Poso a Sea of Fire: Indonesian military incapable of quenching
the flames
Joko Harmono, Tuesday August 13, 2002
After a week of terror at the hands of the Laskar Jihad, the Christians are bathing in a
sea of fire.
This is bringing to pass the prophetic announcement pre-recorded message broadcast
on Radio SPMM Ambon on July 5, 2002 and distributed by email print-out from the
Laskar Jihad Information site in mid July 2002. The Supreme Commander of the
Laskar Jihad Ustadz Jafar Umar Thalib, using the same language used in his radio
address in Ambon on May 1, 2002 called on the Muslim community to go to war
against the Christian community:
"Prepare the bombs which we have. Prepare the ammunition which we are ready to
vomit forth from the barrels of the weapons we possess. And we swear by Allah! By
Allah! By Allah! Until Tentena and surroundings become a sea of fire."
The vision is clear and their commitment to bring it to pass is unquestioned. They are
willing, and often eager, to die for their faith because of what they have been promised
by their faith. To die as a martyr in the battle while killing Christians or Jews brings
the highest rewards --immediate entrance to Paradise with 72 eternally beautiful
virgins, land as far as the eye can sea, alcohol that doesn't make you drunk and
music such as has never been heard on earth. When the alternative is living in
poverty, dying of starvation and no prospect of employment, then the option to join the
jihad looks very attractive indeed. What makes it even more attractive is that they are
paid, are allowed to claim the booty of war, and if they die, their family will be well
looked after by the local mosque.
What a great way to die! Adventure! Honor! Wealth! Security! Purpose! Salvation!
Eternal sex! Wow! Who wouldn't want to join?
Since Ustadz Jafar Umar Thalib's Declaration of War the fires have been lit, fanned
and now run wild like an uncontrollable forest fire.
In the past 8 months violations of the Malino Peace Accord signed last December to
end three years of conflict have steadily increased numerically and in their intensity.
These were still small-scale fires, but the match was lit and the fire was not
quenched.
In the last two weeks, the fire has burst into a full-scale sea of fire. Murders and
attacks in Mayoa to the south of Tentena. The razing to the ground of the villages of
Matako, Betania-Malitu, Sepe and Silanca, the torture and massacre of Christians
pulled from public buses and private vehicles has left a trail of blood in recent days,
and the fire rages on.
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