Calls for calm, jihad over Maluku mayhem
Calls for calm, jihad over Maluku mayhem
JAKARTA (JP): There were urgent calls for calm and
understanding as demands for an Islamic holy war (jihad) to
avenge the death of Muslims in Maluku continued to resonate over
the Idul Fitri weekend.
Noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid appealed to Muslims to
show their compassionate side to help pacify the emotional
outbursts fueled by politicians and the Indonesian Ulema's
Council (MUI).
"Becoming a Muslim is difficult. We have to know when to
forgive and when to rise to destroy our enemy," he said here
during a gathering on Friday night.
"You may fight back, but this doesn't mean you should
overreact or become oppressive," he remarked.
On the eve of Idul Fitri, tens of thousands of Muslims,
organizers claim hundreds of thousands and even dubbed the event
a gathering of a million ummat, assembled at the National
Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta on Friday expressing support
for a holy war in Maluku.
Clamoring together, they chanted "Jihad! Jihad!" and insisted
Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri resign from her post
because of inaction over the religious conflict.
The cries for a holy war were boosted by war-like statements
from MUI and top politicians, the like of People's Consultative
Assembly Speaker Amien Rais.
"Thus far, Muslims have been quite patient, but even that has
limits," Amien said during Friday's event.
He said he met President Abdurrahman Wahid and had given him a
two-week deadline to resolve the conflict.
According to Amien, Abdurrahman told him it would be over
"soon".
"But when is soon? If it's one or two more years, then Muslims
in Maluku could be wiped out. It is best resolved in one or two
weeks," Amien said.
The head of MUI's Edict Commission, Ibrahim Husein, said
Muslims did not need a religious ruling to launch a holy war as
conditions in Maluku had satisfied the criteria for one.
"In a situation like Maluku, the requirement for jihad has
been fulfilled and it's now mandatory to engage in one," he said
as quoted by Antara.
Ibrahim claimed that if he was still full of youthful strength
he himself would go there and accuse reluctant Muslims of being
without dignity.
There have been demonstrations in major cities following the
escalation of violence in Maluku. It was reported that religious
clashes in Halmahera and the surrounding islands alone had
claimed an additional 450 lives.
While the exact toll remains sketchy, some media reports claim
up to 2,000 were killed with rumors of a Muslim slaughter.
Megawati has also been the target of recrimination as she was
tasked with settling the Maluku conflict.
She refuted on Saturday criticisms saying she chose to work
behind the scenes on such a delicate subject.
She conceded that it was impossible to end the conflict in
Maluku and North Maluku provinces in a short time due to the
sensitiveness of warring parties there.
"It is impossible for only certain parties to resolve the
problem, this is part of the nation's dilemma and it must be
overcome by the whole nation," she said on the sidelines of an
Idul Fitri open house celebration at her official residence on
Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.
Fear of radical mobs deployed to Maluku is high on the
President's concern.
The President, after Friday prayers here, revealed that he had
ordered Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. Widodo A.S. to
screen those arriving in Maluku.
Citing Widodo's report, Abdurrahman said hundreds from outside
Maluku were on their way there to "assist" their Muslim brothers.
"In the last two or even three days, several hundred people
from Jakarta have been sent (to Maluku), and they consider
themselves the defenders of Islam," the President noted.
Calls for a Muslim uprising has also led several Muslim-
oriented political parties to pledge a merger of parties to form
a strong unified Islamic party.
The so-called "Monas Concord" will supposedly merge the United
Development Party (PPP), the Justice Party, the Crescent Star
Party (PBB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN).
PPP Chairman Hamzah Haz first disclosed the new pact at
Friday's gathering, saying Islamic political forces should unite
to ensure their existence in coming elections.
He conceded that the merger in some respect was a reaction to
a recent statement by Abdurrahman who said in the future there
would only be two dominant parties -- the National Awakening
Party (PKB) and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.
The four parties are already aligned in a loose coalition
known as the "axis force".
Separately, State Minister of the Empowerment of Women,
Khofifah Indar Parawansa, questioned the real intent of Friday's
gathering.
Khofifah, who is from PKB, remarked that it seemed more of a
political gathering than a religious assembly.
She assuredly described how she perceived the gathering by
saying that Abdurrahman was elected through a democratic process
and any political move by dissatisfied parties could bring about
a huge social cost.
"Why don't we have a fair competition in the next five years,
and not through such mass action," she added. (04/prb)