Christmas brings peace amid terrorist threat Aleksius Jemadu Bandung Since the killing of Azahari bin Husin in Malang on Nov. 9, 2005 there has been a lot of discussion about possible terrorist attacks around Christmas time. The Indonesian security authorities have credible evidence that the terrorist groups plan to bomb churches and other buildings during the holidays. The terrorists operating in Indonesia are notorious for their tactics to stir up religious conflict in order to sustain the relevance of their struggle.

On top of that, the death of Azahari could trigger even more deadly attacks as the terrorists seek to convince the Indonesian government that they still exist and are capable of retaliating with new modes of operation.

Some people might ask what is the reason that the terrorist groups choose Christmas as a time for their bomb attacks? What was the sin of the churchgoers in the year 2000 whey they became victims of series of horrendous bomb attacks? It is high time to challenge a common misconception among the radical and terrorist groups who associate the Christians with the United States and other Western powers. They believe that whatever or whoever is associated with their Western enemy is qualified as target of a bomb attack.

As far as the Indonesian Christians are concerned, there is a need to convince the terrorists that the U.S. policies in Afghanistan and Iraq are not conducted on behalf of the Christian religious teachings. It can even be said that the Christians here have nothing to do with the U.S. military occupation in Iraq. Christian leaders all around the world condemn the killing of the innocent people whoever the actor is behind such killing.

If the U.S. policies in Afghanistan and Iraq are not conducted in the name of Christianity, then an alternative explanation should be found in the more secular calculation of political power. The realist approach in international relations tells us that military superiority has an inherent inclination to preserve itself. It even has a natural tendency to enlarge itself and seek to eliminate all forces that come in its way.

As the only superpower after the end of the cold war, the United States has no other choice but to consolidate its superior status. From this explanation, it is clear that the roots of the U.S. global domination should be understood as the logical consequences of materialist forces that are embedded in the whole process of industrialization.

So far, the Indonesian Christians are not really affected by the terrorist threat as they continue to prepare themselves to celebrate Christmas either at home or in churches. After all, not all parties were happy when Jesus Christ was born around 2000 years ago.

According to the Gospel of Matthew (in the Bible), upon hearing the news about the birth of Jesus Christ, King Herod, the ruler of Judea at the time, was furious and tried to find ways how to kill the newly born king. When Herod realized that the wise men from the East had tricked him, he spread terror among the people of Bethlehem by killing all (male) babies under the age of two in that little town. Today, the figure of King Herod is seen as the symbol of hatred in the human heart whose only desire is to destroy the lives of other people for the sake of secular ambition.

While the birth of Jesus Christ was bad news for King Herod, it was a time for great joy for the shepherds who were taking care of their sheep on that holy night. It was in the simple heart of these low and humble people that Jesus Christ found a warm reception.

As it turned out, the power of terror that was manifested in the personality of King Herod had been defeated by the power of peace in the personality of Jesus Christ. Let those who celebrate Christmas enjoy that peace and share it with others so that we all may live in peace and harmony as a nation.

The writer is the Head of the Department of International Relations and the Head of the M.A. Study Program in Social Sciences at Parahyangan University in Bandung. His field of research focuses on civil and internal conflicts. He can be reached at aljemadu@yahoo.co.uk.