Political Acronym List

Spoilt for choice in the 2009 elections, almost three dozen political parties to choose from, most with their own acronym.

34 political parties will be allowed to participate in the 2009 elections by the Electoral Commission (Komisi Pemilihan Umum, KPU), 16 of which are established parties, that is, they passed verification at least partly based on their performance in the 2004 …

Comment by kinch: … in orchestrating Poso beheadings than smiting the …

Religion & Religiosity

Rima says religion and religiosity are to blame for much of Indonesia's, and the world's, troubles.

Why religion doesn't matter at all

Once upon a time, Indonesia was well-known in the world as a nation of peace, tolerance and religious pluralism. Other countries even made us their example, a country full of people with various religious beliefs, from various ethnic and language …

Comment by santana: … of cases Ambon, poso etc.. So at politician elite level …

FPI - Laskar Kafir, dikuasai Mossad

Keterangan mengenai kekerasan FPI di Monas, menyalahkan korban, pemerintah dan persekongkolan asing.

Pimpinan Tim Pengacara Muslim (TPM), Mahendradatta, mengatakan bahwa insiden Monas terjadi karena pihak AKKBB dengan sengaja memprovokasi dengan melontarkan kata-kata seperti

FPI Laskar Kafir dan Laskar Setan

Provokasi lainnya termasuk fakta bahwa parade AKKBB ilegal, tanpa ijin …

Comment by Cukurungan: … ada di ambon dan poso….ngomong apa saja bisa….tapi …

Insiden Monas, FPI & AKKBB

Video tindak kekerasan Front Pembela Islam saat parade kebebasan beragama di Jakarta, dan tanggapan Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Video pemberitaan serangan Front Pembela Islam (FPI) terhadap Aliansi Kebangsaan Kebebasan Beragama dan Berkeyakinan (AKKBB) yang berkumpul di Silang Monas, Jakarta menandai peringatan hari Kesaktian Pancasila tanggal 1 Juni. Sekitar 200 orang anggota FPI …

Comment by Komandan Laskar Muslim Kalimantan: … di bantai di poso. lalu kemana AKKBB, kemana Islam …

Purwakarta Church Burned Down

A church is burned down in Purwakarta, West Java by local people feeling slighted at the lack of response to their protests over its construction.

In Citeko village, Plered district, Purwakarta, West Java on 20th May a church run by the Abdi Karya Foundation (Yadika) was burned down in an attack by hundreds of local people.

The building had formerly been a tile factory and was in the …

Comment by timdog: … of all the Posos of this world… not helpful at …

Amrozi Execution

Bali bomber Amrozi finds love in prison, and marries today, while his execution seems to be nearing.

Love

On May 12th condemned terrorist will re-marry his ex-wife Siti Rohmah/Rahma, who he divorced in 2000.

Amrozi's lawyer from Muslim Legal Team (Tim Pengacara Muslim (TPM)), Mahendardatta, says the love between Amrozi and Rahma had been rekindled of late, because Rahma was a …

Comment by dnj_jkt: … here,.. The Poso trio being quickly executed, while …

Shopping Mall Churches

Church services in malls, people in West Java are flocking to shopping malls in order to pray.

"Indonesians seek salvation in shops":

Shopping malls in West Java are home to a growing number of Christian congregations. There are 10 in this mall alone.

Few of them want to talk publicly about why they are here, but off the record they admit it comes down to intimidation by Muslim …

Comment by djoko: … like, let’s say, Poso? I’m not trying to corner you …

Islamic-Western Civilization

… that the upheavals or the riots that took place in some regions in Indonesia such as, Ambon, Poso, and the like is one corroboration of it.

Leadership among Muslims

Pertaining to the crisis of authority in Islam, there are however, institutions as well as religious leaders or Ulama who have an authority at forcing reconciliation among different religions. In dealing with the Indonesian case at present, religious leaders attempt to bridge the divergence between Islam and …

Fitna by Geert Wilders

… could be a possible date. For anyone interested bookmark www.fitnathemovie.com in your favorites.

Comment by muslimbound: … afghanistan, Poso most of them not even shown in al …

Ancaman Terorisme

… begitu, ia tidak yakin seberapa aktif JI sekarang, kalaupun organisasi tersebut masih berdiri.

Poso, Sulawesi Tengah

Sementara itu, Crisis Group melaporkan jika "taman bermain" JI di Poso, Sulawesi Tengah belum mengalami kejadian kekerasan sejak 12 bulan yang lalu, dan kepemimpinan JI di daerah itu yang berpusat di distrik Tanah Runtuh sudah dihancurkan polisi.

Para ulama Jawa radikal yang dating ke Poso semuanya sudah dibunuh polisi, melarikan diri, atau diusir dari kota. Dua …

Terror Threat

… although he wasn't sure how active the organisation still was, if at all. antara

Poso

Meanwhile a Crisis Group report says that JI's "playground" of Poso, Central Sulawesi, has not seen any violence in the past 12 months, and that the JI command in the area, centred on the Tanah Runtuh district, has been smashed by police, rather brutally ( Poso Fighting & Poso Jihad ).

Radical Javanese clerics that had come to the town have either been killed by police, or …

Persecuted Church

Why there are so many attacks on churches in western Java.

Persecuted Churches Nationally

On 14th January members of the Himpunan Warga Gereja Indonesia (HAGAI), Indonesian Churchgoers Association, visited the offices of the National Human Rights Commission, (Komnas HAM) in Jakarta to complain about attacks against churches and Christian congregations around the country.

Pastor …

Comment by Panglima Buaya: … video under Poso title in youtube.com showed …

Soft Islamization

The experts say soft Islam is sweeping the country, not hard Islam.

In a similar vein to Time's " Vespa Girls " story of 2007 the Economist says Indonesia is a place where "Where 'soft Islam' is on the march" economist The story begins:

Is Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country, undergoing creeping Islamisation?

Some examples of Islamic extremism, such as …

Comment by Aluang Anak Bayang: … be found in Acheh and Poso.

Travel Horror

… would certainly help whoever travels or has plans to travel to new locations in Indonesia.

Comment by Teng: … have to realise Poso and Manado are pretty far apart.

Djoko Santoso

General Djoko Santoso warns students about foreign agents.

Army Chief of Staff General Djoko Santoso said on 10th November that there were many foreign secret service agents and agents provocateur in Indonesia who attempted to recruit, in particular, university students.

Djoko Santoso.

Speaking to a group of students in Magelang, Central Java, he warned:

There are a lot of …

Comment by naga: … the conflict in Poso, Maluku and ET and Papua; the TNI …

Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiyah

Mini theocracy in Bogor and Padang.

MUI Fatwa

On 4th October the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued a fatwa against the "Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiyah" sect, which is led by Ahmad Moshaddeq, real name Salam.

MUI Chairman, Ma'ruf Amin said the sect had grown rapidly since 2000 and that since July 23rd 2007 Ahmad Moshaddeq had been claiming to be a prophet after he spent 40 days and …

Comment by dewaratugedeanom: … innocent live of poso santri and muslim are less worthy …

Indonesian Women

Laws that discriminate against women.

The recent 39th meeting of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in New York recommended Indonesia revoke all laws that are viewed as biased against women, said the Minister for Women's Empowerment, Meutia Hatta, on 26th September.

Although Indonesia ratified the Convention 23 years ago Meutia …

Comment by Ade Wanto: … like in Ambon, Poso, and other areas- in …

Religious TV

Television programs that violate Islamic law.

The annual topic of Indonesian television immorality during the fasting month of Ramadan.

Boycott

In Sumenep, Madura, East Java, the local branch of the Nahdlatul Ulama vowed on 12th September to boycott all television during the hours of 5pm and 8pm, because watching television at these times interfered with Muslims' holy …

Comment by Vinz: … Look at the Poso what happened their and try to fix …

Batak Church Attack

A Batak church in Tangerang, West Java is attacked.

On 2nd September a house used as a church in the Pondok Sukatani Permai housing estate, Sukatani, Tangerang ( map ), western Java was damaged in an attack by about 300 Muslims.

One report says about 200 people were in the house attending a regular Sunday service when a crowd of 300 surrounded the church and demanded that the service …

Comment by Odinius: … that was ethnic), poso, ambon, etc. The government should …

Live In Programs

Muslim-Christian live-in programs.

Religious Violence

In some of the last years of General Suharto's rule, around 1996-97, the province of East Java saw a sharp upturn in instances of anti-Christian violence, resulting in about 100 churches being burned down or vandalised, about 20 of them on a single day in October 1996 in the town of Situbondo.

A Catholic church burns in …

Comment by Augusto: … conflict in Poso and Ambon. Extremism are the news …

Mixed Religion Marriages

Four ways you can possibly get around the law against mixed-religion marriages.

Some time ago Law Professor Wahyono Darmabrata of Universitas Indonesia (UI), Depok, suggested four ways those of mixed faiths could marry, they being:

by court order
marrying according to each partner's religion
submitting to your partner's religion for marriage purposes, but without converting …

Comment by Hassan: … muslims mob at Poso chanting ‘Allahu Akhbar’ was …

Learning Islam

Indonesian Muslims still have some way to go in learning Islam.

The minister of religion, Maftuh Basyuni said on 4th August that Islam did not teach violence or radicalism, and radicalism could not be allowed to flourish Indonesia because most people were opposed to it and it had no basis in the Quran. He advised people to not only read the Quran a lot but to learn it and understand …

Comment by dawud farquhar: … His incitement for Poso Mulsims to murder more of their …

Islam & Terrorism

Islam has no relationship to terrorism.

Australian ambassador to Indonesia Bill Farmer said on 23rd July that the various acts of terrorism around the world in recent times had nothing to do with Islam. He told Antara reporters: antara

I can't see any relationship between Islam and terrorism.

He said he had learned this after having lived in Indonesia for some time.

I …

Comment by Cukurungan: … fresh example is Poso and ambon conflict when we are …

Javanese Terrorists

… the Kuningan Australian embassy attack, the Marriot Hotel bombing, and the innumerable attacks in Poso, Central Sulawesi over recent years, most had been committed by Javanese men, he said.

Ethnic boundaries of Java island. (Click for full size.)

Whether Amrozi and Imam Samudera, or the recently arrested Abu Dujana ( Yusron Mahmudi/Ainul Bahri ) and Abu Irsyad/Zarkarsih, most were Javanese, or at least culturally Javanese. Abu Dujana, although he was born in a Sundanese …

Abu Irsyad, Zarkarsih

… his superior, the "Amir" (highest leader) of JI in Indonesia and the operational commander for the Poso area of Central Sulawesi.

Abu Irsyad or Zarkarsih, in a police video.

The 45 year old, born in 1962 in Pekalongan, Central Java, was appointed emergency head of JI during a meeting of high ranking JI leaders in 2005, after his predecessor, Andung/Adung, was arrested in Solo/Surakarta in June 2004.

In his videotaped confession aired on 15th June, Zarkasih explained that Abu …

Comment by Berlian Biru: … in 2005, in Poso, since that time the Indonesian …

Sunday School

A Sunday school/church in Bandung was raided, the pastor's wife beaten and images of Jesus smashed.

Robby Elisa, a Christian pastor, in the Gading Tutukan housing estate, Katapang, Bandung, West Java, was playing host to a few people, mainly children, on 3rd June when a number of people came to the house and accused Elisa of holding an illegal religious service.

The visitors then broke …

Comment by JKS: … in Ambon and Poso) to majority moslems so this …

Walisongo Massacre

Remembering the massacre at the Walisongo School in Poso.

On the seventh anniversary of the attack on Sintuwu Lemba village, otherwise called Kilo Nine, in Poso, Central Sulawesi hundreds of Muslims gathered at the Al Azhar mosque in Jakarta on May 28th 2007 and called on the government to improve the situation of refugees and victims of the 1998-2001 war and to rebuild the Wali Songo Muslim boarding school, which was destroyed in the …

Comment by Zoleila: … really happened to POSO city..some of them says that they …

Village Field Trip

President Yudhoyono visits a village and is not happy with what he sees.

The Jakarta Post says that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on 20th May suddenly descended on Karang Tengah village in Sentul, Bogor, to have an intimate look at the daily lives of villagers.

First he visited a petrol stall/kiosk owned by one Rohman Husein. Yudhoyono said he was bewildered that petrol was …

Comment by Odinius: … a vacation to Poso, amazed to find some people hate …

Illegitimate Children

There are no more "haram" children in Surabaya.

The head of the civil registry office in Surabaya, East Java, says illegitimate children will no longer by called "haram" ("forbidden", in Islam) by his office and will be able to obtain birth certificates that say:

....a child from a woman....

Imam Sugondo says the measure has been taken to prevent illegitimate children suffering …

Comment by Aluang anak Bayang: … you try Acheh and Poso first. Javanese moslem are easy …

Tyranny of the Majority

The tyranny of the majority, and the minority, in Papua.

The Catholic bishop of Jayapura, Leo Laba Ladjar, says Papua needs a legal framework to ensure that harmony between religious groups is maintained, and to prevent both a tyranny of the majority, and a tyranny of the minority, situation. For minorities:

Rules have to protect minorities against a tyranny of the majority, which can …

Comment by Robert: … the video of the Poso violence in my mind. I still think …

Violent Video

A video of the Poso conflict.

This is an old, heavily edited, video clip showing some of the violence during the Central Sulawesi war of 1998-2001. It is said to contain extreme and graphic violence, - your scribe can't say for sure as he is squeamish and has only watched the first 30 seconds.

Some background for those who don't know of the events in question.

Suharto's resignation as Indonesia's …

Comment by Jenny: … anything from Poso– most of the footage comes from …

Boy & Girl Caned

An amorous young couple in Aceh are given the lash.

Two romancing university students, a boy, Nuriadin bin Ismail (22), and a girl, Devita Citra Putri binti Ismail (21), were caught together in a boarding house room on 6th February 2007, subject to a citizens' arrest by local people, and then handed over to the religious police, Wilayatul Hisbah , and they were then charged with …

Comment by Aluang anak Bayang: … pribumis in Poso. They are hacking each other …

World’s Tallest Statue

… make their feelings known in a direct way, with the possibe result that the area would become a Poso Mark II, he said, ie. a scene of Christian-Muslim war. republika

Meanwhile chairman of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) in Medan, Ngadiman, said the MUI had already given a verbal instruction that the statue construction was not allowed, if it used the name of Noah. However if Noah's name was not used the MUI did not object. waspada

Christianisation

Christianisation through sodomy, hypnosis, and kidnapping is rampant in Indonesia.

It is often heard that Indonesia is subject to a process of Christianisation, one example being an old article by one Herry Nurdi in Sabili magazine - "Alert! Christianization is Attacking Campuses" (ALERT! KRISTENISASI MENYERBU KAMPUS), the word "attack" having the sense of "in great numbers" or "stampede", …

Comment by Arema: … people in Poso retaliated. They shouldn’t …

Islam is for Arabs

Two Javanese men fall foul of the law for saying Islam is an unwanted Arab import.

In the town of Pasuruan, East Java two men, Rohim or Rochamim and Toyib were taken to the police station by angry local residents on 10th April because of Rochamim's dangerous ideas about religion, to which Toyib had become a follower.

Rochamim says that Islam is an Arab religion and has nothing to do …

Comment by Cukurungan: … happened in Ambon, Poso and relentless natural and man …

Biblical Law

… community in the area but from a "third party" which seeks to turn Manokwari into another Poso, a scene of sectarian war. He says one of the proposed laws would forbid Muslim women from wearing the jilbab, or headscarf, and another would somehow ban maghrib.

Steff William Wamea, an artist from Manokwari, is one however who does support the laws because they make Manokwari a better town to live in and bring down the high rates of rape and other crimes. He says the laws are …

Christian Terrorists

Twelve Christians from Poso face the death penalty for terrorism offences.

The trials of twelve Christian men accused of murdering two Muslims near Poso, Central Sulawesi, have begun at the South Jakarta District Court. The men are charged under both the 2002 Anti-Terrorism law and articles in the criminal code, and face the death penalty if convicted.

The defendants are Harpri Tumonggi alias Api (28), …

Comment by Robert: … with Hasanuddin (Poso behadings) who only got 20 years. …

Zainuddin MZ

Zainuddin MZ, the "cleric of a million followers".

Vice president Jusuf Kalla said on the 2nd in Jakarta that Muslim leader Zainuddin had once again become a preacher for all Muslims in Indonesia.

Kalla said that in the past he had often listened to Zainuddin's sermons but after Zainuddin entered politics and formed the Reform Star Party, Partai Bintang Reformasi (PBR), he didn't listen …

Comment by Cukurungan: … your tapa pendem, poso mutih, batch up in 40 different …

Tamsil Linrung

A PKS politician is prevented from boarding a flight to Canada.

Tamsil Linrung was prevented from boarding a Cathay Pacific Airways flight to Canada, leaving from Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta international airport on March 21st, because, so it is said antara , airport authorities had been informed by US embassy officials that Tamsil was an undesirable passenger. He was part of a …

Comment by Joni Arief: … reasons like in Poso, Bali. 2) We must prove to every …

Jafar Umar Thalib

… a threat to Indonesia than the Communist Party once had been.

Jafar Umar Thalib

He said Poso and Ambon had become centres for the spreading of radical, violent religious teachings. The radical groups terrorised and used the local people for their own purposes while the majority of Muslims in those areas were forced into supporting the extremist groups.

Most Indonesian Muslims could not accept a violence-based form of Islam, he said, but in the long run it was not impossible that …

Comment by Mohammed Khafi: He said Poso and Ambon had become centres for …

Beheadings Trial

… Payaman went on to say that prosecutors had evidence that Hasan, who is the son-in-law of Poso Muslim militant leader Adnan Arsal, had plotted the attacks with a Muslim cleric, Ustadz Sanusi, in a meeting at the Ulil Arbab library in Gebang Rejo, Poso, in 2005. At this meeting Hasan told the preacher that when he was training with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the Philippines he had heard stories that it was customary for jihadists to attack security posts and kill …

Comment by Aluang anak Bayang: … inching in on Poso, and we have already lost Acheh.

Dayak Languages

Many Dayak languages are nearing extinction.

Ethnic language expert Dedi Ary Aspar in Pontianak says the 26 endangered languages are located in West Kalimantan and are all sub-branches of the main Dayak language. None of them has more than 100,000 speakers and a number have only 500 or so speakers.

Dedi says the languages, some of which include Bukat, Punan, Kayaan, Sungkung and Konyeh, …

Comment by Panglima Buaya: … we done that in Poso when they forced us to converted …

Islam and Chinese

The distance between Indonesian Chinese people and Islam.

Julia Suryakusuma wrote in the Jakarta Post recently:

The Chinese in Indonesia are usually Buddhist, Christian or Confucian. In fact, the actual number of Muslim Chinese is not known, but there are not many.

And then:

The Religious Affairs Ministry has in the past made strenuous efforts to squelch academic research on …

Comment by Shadiq Thahir: … the crisis in POSO has anything conceptual with the …

Ambon Bomb

… "test case" bombings and by 2008 a full-scale bombing campaign would be underway, in Ambon, Poso, Papua, Medan, Jakarta, and a number of towns in Central Java.

All such bombings, said the expert, were part of foreign plots to destablise Indonesia in order to weaken the government.

Of the current bombing in Ambon Wawan, a senior lecturer at the Indonesian Intelligence School (Intitut Intelijen Negara (IIN)), said the police should focus their investigations on remaining members of …

Security Forces

… familiar with the 29 characters on the 'most wanted list' issued by the security forces in Poso a long time ago. The eye of the storm of sectarian violence has been in the headlines a lot recently but evidently intelligence agencies in Jakarta could have saved themselves a lot of trouble -and perhaps several lives also - had they been prepared to act on what was known some time ago.

Hendropriyono.

The BIN boss (retired) says that he gave fulsome information to the police in …

Division of Poso

Some Poso residents are urging that the regency be split in two along sectarian lines.

A request to divide the regency into two halves was submitted in a joint declaration at Baruga Torulembah, the home of Poso Regent Piet Inkiriwang. It called on the government to split the regency into a Poso regency, with Tentena as its capital (Christian), and a Poso mayoralty, with Poso city as its centre …

Habib Umar

A visiting cleric from Yemen worries about the state of the Indonesian Muslim clerisy, and Abu Bakar Bashir.

The head of a delegation of eleven Muslim clerics from the region of Hadramaut in Yemen, from whence many of those of Arab descent in Indonesia hail from, Habib Umar bin Hafiz bin Sheikh Abu Bakar, said during a meeting with hundreds of his Indonesian counterparts at the Lirboyo …

Comment by Tomaculum: … or for the Poso riots?). Hmmm, or wasn’t it …

Densus 88

… 5000, because, he says, 3000 Muslims have been killed in Bali (Antara) Ambon and 2000 in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

Abu Bakar Ba'asyir.

Speaking at a seminar in Jakarta on 4th called "Does there need to be a revolution to impose Islamic law in Indonesia?" Bashir reiterated his earlier calls for Densus 88 to not just be withdrawn from Poso but disbanded.

Baasyir went on to complain that whenever Muslims defended themselves from attack they were labelled as terrorists, and …

Comment by Zapata: … network in Poso, analysis of ICG is very …

Basri

The story of the most wanted man in Poso, Basri, who was caught by police recently.

On the 1st of February Mobile Brigade police in Poso, Central Sulawesi, raided a house in the Kayamanya area of Poso town and captured Basri alias Bagong, 30 years old, and another man, Ardin Lawanga/Djanatu alias Rojak), 35 years old. Basri did not resist arrest but Ardin did and was shot in the stomach by police. He is being treated at …

Comment by Cukurungan: … to occur. In the Poso case, the Moslem and Christian …

Jihad Sin

… place was in hell. antara

_______________

February 8th 2007.

A Muslim cleric from Poso, Ustad Abdurahman, told a hearing at the House of Representatives in Jakarta that the government should take the lead in clearing up the meaning of jihad, which he said has been misunderstood by most people, including religious leaders. tempo

They think that what they do is jihad, killing policemen is halal (allowed) and their stealing is fai (legitimate spoils of war).

Ustad …

Comment by Julita: … those who went to Poso for revenge because they lost …

Laskar Jihad

Dozens of former Laskar Jihad members are heading to Poso, Central Sulawesi.

Scores of former Laskar Jihad members left Surabaya, East Java, on the 29th en route to Makassar, South Sulawesi, and thereafter with the intention to head to Poso, Central Sulawesi.

The Laskar Jihad, or Holy War Force, was a paramilitary organisation formed in 2000, some believe with the backing of elements of the Indonesian military, which has in the past waged …

Comment by 1ndra: … trying to help the poso people to rebuild the peace up …

Foreign Radio & Television

Foreign radio and television broadcasts should be censored, say some leaders.

Joko Susilo, a member of the Information Commission of the Indonesian parliament from the National Mandate Party (Partai Amanat Nasional (PAN)) from East Java, says that relayed foreign broadcasts, whether radio or television, such as Voice of America (VOA), have to be stopped immediately.

Joko Susilo. …

Comment by Rambutan: … recent events in Poso show, there certainly are …

Poso Fighting

Fourteen people have died in Poso during shoot-outs with anti-terrorist police.

The police Densus 88 unit, anti-terror squad, and the police Mobile Brigade, have been in a number of firefights with Muslim militants in the Central Sulawesi town of Poso beginning from the morning of the 22nd and centred on the Tanah Runtuh district.

It is believed 1 policeman (Roni Iskandar, Brimob) and 13 other people, at least some …

Comment by Aluang Anak Bayang: Re, If Poso keep on fighting, it doesn’t …

Central Sulawesi Maps

Maps of Central Sulawesi, central Celebes, including Poso.

Firefox users may need to click the maps to see the full size.

Map of the Regencies & Cities of Central Sulawesi.

Map of the regencies of Poso and Tojo Unauna, and their subdivisions.

Poso Jihad

… are focusing on the role of Muslim clerics in the continuing strife in Central Sulawesi.

Poso of late has again been the scene of some violence. Mobile Brigade and Densus 88 (anti-terror squad) police in Central Sulawesi on January 11th raided the home of one of 29 Islamic militants suspected of having carried attacks on Christians going back to 1998. Those in the home fought back with guns and crude bombs and one suspect, Dedi Parsan, was killed in the raid, as was an Islamic …

Comment by James: … how many killed in POSO, Innocent People that Beheaded. …

US Interference in Poso

The recent violence in Poso is caused by America, says Abu Bakar Ba'asyir.

The head of the Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI) said at the Darussalam mosque in Lamong, Pare, Kediri, East Java, on the 14th that as long as America continued to pursue its nefarious agenda of creating sectarian strife in Central Sulawesi there would not be peace.

He said that the troubles in Poso between Christians and Muslims were …

Comment by Hassan: … you volunteer to Poso as CIA agent?” No thanks, …

Indonesians & Arabs

Indonesians are better than Arabs, says Jusuf Kalla.

Vice president Jusuf Kalla, who is rarely short of words on any subject, says Indonesians have a lot to be proud about when comparing themselves to Arabs, should they want to do this. For example, in Indonesia there were many religions, cultures, skin shades, etc, but everyone was united. The Arabs had the same religion, same culture, …

Comment by Fanglong: … happened in Aceh, Poso, and Papua. Of this I cannot …

Religion of Peace

… or any other buildings.

Sectarian conflicts were an increasing trend in Indonesia, such as in Poso and Ambon, and their occurrence meant that religion had lost its positive influence.

He went on to say that both Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah had decided to shoulder the responsibility of making sure that Islam had a peaceful, benevolent aspect and role in Indonesia, that it uplifted humanity, that is was rahmatan lil alamin, a blessing for the world.

Over the past seven years, …

Terrorist Resurgence

… chief worries that ex-terrorists may return to their violent ways, and that Arabs are operating in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

Hendro Priyono, the former head of the Badan Intelejen Negara (BIN), said on the 30th that any threat to the national integrity and unity of Indonesia was most likely to originate from Poso because in that troubled area could be found not only terrorism but also militant training centres which had been set up with the help of foreigners, specifically from the Middle …

Javanese North Sumatra

It's time for a Javanese to become governor of North Sumatra, some say.

The deputy chairman of the provincial parliament, Hasbullah Hadi, says that the ethnic Javanese population has now reached 47% of the twelve million residents of North Sumatra province and that therefore the region is ready to accept a governor from Javanese stock.

I think it's appropriate in 2008 for there to be a …

Comment by Charles: … the conflict from Poso to North Sumatra or trying to …

Poso 29

The cases of the twenty-nine wanted Muslim extremists in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

One of the twenty-nine men sought by police in Poso is in custody. Andi Lalu, or Andi Lolu, or Andi Bocor, take your pick, gave himself up to police in Mapane, Poso Pesisir, Central Sulawesi on the 14th. He was straightaway taken to Palu, the provincial capital.

Andi is accused of being involved in shootings in Landangan, Poso Pesisir, 29th September …

Miss Muslimah

Muhammadiyah is planning to enter the world of pageants.

Din Syamsuddin, the chairman of Muhammadiyah, says that in February of 2007 a Miss Muslimah Indonesia contest will be held, in direct and deliberate competition with the Miss Indonesia contest (Putri Indonesia). The reason, says Din, is that pornography has to be tackled not just in an intellectual, critical way, but also in a …

Comment by 1ndra: … conflict zone like Poso, dll when Muslim is minority…

Southern Philippines Jihad

Abu Bakar Ba'asyir urges those bent on jihad to go to Indonesia's neighbour, the Philippines.

The head of the Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI) said on the 5th at a mosque in Kediri, East Java:

If you want to wage jihad don't do it here, but in the southern Philippines or Iraq.

He said this in speaking of the Bali bombers, Amrozi, Ali Ghufron, and Imam Samudra, saying that they …

Comment by Hassan: … murdered on the poso mayhem. casualties fall from both …

Tibo Case to ICJ

The family of Fabianus Tibo plan to take their case to the International Court of Justice.

Fabianus Tibo, along with Marinus Riwu and Dominggus da Silva, was executed on September 22nd for being involved in murders of Muslims during sectarian conflict in Central Sulawesi in 2001.

A spokesman for Tibo's family, who live in Ende, Flores, Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), Yustinus Sani, said …

Comment by Yole: … side of the Poso conflict, and for many westerners …

Tanah Runtuh Marches

The residents of Tanah Runtuh in Poso march to demand the withdrawal of outside police units from Poso, Central Sulawesi.

On the 30th a large rally of up to 4000 Muslims took place, organised by the Forum Silaturahmi Perjuangan Umat Islam Poso, and held to demand the withdrawal of police Mobile Brigade units (BKO) from Poso, and the withdrawal of four police generals and the disbanding of the fact-finding team of which …

Comment by Hassan: … the previous poso conflicts the police and brimob …

Causes of Poso Strife

Some see the roots of the conflict in Poso as a struggle between militarism and democracy.

Radio Nederland recently talked to George Junus Aditjondro, the head of a group called Poso Centre. George says that the outbreaks of fighting, and periodic bombings and murders, which have plagued the religiously divided area of Central Sulawesi since the signing of a peace agreement in December 2001, a peace agreement brokered by …

Comment by mat saleh: … his opinion about Poso’s militarism that has many …

Shootouts in Poso

One civilian was killed in Poso, central Sulawesi, after fighting broke out between police and groups of Muslims.

Five regular police officers and one Mobile Brigade officer were carrying out an operation in the Gebang Rejo district of Poso, a mainly Muslim area, on 22nd October at 21.15, and were attacked by a number of men, who fired guns and threw homemade bombs and stones at them. Police sources say that the …

Comment by jack_hartawan: Wierd, in poso priest shoot dead, church burnt, …

Christian Fear & Frustration

… conflating of events, of things separated by many years. We are told that the violence began in Poso, originally, when a rumour among Christians spread that Muslims had tried to ban alcohol. Violence spread, and included the beheadings of three Christian schoolgirls, something which actually happened four years after the Malino peace accord, and six years after the original outbreak of fighting.

Some people were later brought to trial. "The Christians", known as the Poso Three, were …

Comment by Edward Farel: … friends in here (POSO). If you guys dont know the truth …

Rev. Irianto Kongkoli

… ( Antara and Kompas )

Reverend Irianto Kongkoli.

Irianto Kongkoli was born in Poso, Central Sulawesi, on 14th March 1963, but grew up in nearby Tentena. He completed his theological training at the Duta Wacana Christian University in Yogyakarta. While in central Java he also studied Islam at the Yogyakarta State Religious Institute and became a fluent speaker of Javanese at the same time, as well as learning a good amount of Arabic.

Upon returning to Central Sulawesi he …

Not a Hotel

Vice president Jusuf Kalla advises businessmen of Chinese descent to regard Indonesia as their home, and not as a hotel.

Speaking to a group of Chinese, Tionghoa, businessmen at the Gedung Metro TV in Jakarta on the 11th Kalla asked them to not consider Indonesia a hotel, and that when times got tough not to flee, with their money in tow, to greener, safer pastures such as Singapore and …

Comment by Peace: … hope the peace for Poso and for any trouble place in …

Dialogue with Baasyir

… peace in Indonesia. Christians in Indonesia were not doing enough to establish peace in Ambon and Poso, he said.

Bashir also brought up the speech of Pope Benedict XVI in which the pontiff seemed to cast aspersions on Islam, suggesting that it was violent and intent on spreading itself by the sword. Bashir said Muslims could only take up arms to defend themselves. No force could be used in the propagation of the faith.

Pastor Olaf Schuumann, the head of the delegation, said he was …

Freedom of Religion Report

… In June 2005 police arrested eighteen suspects in the May 28, 2005, Tentena bombing. The head of Poso prison, Hasman, was also arrested, but police subsequently released Hasman and all other suspects for lack of evidence. In Central Sulawesi, police arrested Papa Siti, suspected in the 2004 shooting of prosecutor Ferry Silalahi, on July 17, 2005, in Malino village of Tojo Una-Una Regency. On March 15, 2006, Central Sulawesi police detained Andi Makasau, the alleged mastermind of a series of …

Poso Violence

Poso in central Sulawesi has been wracked by civil disturbances and bombs the last few days.

In the wake of the execution of the three Christian men, Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus da Silva, and Marinus Riwu, last week a number of violent incidents and bombings have taken place. These acts of "provocation" seem to be succeeding in stirring up sectarian passions among ordinary people.

The …

Comment by jerome molina: … did you try watch POSO in you tube, that is terrible.” …

Noviana Malewa

… were walking along a path on October 29th, 2005, on their way to a private Christian school in Poso, Sulawesi, when they were set upon by a gang of men who may or may not have been Islamic militants, wielding machetes. Noviana's three schoolmates were beheaded while Noviana suffered a massive slash that ran from her cheek to her neck. Some contemporary reports .

Recently Novi has undergone treatment for her injuries paid for by Voice of the Martyrs in the US. Taken from her …

Comment by Hassan: … is related to the Poso mayhem, it’s not a single …

Last Insults for Tibo et al.

… personnel have been stationed in Palu, the capital of the province, in the troublesome district of Poso, and neighboring Morowali, where the three farmers from Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, had migrated to work at the oil palm estates, to find a better life.

Fearful that their executions would trigger mass protests, the authorities did not want to release their bodies to their families to be buried with proper Catholic rituals. A requiem mass, which Bishop of Manado Yosephus Suwatan was going …

Terror Against Muslims

The Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia views the Atambua protests in a dim light.

The protests over the execution of Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus Da Silva and Marianus Riwu, which have seen the destruction of some state property by Christian mobs, are viewed by Fauzan Al-Anshari of the MMI as a form of terrorism.

Acts like that are only done by terrorists.
(Tindakan seperti itu hanya …

Comment by bravo: the Poso mayhem was started by Christians …

Atambua Protests

… to stay put.

Meanwhile in Sulawesi some roads in and around the Christian town of Tentena, near Poso, were blocked by protestors who set old car tyres alight. People also occupied the main police station in the town. This apparently began at 06.30. Cars coming along the road were stopped by protestors but usually allowed to pass. At some point during the day the demonstrators were addressed by pastor Renaldy Damanik who managed to get them to go home.

In Maumere, Sikka regency, …

Tibo, et al. Execution

… says that the killing of the men will prevent the discovery of the truth of what happened in Poso in 2000-2001.

Father Jemy Tumbelaka of the Santa Theresia church in Poso says that the execution will be carried out on the morning of Friday the 22nd.

Six districts in Central Sulawesi have been placed on red alert by the police, they being Palu town, and the regencies of Poso, Donggala, Parigi Moutong, Tojo Unauna, and Morewali.

Meanwhile it appears that the three men have …

Comment by Robert V Perez: … brutal tragedy in POSO during his time and the life of …

Death Penalty

The death penalty receives continued support from conservative Islamic groups.

In responding to increased calls of late for the abolition of capital punishment, particularly in light of the case of Fabianus Tibo , H. Amidhan, of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), said that within Islamic law the death penalty was permitted. In its application, he went on, there should be no feelings …

Comment by Bradlymail: … leaders in Poso ? they are to be charged of their …

www.Anshar.net & Chatroom Jihad

Some of the creators of the jihadist website, www.anshar.net, have been arrested in Semarang, and, it turns out, Imam Samudra is still busy directing the jihad from his prison cell, via internet chat rooms.

Agung Prabowo, 23, and Agung Setyadi, 31, were arrested for allegedly having helped maintain the now shut-down www.anshar.net web site, in which, among other things, instructions were …

Comment by ivan: … libanon, in poso. Are blind for all of this.