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.