RI churches should not be targets

RI churches should not be targets

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.