Muslim group raises ante in holy war plan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): In spite of appeals and warnings, a Muslim
\norganization stepped up its pressure to send volunteers on a
\njihad in strife-torn Maluku on Monday, calling for the removal of
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid from office.<\/p>\n
Leaders of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama'ah Forum also threatened
\nto wage a holy war in Java if the authorities prevented their
\nvolunteers from leaving for Maluku later this month.<\/p>\n
Some 1,000 members of the group visited the House of
\nRepresentatives on Monday to make their point by words of mouth
\nas well as by a show of force.<\/p>\n
They arrived in buses and trucks, wearing Muslim garb and
\nheaddress and carrying swords and machetes.<\/p>\n
As they marched toward the third-floor office of House Speaker
\nAkbar Tandjung, some drew their swords, frightening hundreds of
\nworkers of shoe company PT Kong Tai who have been protesting in
\nthe House building for several weeks.<\/p>\n
The group's \"commander\" Jaffar Umar Thalib during the meeting
\ndemanded that Akbar's Golkar Party, along with other factions in
\nthe House, initiate the constitutional process to impeach the
\nPresident for making controversial statements.<\/p>\n
The group was particularly offended by the President's remarks
\nlast week that Muslims in Maluku had received special treatment
\nfrom the government over the last 30 years or so and that this in
\nturn had frustrated the Christians, causing conflict between the
\ntwo communities.<\/p>\n
Forum chairman Ayip Syafruddin Soeratman told reporters after
\nthe meeting that the volunteers would still travel to Maluku
\nafter completing their training this month, irrespective of the
\nappeals and warnings against their plan.<\/p>\n
\"If we cannot go, then we will conduct our jihad on Java,\"
\nAyip said. \"We will attack Christians who are most responsible
\nfor what is happening in Ambon,\" he announced.<\/p>\n
Some 3,000 volunteers of the group are currently training in a
\ncamp in Kayumanis district in Bogor.<\/p>\n
More than 2,000 people have been killed in sectarian clashes
\nbetween Muslims and Christians in Maluku since January last year.
\nThe government says the situation has been brought under control,
\nwith fewer clashes reported in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Akbar did not respond to the group's call for
\nimpeachment, but said he would ask the President to refrain from
\nissuing more controversial statements.<\/p>\n
Akbar also pleaded with the group not to go ahead with its
\nplan to go to Maluku, saying members of the group were bound to
\nget into physical clashes with people of other communities.<\/p>\n
If they really want to help the Maluku people, then they
\nshould send food, clothes and medicine instead, he said.<\/p>\n
Sending volunteers would only create new problems, he said,
\nadding that they should let the proper authority worry about the
\nsecurity situation in Maluku.<\/p>\n
In Ambon, Brig. Gen. Max Tamaela, chief of Pattimura Military
\nCommand which oversees Maluku, warned against anyone planning to
\nwage any kind of war in the province.<\/p>\n
Maluku is now entering a process of peace and reconciliation
\nand people are tired of conflict, Tamaela said.<\/p>\n
\"We are ready to face them. If these volunteers come with the
\nintention to help their sisters and brothers, that's fine. But if
\nthey come here to cause more trouble, the security forces will be
\nready to deal with them,\" Tamaela said.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, Minister of Religious Affairs Tolchah Hasan asked
\nthe police to disband the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama'ah Forum, which
\nhe said had questionable intentions.<\/p>\n
\"As we can see, the situation in Ambon is improving. These
\npeople would only cause more problems,\" Tolchah told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
\"If they want to support peace, then we should let them go.
\nBut I don't think that's their real intention,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In spite of the appeals to crack down on their activities,
\nNational Police chief Lt. Gen. Rusdihardjo ruled out immediate
\nconfrontation with the group, saying he would use the persuasive
\napproach to prevent the volunteers from going to Maluku.<\/p>\n
\"It's pointless to take repressive action given the present
\nemotional feeling of the group's members,\" Rusdihardjo said after
\nattending a ceremony to dissolve the Coordinating Agency to
\nSupport the Strengthening of National Stability (Bakorstanas).<\/p>\n
The police will continue to use this approach as long as the
\ngroup does not disrupt peace and order, he said.<\/p>\n
The police have been criticized for allowing the group's
\nmembers to brandish swords and machetes in several demonstrations
\nthey have held since Thursday.<\/p>\n
Maj. Gen. Slamet Supriadi, chief of Siliwangi Military Command
\noverseeing West Java, said the authorities had long known of the
\ngroup's activities in the Bogor camp.<\/p>\n
Slamet said the villagers did not complain and had in fact
\nsupplied rice to the organizers. (jun\/49\/edt\/dja\/rms)<\/p>",
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