************************** Laporkan Situasi lingkungan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Atau Hub Eskol Hot Line Telp: 031-5479083/84 ************************** "International Day of Prayer and Fasting for the Moluccas, Indonesia" --------------------------------------------- As fresh violence claimed the lives of at least 24 Christians on January 23rd, Moluccan Christians in Britain, Holland and other parts of the globe are urgently appealing to the worldwide Christian community to join them in observing an International Day of Prayer and Fasting for the Moluccas on Sunday, February 20th 2000. An estimated two thousand Christians and Muslims have been killed in the year-long sectarian violence in the Moluccas islands in eastern Indonesia. Over a thousand Muslim fighters have travelled to the Moluccas to wage a Jihad or so-called holy war against the Christians there. At least 24 Christians were killed and dozens of others wounded on January 23rd 2000 in fresh sectarian violence on Haruku island in central Moluccas. The clash started early on Sunday morning when Muslim mobs from Rohomoni village attacked the predominantly Christian villages of Sameth and Haruku in the Haruku district of Central Moluccas. At least three churches and hundreds of homes were burnt by the Muslim attackers. Indonesian troops have frequently participated in atrocities against Christians, joining Islamic militants in their attacks. On August 11th 1999, Indonesian soldiers from the Kostrad Unit herded 25 or more Christians into the Yabok Protestant Church in Galala, Ambon island. The Christians were all shot dead then their bodies were cut up and burned in an attempt to hide the evidence. On December 26th last year, the Silo Protestant Church in Ambon was attacked and destroyed by Indonesian troops and Muslim militants. Due to widespread anti-Christian prejudice displayed by the military, the Indonesian Communion of Churches has desperately appealed for international intervention and peacekeeping forces to end the bloodshed in the Moluccas. Wilfred Wong, Parliamentary Officer for the Jubilee Campaign, says, "The Moluccas is one of the few areas in the world today where so many Christians are being slaughtered on such a frequent basis because of their faith. This appalling situation is not only a tragedy for the Moluccan Christians but for every other believer who claims to be part of the Body of Christ. As the apostle Paul wrote in First Corinthians Chapter Twelve, when one part of the Body of Christ suffers, all parts suffer with it. Now is a crucial time for all of us Christians to put this principle into practice, regardless of what denomination or culture we come from." Attached below is a briefing sheet giving more details on what can be done to support the International Day of Prayer and Fasting for the Moluccas, Indonesia. For further information, you can contact Wilfred Wong on 0171 219 5129. ++++++++++++++++++++ Jubilee Campaign is an interdenominational Christian human rights pressure group, which has worked with over 150 British Parliamentarians on issues in countries as diverse as Egypt, Pakistan, China, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Laos, Vietnam, Mongolia and Brazil. ******************* INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER AND FASTING FOR THE MOLUCCAS, INDONESIA, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH 2000 *** THIS IS AN URGENT APPEAL FROM THE WORLDWIDE MOLUCCAN CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS INFORMATION TO AS MANY CHRISTIANS AS POSSIBLE The Moluccas is one of the few places in the world today where Christians are being slaughtered in such large numbers on a frequent basis simply because they are Christians. The situation in the Moluccas is EXTREMELY CRITICAL, and the anti-Christian violence there threatens to spread throughout the rest of Indonesia. Such intense violence against Christians throughout Indonesia would have catastrophic consequences, not just for the country but for South-East Asia. Moluccan Christians are desperately appealing to their brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world to observe an international day of prayer and fasting for the Moluccas on Sunday, February 20th 2000. Churches are encouraged to incorporate this request for prayer and fasting into their worship service on that day and to consider holding prayer vigils on this extremely critical situation. >From late December 1999 till early January there has been very intense violence, with over 700 Christians and Muslims killed. Since sectarian violence started in January 1999, about 2000 people have died. The Indonesian military has increasingly taken sides with the Muslims to launch attacks against Christians. For instance, on December 26th, Indonesian troops joined with Muslim rioters in their attack on the Silo church in Ambon island. This was the largest Protestant church in the Moluccas. It was captured and destroyed by the combined force of soldiers and Muslim attackers. The troops even used their armoured vehicle in the assault. On August 11th 1999, 25 or more Christians were herded into the Yabok Protestant Church and massacred by Indonesian soldiers. Muslim volunteers from outside the Moluccas have been infiltrating into the area to wage a Jihad or so-called holy war against the Christians. On Friday, January 7th 2000, tens of thousands of Indonesian Muslims demonstrated in Jakarta for the third day in a row, calling for a holy war against Christians in the Moluccas. Much of the Islamic media in Indonesia and some Muslim aid workers have distorted the true situation by portraying the Muslims as the victims and Christians as the aggressors, fuelling calls for a Jihad and hostility against Christians throughout Indonesia. The anti-Christian violence is now beginning to spread outside the Moluccas. For instance, on January 17th, Muslim youths started to attack churches in Mataram, the main town on Lombok island, after an Islamic rally at which protestors demanded speedier government action to end sectarian violence in the Moluccas. Muslim media reports in Indonesia have whipped up anti-Christian feelings in many parts of the country by falsely portraying the Christians as the aggressors in the Moluccan conflict. Church leaders are desperately appealing for international intervention to stop the bloodshed. The Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) has expressed its "deepest concern" over escalating attacks against Christians in the past few weeks. The PGI states that, "The massive attacks against Christian congregations is a direct consequence of the lack of transparency in the handling of the conflict in Maluku by the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the Police Force. If accountability is not undertaken, then, taking into consideration the continuing violence and heeding the people's strong feelings, it would be best if TNI and the Police Force were pulled out of Maluku (the Moluccas) and replaced with international peacekeepers." Pray that: 1) There will be peace and reconciliation in the Moluccas and that the attempt to Islamicise the islands by force will not succeed. 2) Muslim-Christian relations will be peaceful throughout Indonesia and that the sectarian violence in the Moluccas will not encourage hostility by Muslims against Christians in other parts of Indonesia. 3) There will be increased international pressure on the Indonesian government and military to stop the violence (pressure should include the suspension of arms sales to Indonesia) and to ensure that the Indonesian army behaves responsibly and do not take sides in the conflict. 4) God will protect the Christian community throughout Indonesia and provide for the 80,000 plus internally displaced people in the Moluccas, made homeless by the sectarian violence. 5) The UN will send international peacekeepers and human rights investigators to the Moluccas (the investigators will serve as a neutral group to look into the causes of the conflict and identify who the perpetrators are). 6) God will strengthen and encourage the Christians in the Moluccas who are facing such overwhelming odds against them and many of whom have lost loved ones in the conflict. 7) The Christians will be able to remain in the Moluccas and will not be driven out of their homeland by the violence. 8) The attempts to Islamicise Indonesia and change its pluralist constitution will not succeed. FASTING Due to the sheer scale of the violence and overwhelming evil which the Moluccan church is up against, those concerned about the situation are encouraged to seriously consider fasting as well. It can be a full fast, abstaining from all food for the whole day, or a partial fast, abstaining from food for part of the day. If you have a medical condition, you are strongly advised to check with your doctor first before you undertake any fast. OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP 1. LETTER WRITING - Write to your Member of Parliament or Member of the European Parliament about the situation. For guidelines on letter writing about the Moluccas situation, you can write to: Wilfred Wong, c/o Ian Bruce MP, Room 201, Norman Shaw South, Victoria Embankment, London SW1A 2HZ. 2. GIVING - With a severe shortage of medical equipment to treat the numerous casualties and more than 80,000 people in the Moluccas made homeless by the violence there is a massive need for humanitarian aid. For further information on how you can contribute money towards such humanitarian assistance, you can write to Wilfred Wong at the above address. 3. MOBILISE OTHERS - This ISN'T ONLY ABOUT MOBILISING CONCERN FOR THE MOLUCCAS FOR JUST ONE DAY - IT IS AN ATTEMPT TO MOBILISE THE WORLDWIDE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY TO MAKE A LONG TERM COMMITMENT TO HELP THE SUFFERING CHRISTIANS IN THE MOLUCCAS AND OTHER PARTS OF INDONESIA. To help us achieve this objective, please do try and get as many other Christians involved in helping as you can. As Christians, we should show solidarity with other believers who are facing persecution. 1 Corinthians 12:25 to 27: "so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." When Jesus appeared to Saul, he asked, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute ME? (my emphasis added)" When Saul asked Jesus who He was, He said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting". (Acts 9:4 to 5) Jesus could have said that Saul was persecuting His followers but instead He said that Saul was persecuting Him. Jesus identifies Himself as one with His suffering church - we should not stand idly by when Jesus is under attack. Galatians 6:9 to10: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." If you would like further information about Jubilee Campaign please e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Sebab segala sesuatu adalah dari Dia, dan oleh Dia, dan kepada Dia: Bagi Dialah kemuliaan sampai selama-lamanya!" 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