HTML pages
designed &
maintained by
Alifuru67
Copyright ©
1999/2000 -
1364283024
& 1367286044
|
|
|||||
|
|
||||
Religious freedom scrutinized by U.S. commission
MJC Online February 22, 2001 - Religious persecution in the southeast Asian countries of Vietnam and Indonesia was given special consideration by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom during hearings on Feb. 13. Testifying at these hearings were several leaders from the Christian, Buddhist and Muslim communities. Both Indonesia and Vietnam have had tumultuous problems with religious persecution in the last two years.
While governmental control is a problem in Vietnam, lack of government action is a problem in Indonesia, specifically in the Maluku Islands.
"Indonesia is one among the most heterogeneous nation in the world. Indonesia used to be well known for the beauty of its land, hospitality of its people and of its religious tolerance. However, during the last five years it has become common in the worldwide news how horrible things are taking place in Indonesia. People are killing each other, women were being raped, houses were burned, and the numbers of refugees are increasing from day to day, " said John A. Titaley of Satya Wacana Christian University in Salatiga. "While these severe actions took place, the government seems to be incapable of handling the problems properly. Consequently, it is the common people that are suffering the most and loosing their faith to their government."
Titaley confirmed that an Islamic movement, the Laskar Jihad, had infiltrated the Maluku Islands of Indonesia and were carrying out a destructive campaign against local unarmed Christians. He expressed concern about reports that these Jihad warriors were being assisted by the local military, government and police forces. Titaley also told the Commission that Christians in the Malukas were being forced by the Jihad to convert to Islam and be circumcised, or die.
"Religious freedom in Indonesia could be described as fading away from the life of the Indonesian people," said Titaley. "It is for the future of humanity [and] religious freedom, that the Christians in Eastern Indonesia are committed."
Abrams described the conflict in the Malukas as a "horrifying war between two religious groups that have until now existed together on these small, far-flung islands for centuries." Abrams also acknowledged the existence of Laskar Jihad forces at work in the Malukas.
Despite this testimony, a representative of the Muslim community from nearby Ambon said the religious conflicts have been blown out of proportion. "Religion freedom is never a problem in Malukas. The brotherhood between the religions is very close and tight," said Jusuf Ely, chairman of the Jaziratul Muluk Muslim organization. "The friendship of Christian and Moslem villages [is] still going on."
Other reports say around 5,000 people have died in the violence and another 300,000 have been forced to relocate to other places. Witnesses testified that both Christians and Muslims have fought violently against each other. According to Robert W. Hefner of Boston University, the Islamist faction of Indonesia's military was hoping to exploit the religious conflicts in order to topple the country's unstable democratic government.
The U.S. response to this tragic conflict should be to "keep pressure on the Indonesian government to find and prosecute the militia leaders most responsible for the violence" and to impose sanctions on the country, said R. William Liddle of Ohio State University. However, Liddle said that sending a foreign peacekeeping force into the area to restore order would "not seem to be a feasible alternative."
"There is too little backing outside Indonesia and too much hostility in the country to the idea," said Liddle.
The Commission will report its conclusions regarding the situations in Vietnam and Indonesia to the U.S. State Department. The Commission was created in 1998 with the passage of the International Religious Freedom Act to monitor religious freedom in other countries and advise the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress on how best to promote it.
Received via email from: Masariku@yahoogroups.com
Copyright © 1999-2001 - Ambon Berdarah On-Line * http://www.go.to/ambon
HTML pages designed and maintained by Alifuru67 * http://www.oocities.org/maluku67
Send your comments to alifuru67@egroups.com