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Bringing joy to
the lives of refugee children. |
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Newsletter
Archive
November,
2003
August 18, 2003
March 30,
2003
February
17, 2003
January 21,
2003
December
8, 2002
November
22, 2002
October 22,
2002
October 5, 2002
August 22,
2002
August 19,
2002
August 16,
2002
August 14,
2002
August 12,
2002
July 5,
2002
June 9,
2002
June 5,
2002
May 26,
2002
March 23, 2002
Feb 26, 2002
Feb 15, 2002
A Father's
tribute |
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Dear Praying Friends--
I wrote recently about my concerns regarding the disbanding
of the Laskar Jihad. The Laskar Jihad and the other militant
groups have waged a ruthless war against the Christians of
East Indonesia over the last nearly four years. I am very
skeptical of the prospects of future security for Christians
in Maluku, North Maluku, Papua, and Central Sulawesi.
The disbanding of these groups doesn't ease the danger for
the residents in East Indonesia. It does make it harder to
identify the groups because many have changed identity or
simply have continued their reign of terror unabated.
As we gather for Christmas we celebrate this blessed season
of the coming of the "Prince of Peace". Please remember
as we celeberate some of our brothers and sister face more
uncertainty and possible attacks.
I just received this report from Ian Freestone the IFC director
in Australia. Ian is a friend and has worked passionately
for the welfare of the refugees of East Indonesia. Read what
he has written and please pray.
Blessings--Carl Cady
UPDATE ON "DISBANDING" OF JIHAD GROUPS
As reported in last months update the Laskar Jihad has officially
disbanded. This decision was made just hours before the bombing
in Bali and took effect throughout the following week. Since
then another jihad group, the Defenders of Islam, have also
disbanded. A personal email received by a leading Indonesian
journalist was more skeptical:
Another group disbands? - the truth is, they will disappear
into society, create new cells and propagate their ideas and
no one can trace them. The tragedy of inaction where there
was a window of opportunity!
This could well be true. In fact, if West Papua is any indication,
the jihad groups haven't gone to too much trouble to disappear.
The South China Morning Post reports church sources in Maluku
as saying,
the feared Indonesian Islamic militant group Laskar Jihad
has relocated from Maluku to Papua, where it is attacking
churches and mosques, thus making a mockery of the group's
claims that it had disbanded straight after the October 12
Bali bombings.
The Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy (ELS-HAM),
the leading Papuan human rights group, said several hundred
Laskar militants had arrived in the provincial Papuan capital
Jayapura after the group announced it was disbanding. At
least 300 hundred Laskar members had arrived last Saturday
(26/10/02) from Ambon, said ELS-HAM’s Aloi Renwarin,
adding that his organization had estimated there were now
some 3,000 Laskar members spread across several towns in
Papua including Sorong, Manokwiri and Jayapura.
Local pastor, Menusaafa is quoted as saying, that the attackers
admitted they had been paid to attack Christians and their
churches.
“They admitted to witnesses that they had been paid
to burn churches or else a mosque,” the pastor said.
"They said that if they were successful they would
get a bonus of Rp15 million ($1,600) if they burned a church
or mosque and Rp50 million if they killed a priest."
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