Will there be a jihad?<\/p>\n
Many circles have lashed out at the government's failure to
\nstop the sectarian strife in Maluku, but during the past week the
\nbloodshed has increased from day to day.<\/p>\n
Muslims outside the province, particularly those in Jakarta,
\nhave zoomed in on the situation in Maluku and have been horrified
\nat how their brethren have become the easy prey of Christians.
\nThe picture is made all the more uglier in their eyes when they
\nremember how Muslims were the victims of a brutal attack by a
\nsimilar group on Idul Fitri last year.<\/p>\n
So on the eve of the Muslim post-fasting festival on Friday,
\ntens of thousands of Muslims assembled at the National Monument
\n(Monas) in Central Jakarta and called for a jihad in Maluku. They
\nalso called for Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri's
\nresignation because of her inaction over the conflict. Megawati
\nhas been tasked by President Abdurrahman Wahid to solve the
\nunrest.<\/p>\n
Before the cries for a holy war resounded, Muslim elders and
\npolitical leaders had made angry statements to tell the
\nauthorities that Muslims' patience had grown thin.<\/p>\n
Amien Rais, speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly
\n(MPR), gave Abdurrahman a two-week deadline to resolve the
\nconflict. Judging by Amien's popularity among the Muslim
\ncommunity it is possible that after the two-week deadline Muslims
\nmight decide that enough is enough and that may take drastic
\nmeasures, perhaps even prepare die-hard groups to support their
\nbrethren in Maluku to wage a holy war.<\/p>\n
Will there be a jihad? It appears the answer could be in the
\naffirmative if the senseless killing in the province goes on
\nunabated and if restless jihad supporters cannot be put off by
\nKoranic teachings. It depends on how the situation in Maluku is
\ninterpreted and how it relates to the Islamic law on engagement
\nin war.<\/p>\n
In Islam, entering into a war is permissible as an act of
\nself-defense. "Fight for the sake of God those that fight against
\nyou, but do not attack them first. God does not love the
\naggressor," says the Koran.<\/p>\n
However, in the case of Maluku, Muslims do not need a
\nreligious ruling to launch a holy war as conditions there "meet
\nthe criteria", according to the head of the edict commission of
\nthe Indonesian Ulemas Council, Ibrahim Husein. The prerequisite
\nfor a jihad, he said, "exists and it's now mandatory to engage in
\none", Antara news agency quoted him as saying last week.<\/p>\n
But respected Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid sees another
\nside to the problem. He agrees that Muslims may fight back, but
\nsays they should remember that this does not mean they should
\noverreact or become oppressive.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a huge gathering on the eve of Idul Fitri,
\nNurcholish said Muslims should also show their compassionate side
\nto soothe emotions. "Becoming a Muslim is difficult. We have to
\nknow when to forgive and when to rise to destroy our enemy."<\/p>\n
Besides acknowledging that all the ingredients for a holy war
\nappear to be present, Nurcholish's reminder seems more relevant
\nin the current situation. Because the reality is that before last
\nyear Muslims and Christians lived side by side in harmony in the
\nprovince, meaning the current ugly situation has clearly been
\nengineered by political creatures for their own interests.<\/p>\n
Whatever happens all depends on the military's ability to
\nrestore lasting peace and order there. The problem is that no
\none, not even experts, can predict what the military will do
\nnext.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/will-there-be-a-jihad-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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