REPORT May 15, 2002
A Declaration of War: Is America Listening?
(Washington, DC May 15, 2002) Below are excerpts from the translation of a radio broadcast on Radio SPMM (The voice of struggle of the Maluku Muslims) from Commander of the Laskar Jihad Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah Ustadzjaf’ar Umar Thalib that was aired on May 1-3, 2002.
My beloved Muslim community whom I love and I honor. Leaders of Islam, priests of mosques, society leaders and all of the Muslim community, wherever you may be when you hear the call which I am declaring. We give thanks to Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta’ala who has chosen us as His army. The army of God has the responsibility to go to war, even as God commanded: Su 2:216 Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not. Thus has God revealed the responsibility for going to war to us as the armies of God.
Muslims whom I love and honor. For those of us who are still hesitant about going to war, listen to the advice from God about how we must carry out our mission of war. Allah has reminded us: Su 4:75 And why should ye not fight in the cause of Allah and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)? –Men, women, and children, whose cry is: “Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from Thee one who will protect; and raise for us from Thee one who will help!”
SPMM radio audience whom I love and honour. What laws exist in this world which are able to stand against the laws of God when God says that we are responsible to go to war to defend those who are persecuted, who are unable to defend themselves? And what laws in this world are able to prohibit the religion responsibility which declares the command of God, Su 8:72 if they seek your aid in religion, it is your duty to help them, Therefore I stress, all laws and regulations which are in contradiction to the word of God are null and void
Therefore, I have ordered every Jihad soldier in the Ahlussunnah Wal Jama’ah to write out their wills and prepare themselves to welcome their fate as martyrs. Get out all your weapons. Because of the busyness of this war, I am forced to announce to the Muslims that the activities of the SDIP, TKIP and TPQ (schools) are for the present on holiday in order to prepare themselves to get ready for this civil war. And to the medical forces, may they prepare themselves for all possibilities to be ready to serve those who are wounded in the battle.
To the Muslims I counsel that they unite their ranks and prepare themselves in facing the opposition of the people towards the betrayal of the state and the nation. We all serve Allah, reject all forms of sweeping and the like. We are prepared to confront tanks and the like. We are even ready to face fighter planes and helicopters. We do not care. All of this is a warning to the world.
You listen to this. Woe to the pawns of America. You listen to this. Woe to the pawns of the World Church council. You listen to this. Woe to the pawns of the Zionist Crusaders. You listen to this. Woe to the Jews and the Christians. We the Muslim people invite the army of America to prove their strength here in Maluku. Let us fight to the bitter end. Let us prove for the umpteenth time that the Muslim people cannot be defeated by the physical strength which is always boasted about.
The events of the second Afghanistan will take place in Maluku when you are determined to carry out your threats. Woe to America. Now you! Woe to America who is now suffering various defeats, various awesome beatings in Afghanistan. Let us meet like men on the battlefield. We will pass down to our grandchildren the spirit of battle because we have been raised up God as His armies. And we hope Allah includes us among His servants who receive of His mercy and His servants who uphold the honor of His religion
Therefore, increase your devotion, increase your repentance, increase your prayers to Allah and increase your good deeds of obedience to Allah in the process of receiving the blessing of Allah, so that we will gain the victory through Allah. Until we meet on the battle field! Allkahu Akbar!!!
