Holy warriors to gather

KEBUMEN, Central Java: Some 5,000 activists of Muslim organizations in support of a jihad holy war to help their comrades are expected to gather in the town's main square on Sunday for a mass prayer.

The event's organizing committee chairman, Atoillah, asserted on Tuesday the gathering had nothing to do with the outbreak of violence in Maluku and Mataram, saying the gathering had been planned since last year.

"We will hold the meeting as an expression of our concern for moral decadence of the nation. We will pray to God to help people in the country overcome their problems," Atoillah said.

Participants will include members of the Thoriqotul Jihad Front (FTJ) from Central Java and the Front of Islam Defenders (FPI) from Jakarta.

In response to the plan, the provincial chairman of the National Awakening Party, Noer Iskandar al-Barsany, warned the groups of the potential for such a huge gathering to fall to rioting such as those occurring last week in Mataram, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara. (45)