Indonesia: Operation Rescue Maluku, Page 4

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"...just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort." 2 Cor. 1:7b

	Armed Laskar Jihad warriors preparing before attack on Halmahera (photo is from a CD video acquired by ICC).

Indonesia (continued)

The districts of Malifut and Kau began their bitter fight in August 1999. At this point the conflict was not based on religion, but more on ethnic differences.

The district of Kau is 80% Christian and 20% Muslim, and is united. The citizens of Kau, Muslims and Christians together, fought off the mostly Muslim people from Malifut when their town was attacked. On Sunday, as Christians were in their churches, Muslims guarded the borders. Thus Kau was able to win the battle and the Muslim residents of Malifut fled to Ternate. To this day, Kau serves as a model of Christians and Muslims standing together to resist outside provocateurs.

It was only after the refugees from Malifut settled in Ternate that the conflict in North Maluku quickly took a turn for the worse. Someone within the Islamist movement started circulating rumors that the conflict was a religious war and that Christians had burned down mosques and turned others into churches. An investigating team from Parliament proved that these allegations were completely false, that in fact not one mosque had been destroyed or converted into a church. However, before the Parliament could convene, Muslim provocateurs had already circulated a pamphlet falsely claiming to have been written by Sammy Titaley, Chairman of the Synod of the Maluku Protestant Church. The letter was said to have been written to the churches in Halmahera who were ordered to join efforts to "wipe out the Muslims" and to "do it in the most sadistic manner possible." There is no doubt that the letter was a forgery and that Pastor Sammy's signature was a forgery and even the letterhead was forged. The letter also made reference to incidents that took place on August 18th, while it was dated the 29th of July - further evidence of evil deception.

A Pastor was holding this Bible as it was slashed by a Jihad warrior's machete. Miraculously, the pastor survived.

Nevertheless, the damage was done and the conflict had been turned into a religious war. Soon to follow was the attack on the Christians of the island of Tidore, located next to the island of Ternate. Muslim leaders and members of the military and police came to the church where the pastor and his congregation were holding a prayer service. The pastor of the church was told to admit to the statements made in the letter, which he denied. The jihad warriors then cut off one of his hands. They again repeated their demand, and he again denied. Then they cut off his other hand. Finally, they gouged out both his eyes and beheaded him. Nine other people attending the prayer meeting were also mercilessly slaughtered. The church and all the Christians' homes were destroyed.

The Christians of Maluku need our prayers and support. How many more cries for help will we hear before taking action? Cries like that of 16-year-old Cristina Sintoki who was among the many civilians wounded in the attack on Duma. She was trying to defend her church as the Jihad warriors advanced. With tears in her eyes, she recounted the events of that day. "My legs were hit with bullets fired by the Jihad warriors as I was trying to roll fuel drums in the path of the advancing warriors in an attempt to form a barricade, but the bullets were piercing through the drums. I just didn't want them to take our church. I fell to the ground wounded and was helped by some of the young people. My father and older brother were killed. They burned my father alive and cut my brother to pieces with their machetes."

(Click here for more information on Indonesia.)

POSTED:  April 12, 2001

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