Muslim groups to safeguard Christmas

Muslim groups to safeguard Christmas

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Paramilitary and other civilian groups affiliated to religious,
social and political organizations would join hundreds of
thousands of police and military personnel to provide security on
Christmas and New Year's Eve across the country, officials said
Monday.

At least 19 people were killed in a series of bomb attacks on
churches during Christmas in 2000. Sporadic blasts also hit
several regions last year and fears of similar attacks have
increased ahead of this week's Christian celebration following
the Bali and Makassar bombings.

To anticipate the possible attacks, National Police spokesman
Brig. Gen. Edward Aritonang has said around 200,000 of
Indonesia's 300,000-strong police force and thousands of military
troops would guard churches, shopping and entertainment centers,
and other public facilities during Christmas and New Year.

Ansor, the youth wing of the nation's largest Muslim
organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), said on Monday that more than
5,000 members from its paramilitary group Banser would help local
security forces guard churches in East Java.

"We are already on full alert to protect vulnerable and
strategic places, particularly churches, on Christmas and New
Year," East Java Ansor chapter secretary Chusnul Huda Saleh said.

East Java's Brawijaya military chief Maj. Gen. Achmad Djunaidi
Sikki said more than 2,000 soldiers would assist provincial
police during the celebrations.

Also, the Security Command (Kokam) paramilitary wing of the
nation's second biggest Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah, would
deploy around 400 members to take part in the joint security
across East Java.

"Muhammadiyah will send its task force to help ensure security
in East Java. We don't want bomb attacks to reoccur in the
province, where Christmas bombings hit the town of Mojokerto last
year," East Java's Kokam leader M. Mirdasy said.

Djunaidi asked other social and political groups to follow
suit to ensure security in East Java.

In the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, more than 750
mosque youth group members would join at least 2,412 police
personnel in securing churches in the city, the site of bomb
blasts that killed three people on Dec. 5.

Makassar Police chief Sr. Comr. Jose Rizal said on Monday the
youth group members and police would guard at least 229 possible
targets, including 98 churches and entertainment and shopping
centers across Makassar.

He said the sites would be secured at least a day before
Christmas Day.

Rizal said the police had received at least seven bomb threats
across Makassar since the bombings of a McDonald's outlet and a
car dealership on Dec. 5.

South Sulawesi police have said Agung Abdul Hamid, the alleged
mastermind of the Makassar bomb attacks, was on the run with at
least 4 bombs, which he could detonate anywhere. Police are
hunting Agung and three other suspects, Hisbullah Rasyid, Dahlan
and Mirzal.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Pecalang (Balinese traditional civilian
guards) will join 4,474 police and military personnel on the
resort island to maintain security.

"We are cooperating closely with local military,
transportation authorities, religious leaders, youths and
Pecalang to ensure that our Christian brothers and sisters will
be able to pray solemnly during Christmas," Bali Police spokesman
Adj. Sr. Comr. Yatim Suyatmo said on Monday.

He said the joint security forces would also be stationed in
at least 45 tourism sites, five harbors, 16 markets and 60
mosques throughout the province.

The predominantly Hindu province's image as a peaceful resort
island was shattered by the devastating bomb attacks that killed
more than 190 people and wounded 300 others on Oct. 12, 2002.

Similarly in Bandung, the chairman of West Java's Churches
Coordinating Body, John Simon Timorason, asked police and Banser
on Sunday to jointly guard all churches in the province.

Meanwhile, noted Muslim preacher Abdullah Gymnastiar said the
main enemy of peace was religious, ethnic and racial fanaticism,
which he said all religious followers had to abandon.

"Such fanaticism often leads us into quarrel, while diversity
is a strength that we should respect," he added.