Will there be a jihad?

Will there be a jihad?

Many circles have lashed out at the government's failure to
stop the sectarian strife in Maluku, but during the past week the
bloodshed has increased from day to day.

Muslims outside the province, particularly those in Jakarta,
have zoomed in on the situation in Maluku and have been horrified
at how their brethren have become the easy prey of Christians.
The picture is made all the more uglier in their eyes when they
remember how Muslims were the victims of a brutal attack by a
similar group on Idul Fitri last year.

So on the eve of the Muslim post-fasting festival on Friday,
tens of thousands of Muslims assembled at the National Monument
(Monas) in Central Jakarta and called for a jihad in Maluku. They
also called for Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri's
resignation because of her inaction over the conflict. Megawati
has been tasked by President Abdurrahman Wahid to solve the
unrest.

Before the cries for a holy war resounded, Muslim elders and
political leaders had made angry statements to tell the
authorities that Muslims' patience had grown thin.

Amien Rais, speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR), gave Abdurrahman a two-week deadline to resolve the
conflict. Judging by Amien's popularity among the Muslim
community it is possible that after the two-week deadline Muslims
might decide that enough is enough and that may take drastic
measures, perhaps even prepare die-hard groups to support their
brethren in Maluku to wage a holy war.

Will there be a jihad? It appears the answer could be in the
affirmative if the senseless killing in the province goes on
unabated and if restless jihad supporters cannot be put off by
Koranic teachings. It depends on how the situation in Maluku is
interpreted and how it relates to the Islamic law on engagement
in war.

In Islam, entering into a war is permissible as an act of
self-defense. "Fight for the sake of God those that fight against
you, but do not attack them first. God does not love the
aggressor," says the Koran.

However, in the case of Maluku, Muslims do not need a
religious ruling to launch a holy war as conditions there "meet
the criteria", according to the head of the edict commission of
the Indonesian Ulemas Council, Ibrahim Husein. The prerequisite
for a jihad, he said, "exists and it's now mandatory to engage in
one", Antara news agency quoted him as saying last week.

But respected Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid sees another
side to the problem. He agrees that Muslims may fight back, but
says they should remember that this does not mean they should
overreact or become oppressive.

Speaking at a huge gathering on the eve of Idul Fitri,
Nurcholish said Muslims should also show their compassionate side
to soothe emotions. "Becoming a Muslim is difficult. We have to
know when to forgive and when to rise to destroy our enemy."

Besides acknowledging that all the ingredients for a holy war
appear to be present, Nurcholish's reminder seems more relevant
in the current situation. Because the reality is that before last
year Muslims and Christians lived side by side in harmony in the
province, meaning the current ugly situation has clearly been
engineered by political creatures for their own interests.

Whatever happens all depends on the military's ability to
restore lasting peace and order there. The problem is that no
one, not even experts, can predict what the military will do
next.