CNN, Thursday, March 20, 2003 Posted: 1216 GMT ( 8:16 PM HKT)
Indonesian radicals call for blood
By Amy Chew
Special to CNN
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Muslim radicals in Indonesia called for America's blood as
security forces brace for a backlash in the world's largest Muslim country in response
to the U.S.-led war on Iraq.
Calling America "kafir harbi", an unbeliever who must be fought, a grouping of radical
Muslims called upon its followers to rise up to oppose the war.
"America is a kafir harbi and that means its blood and property is halal (permitted),"
Mudzakir, coordinator of Surakarta Muslims, told CNN, by telephone from Surakarta.
"We reject this war on Iraq," Mudzakir added.
Surakarta, on the main Indonesian island of Java, is home to several radical groups
and individuals. Among them is Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, the alleged spiritual leader of
Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a regional terrorist group Washington has accused of having
links with al Qaeda.
Ba'asyir is currently in police detention as prosecutors prepare treason charges
against him for plotting to overthrow the government. Mudzakir is a staunch supporter
of Ba'asyir.
JI aims to carve out a super Islamic state linking southern Thailand, Malaysia,
Indonesia, Singapore and southern Philippines. More than 100 JI members have been
detained by authorities in Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines for allegedly planning
attacks against American targets across the region.
In Jakarta, over 1,000 people from the Muslim-oriented Justice Party staged a
peaceful demonstration outside the U.S. embassy. Justice Party's chairman Hidayat
Nur Wahid urged U.S. President George W. Bush to stop the attacks, saying Iraq had
nothing to do with the September 11 attacks on America.
"I knock on the door of his conscience to stop this attack on innocent civilians," said
Nur Wahid.
In Jakarta, the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) said they were considering sending their
members to "fight" against the U.S. in Iraq.
"It is our duty to fight this attack with all our might," FPI secretary-general, Ahmad
Shabri Lubis, told CNN.
Asked whether they were going to take up arms, he replied: "Yes, that's possible. We
may fight in Iraq or in Indonesia," said Lubis.
Indonesian police has put its entire 250,000-strong force on full alert and tightened
security round the U.S., British, Australian and other foreign embassies in the
country. (Full story)
'Plans in place'
Laskar Jihad, famed for waging a holy war against Christians on the eastern Maluku
islands, urged all Muslims to pressure the government to break-off ties with the U.S
government.
"I condemn the attack on Iraq and urged Indonesians to pressure the government to
break-off ties with the U.S. government," Laskar Jihad's commander Jaffar Umar
Thalib, told CNN.
An intelligence source told CNN radical groups declared a month ago that they would
move the masses to pressure the government to break-off ties with America. If their
call was ignored, the goverment must be toppled.
"That means they already have put in place plans for agitation," said the intelligence
source.
Laskar Jihad disbanded itself shortly after the Bali blast which killed more than 200
people on October 12 last year. The group has been blamed for deepening the Maluku
conflict which killed more than 10,000 people.
No guarantees
Asked whether Laskar Jihad was going to revive its armed wing, Thalib said: "No. We
have already disbanded. These days I am into education and have set up a religious
boarding school in Yogyakarta".
While Laskar Jihad has gained a high profile and notoriety, the group which raises the
most concern is the shadowy network responsible for the Bali blast.
"This is the group which we must most keep an eye on. We have to be alert to what
cannot be seen on the surface and in the public," a military intelligence source told
CNN.
The country's largest Muslim organisation, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) which claims 40
million followers, warned there was no guarantee the predominant and moderate
religious leaders were able to fully control their followers.
"People see this as a war against humanity and they would use this to justify their
radicalism. I am not sure this time I can say for certain I can calm the masses like in
previous occassion," said NU's chairman, Hasyim Muzadi, a leading moderate
Muslim leader.
© 2001 Cable News Network LP, LLLP
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