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Muslim
militiaman says prepare for war
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CNN
World News
April 26, 2002 Posted: 9:06 PM
HKT (1306 GMT) |
Photo: The Maluku islands have a history of religious violence
AMBON, Indonesia (AP) -- The leader of a militant Muslim militia
in Indonesia's Maluku islands has told thousands of supporters to
prepare for war against a mostly Christian separatist group.
Jafar Umar Thalib, the commander of the Laskar Jihad, urged his
followers on Friday to reject a recent peace deal between Muslims
and Christians that had mostly stemmed three years of religious
fighting in the region.
"From today, we will no longer talk about
reconciliation," he told around 5,000 people at mosque in the
Maluku provincial capital, Ambon.
Earlier Friday, security forces fired warning shots to prevent the
crowd from moving into a Christian section of the city. One person
was injured, witnesses said.
Up to 9,000 people have been killed in the Malukus -- located
2,600 kilometers (1,600 miles) east of Jakarta and known as the
Spice Islands during Dutch colonial rule -- since fighting broke
out in 1999.
Tensions have risen sharply this week in the run-up to anniversary
celebrations by the Maluku Sovereignty Front, a small separatist
group campaigning to make the southern part of the Maluku
archipelago an independent nation.
Accusations
Photo: Christian houses go up in flames following a petrol bomb
attack by Muslim groups in 1999
Local Islamic groups accuse the front, which is mostly supported
by Christians, of encouraging attacks on Muslims. They use the
front's presence to justify their own militancy and have long
demanded security forces crack down on it.
On Thursday, a Muslim mob torched a church after the front raised
independence flags in the city. At least 6 people were injured in
clashes with troops.
"Our ... focus now must be preparing for war -- ready your
guns, spears and daggers," Thalib said.
Laskar Jihad joined the conflict in 2000 after arriving from
Indonesia's main island of Java. It has been accused of having
links to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network, something which it
and Indonesian officials deny.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Islamic nation. However, in
Maluku -- which has a population of about two million people --
the balance between Christians and Muslims is almost even.
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