Indonesia: Jihad in Indonesia, Page 2

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"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not dispairing" 2 Cor. 4:8

	A graphic example of a Christian martyr.

Indonesia: Convert or Die!

Indonesian Christians from Maluku's Keswui and Teor islands have faced a grave decision: Convert to Islam or die. On November 23, 2000 four Christian villages on the island of Keswui were attacked by the Laskar Jihad, a militant Islamic extremist group. While around 500 people fled to a neighboring island, over a thousand people fleeing into the woods were kidnapped by Muslims and held hostage in local mosques. Reports indicate that as many as 760 of these people were forced to convert to Islam while at least 93 Christians paid the ultimate price for refusing to deny Christ.

Christians who chose Islam over death also faced torture in the form of forced circumcision. Not only men, but women also, were circumcised. Katrina, a 32-year-old single Christian woman was forced to undergo this horrible procedure. This is her testimony:

"The fourth of December, we were divided into men and women. There was a room for men and a room for women. After we were divided, we were circumcised in the room, that is the bathroom, that means the sleeping room. In order to be circumcised, we had to take off our underpants. We took off our underpants, then we wore a sarong. In the small room was a special chair, for the occasion, covered with white cloth. Then we all sat on the chair with the white cloth. Afterward, in the room we all were given an explanation. Also below the chair was a citrus fruit with water with cotton and coconut husks. After that, the lady that was circumcising me, she washed her hands and then she put her hands in my private parts. Then she said it was for washing my private parts in order to remove the dirt of dogs and pigs. That's what the lady said. After that, the private part of my body, the small one, was cut with a knife." (Source: Baptist Maluku Crisis Center)

While the Muslims maintained that the Christians had converted to Islam of their own free will, an investigative team was sent to evacuate those found to be held against their will. However, as the team was composed mostly of Muslims, many of the hostages were afraid to admit that they were being held involuntarily. On December 13 another team, consisting of an equal number of members from both faiths traveled to Keswui and allowed the Christians to give their testimonies in private. A boat docked in the harbor was the site for the questioning. However, as one survivor explained, only one family member at a time was permitted to board the boat. Thus, if they did not return again, the other members of their family could be killed. Despite the threat to family members, 170 of the Christians refused to get off the boat and were rescued by the investigative team. They have joined thousands of other Christians in overcrowded refugee camps.

The following is a telephone interview with Konstantinus Idi, a 22-year-old Christian who was forcibly converted to Islam and later escaped.

IDI: When we entered the ship, at that time, they kept the older people, our parents, on the land. Then, when we had our pastor, our leader, asked that all those that were still on the land be brought on board, all of them. Then immediately, the parents that were on the land, when they tried to bring them on board, they made a commotion on the land. At the end, people on the boat were forced to get off because they had family still on the land.

RONNY: OK, So what happened is that they had parents that were still on the land, while the young people were still on the ship. Then they made trouble so that the young people got off the boat. Because they thought they would kill their parents?

IDI: Yes. Because they said that those that left, they would kill their families. (Source: Baptist Maluku Crisis Center)

While it might be easy for us to say that the Christians of Maluku should have laid down their lives for Christ rather than give in to fear and convert to Islam, we must not judge our brethren. Peter, also, denied the Lord three times on the night of His death. Yet later he repented and became a mighty witness for God. Let us pray that our Indonesian brothers and sisters will do the same.

It is important to remember that not all Indonesian Muslims support violence against Christians. Many Muslims from Maluku would welcome an end to the violence, which has done harm to their community as well as to their Christian neighbors. On December 8, 2000, Christians and Muslims from Maluku met in Yogyakarta for reconciliation talks called Baku Bae. However, reconciliation between the two religious communities won't solve anything as long as the Laskar Jihad continues with its campaign of terror.

(Click here for more information on Indonesia.)

Continued on Page 3...  

POSTED:  February 17, 2001

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