Posted on 12/07/2001 7:39:35 AM PST by Walkin Man
Friday December 7 8:19 AM ET
By DESSIANING SRI ARYANTI, Associated Press Writer
SANGGINRA, Indonesia (AP) - Thousands of Christians were hiding in jungle-clad mountains on Indonesia's Sulawesi island Friday after their villages were attacked and razed by Muslim militias.
Hundreds of homes were destroyed last month in the latest round of sectarian violence in the region - which has left about 1,000 people dead on both sides in the past two years.
In November, Muslim militants drove away security forces in the area then attacked at least three Christian villages in central Sulawesi, local residents said.
There were conflicting reports about the number of deaths in those attacks. Police could confirm only eight dead, but villagers said more were missing.
In one village, Sangginra, the burned-out ruins of hundreds of houses and a church are all that is left of the once-bustling market community. A few haggard-looking villagers returned to Sangginra Friday and searched through the remains of their homes.
``Many people cannot find their wives, husbands or children,'' said local priest Marson Movanti. ``We fled to the mountains and jungle when we heard bombs exploding and rifle fire.''
He said some of the attackers were members of a Muslim militia, Laskar Jihad, which is responsible for much of the religious fighting in the nearby Maluku islands. About 9,000 people have been killed in that conflict in the past three years.
Laskar Jihad leaders in the nearby town of Poso refused to comment on the allegations.
Movanti said many of the attackers were armed with automatic rifles.
Despite government assurances that the worst of the bloodshed was over, international aid agencies have evacuated their staff from the area and human rights activists say it is unlikely that the fighting will end.
On Thursday, security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono toured the region, about 1,000 miles northeast of Jakarta, and assured residents that the situation was under control. About 2,000 police and soldiers have been dispatched to the area.
Although Muslim gangs appear to be responsible for the latest outbreak of fighting, Christian militias have also killed hundreds of Muslims and forced thousands of others to flee their homes. In the bloodiest attack so far, about 100 Muslim villagers were massacred in May last year.
President Megawati Sukarnoputri has not publicly commented on the violence but is considering imposing a state of emergency in the region.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation. Nearly 85 percent of its 203 million people are Muslim. The rest are Christian, Hindu or Buddhist.
Meanwhile, in Aceh, another restive Indonesian province, at least five people including two rebels were killed Friday in a gunbattle with government troops, said Lt. Firdaus Komarno, a local military spokesman.
Rebels in the region have been fighting for independence of their gas- and oil-rich province since 1975. More than 6,000 people have been killed, including about 1,300 this years alone.
That's because in most religions there are slackers. We could call them MINOs (Muslims in name only)
Those MINOs will be tolerated until a muslim state is established. Then they will be dealt with just like the other infidels. If you don't believe strongly enough to kill for your religion when it requires you to convert or kill infidels you are not a true believer.
The MINO's hash will be settled later. Right now toppling the USA is higher up on the Muslim agenda. Meanwhile the feminized religions who want to forgive and turn the other cheek or pray to God to solve the problem are easy targets.
Fortunately almost every Christian I know is a slacker and when the chips are down they will kill,not for their religion, but to save their asses, and their 401s. Thank goodness for hypocricy and greed. -Tom
They're not just a "militia," they're a TERRORIST group! And if Indonesia doesn't force these people to fall in line...
Islam is now the fastest growing religion in the U.S.
Yeah, I noticed that too. Did you see in the article where it said Muslims merely entered a village where 8 people died, and later on Christians massacred hundreds and caused thousands to have to flee.
This bit of "reporting" is very sad.
-ksen
It was written by Dr. Anis Shorrosh. One of the reviewers of his book said that he was interviewed by Rush Limbaugh several times during the Gulf War. I've heard him in other interviews; he is very interesting and credible. He was born a Palestinian and grew up hating the Jewish people. But, God intervened in his life and he ended up becoming a Christian; now he loves the Jewish people. Because of this background, he has a lot of insight. He has survived several assasination attempts.
"I thought Islam was a peaceful religion. Have I been duped? (Sarcasm Alert)"
In answer to your question, apart from what their actions of September 11th taught us about "Islam the Religion of Peace" TM. Everything we in the West (and everywhere else) need to know about "Islam the Religion of Peace" TM is the following:
According to "Islam the Religion of Peace" TM, EVERYONE who is not a Muslim is an "Infidel".
Under "Islam the Religion of Peace" TM, we, as "infidels" are given one of three, count them, three choices:
1. Be forcibly converted to "Islam the Religion of Peace" TM.
2. Become a slave of those adhering to "Islam the Religion of Peace" TM and subject to Islamic law.
3. Or, if we refuse choices# 1 or 2 above, we get to be put to death by those who follow "Islam the Religion of Peace" TM.
That is it, that is essentially all we really need to know about.”Islam the Religion of Peace" TM. If you don't believe me, just look at the Koran, history and what is happening in Indonesia!
As for me and my house, we have made an alternative choice; I call it choice #4:
#4: To quote Paul McCartney; "We will fight for the right to live in freedom." As for me and my house, we will not bow the knee to "allah" or "Islam the Religion of Peace" TM. Instead, we will continue to worship and serve the Lord Jesus Christ and to pray for the souls of those trapped in "Islam the Religion of Peace" TM .
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