied at least 10 volunteering members,” Hari Samir Fallah, a worker at the MMI”s Jakarta chapter where the registration is to be held, added.
But national police deputy spokesman Anton Bahrul Alam said any would-be fighters from Indonesia would not be going anywhere.
“We can and will prevent them from leaving,” he told AFP.
“Their departure for the Middle East would be a violation of our state consitution, which says that Indonesia should pro-actively contribute to world peace.
“The volunteers” departure to fight is certainly not contributing to peace and therefore is a violation of the constitution.”
Good. I hope he stands firm.