JAKARTA (JP): There were urgent calls for calm and understanding as demands for an Islamic holy war (jihad) to avenge the death of Muslims in Maluku continued to resonate over the Idul Fitri weekend.Noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid appealed to Muslims to show their compassionate side to help pacify the emotional outbursts fueled by politicians and the Indonesian Ulema's Council (MUI).Becoming a Muslim is difficult. We have to know when to forgive and when to rise to destroy our enemy," he said here during a gathering on Friday night."You may fight back, but this doesn't mean you should overreact or become oppressive," he remarked. On the eve of Idul Fitri, tens of thousands of Muslims, organizers claim hundreds of thousands and even dubbed the event a gathering of a million ummat, assembled at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta on Friday expressing support for a holy war in Maluku.
Clamoring together, they chanted "Jihad! Jihad!" and insisted Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri resign from her post because of inaction over the religious conflict.The cries for a holy war were boosted by war-like statements from MUI and top politicians, the like of People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais.
"Thus far, Muslims have been quite patient, but even that has limits," Amien said during Friday's event.
He said he met President Abdurrahman Wahid and had given him a two-week deadline to resolve the conflict.
According to Amien, Abdurrahman told him it would be over "soon".
"But when is soon? If it's one or two more years, then Muslims in Maluku could be wiped out. It is best resolved in one or two weeks," Amien said.
The head of MUI's Edict Commission, Ibrahim Husein, said Muslims did not need a religious ruling to launch a holy war as conditions in Maluku had satisfied the criteria for one.
"In a situation like Maluku, the requirement for jihad has been fulfilled and it's now mandatory to engage in one," he said as quoted by Antara.
Ibrahim claimed that if he was still full of youthful strength he himself would go there and accuse reluctant uslims of being without dignity.
There have been demonstrations in major cities following the escalation of violence in Maluku. It was reported that religious clashes in Halmahera and the surrounding islands alone had claimed an additional 450 lives.
While the exact toll remains sketchy, some media reports claim up to 2,000 were killed with rumors of a Muslim slaughter.
Megawati has also been the target of recrimination as she was tasked with settling the Maluku conflict.
She refuted on Saturday criticisms saying she chose to work behind the scenes on such a delicate subject.
She conceded that it was impossible to end the conflict in Maluku and North Maluku provinces in a short time due to the sensitiveness of warring parties there.
"It is impossible for only certain parties to resolve the problem, this is part of the nation's dilemma and it must be overcome by the whole nation," she said on the sidelines of an Idul Fitri open house celebration at her official
residence on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.
Fear of radical mobs deployed to Maluku is high on the President's concern.The President, after Friday prayers here, revealed that he had ordered Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. Widodo A.S. to screen those arriving in Maluku.
Citing Widodo's report, Abdurrahman said hundreds from outside Maluku were on their way there to "assist" their Muslim brothers.
"In the last two or even three days, several hundred people from Jakarta have been sent (to Maluku), and they consider themselves the defenders of Islam," the President noted.Calls for a Muslim uprising has also led several Muslim-oriented political parties to pledge a merger of parties to form a strong unified Islamic party.
The so-called "Monas Concord" will supposedly merge the United Development Party (PPP), the Justice Party, the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN).

PPP Chairman Hamzah Haz first disclosed the new pact at Friday's gathering, saying Islamic political forces should unite to ensure their existence in coming elections.
He conceded that the merger in some respect was a reaction to a recent statement by Abdurrahman who said in the future there would only be two dominant parties -- the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle.
The four parties are already aligned in a loose coalition known as the "axis force".Separately, State Minister of the Empowerment of Women, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, questioned the real intent of Friday's gathering.
Khofifah, who is from PKB, remarked that it seemed more of a political gathering than a religious assembly.
She assuredly described how she perceived the gathering by saying that Abdurrahman was elected through a democratic process and any political move by dissatisfied parties could bring about a huge social cost.

"Why don't we have a fair competition in the next five years, and not through
such mass action," she added. (04/prb)

http://suaramerdeka.com/harian/0001/11/x_english.html
_____________________________________
Commentary

We have learnt that the recent massacre in maluku, Indonesia, has claimed the deaths of thousands of muslims. Yet, muslim politicians in indonesia apparently have been divided in how to solve the crisis. Islamically, politician duties are to uphold the rules of ALLAH and --thus-- to take care the welfare of the citizens. By both accounts, the muslim politicians have failed.
Since its independence in 1945, Indonesia has adopted secular ideology despite the overwhelming muslim majority. Instead of adopting Islam as the sole source of law and legislations, the founding fathers opted to take Pancasila as the state ideology. Pancasila is an amalgam of five national principles that supposedly describe the nature of indonesians: religious, fair, patriotic, democratic, and just.
In fact, initial attempt to uphold islam as the state ideology was dismantled when vocal christian minorities residing in the eastern region of the would-be new nation had expressed deep reservation. The minority groups further threathened to secede from the fledgeling republic if the founding fathers, who were mostly muslims, insisted to adopt islam.
Today, muslims in indonesia are paying the price.Islam in the minds of most muslims is just a mere collection of rituals, rather than an independent and unique system that governs a society. In reality, Islam as a comprehensive system of life surpasses the likes of christianity, judaism, hinduism or buddhism, which are called religions. The
creed of Islam deals with life; Islam comes to solve life problems of the society at large. This is in stark contrast with religions, since religions are focusing solely on spiritual fulfilment and personal atonement.
The havocs that have wrecked indonesia were initiated by the economic crises in the late 1990s, followed by the political turmoils and the lost of East Timor province, and recently the social unrests resulting in muslims
being massacred. All of those misfortunes point to the inability and the inherent frailty of the current systems to take care the affairs and the welfare of the citizens.
In a land where muslims are in a majority, it is espected that the predominant thoughts, emotions, and systems are to be all islamics. However, the application of capitalistic and interest-based economic systems shows the absent of an islamic system. The rich natural resources have been drained by multinational corporate enterprises, while the interest-based banking system has pinned indonesia under the mercy of the foreign lenders. Since the fall of
the rupiah against the dollar, the state has sunk deeper especially since it has neither strategic nor heavy industries to rely on. This is not to mentioned the hint of balkanization of the nation as East Timor province has been successful in its bid for independence.
Moreover, the current emotions that bind the nation is no longer islamic. The emergence of free atjeh movement (GAM) is a clear example that muslims in this western-most province of indonesia chose to secede from the rest of their muslim brethren in indonesia. The success of Indonesian Democratic Party (PDIP), a staunchly nationalistic and secular party to claim 30% of the popular votes in a nation where muslims in the majority during the election in
june last year. This is in spite of the verdict issued by the MUI (indonesian council of islamic scholars) urging not to vote for such party.
Of utmost critical factor, the unifying islamic thought, fails to dominate the mind of the muslims. In the name of 'religious tolerance' and 'national unity', Islam has been marginalized as the sole criteria (al miqyas) and a standard of reference in solving the problems. In fact, those who call for the comprehensive application of islamic sharia (islamic governance) has been condemned and accused of aggravating further disintegration of the state.
Apart from making a controversial call to establish a jewish trade, the islamic scholar-turned president, Mr. Abdurrahman Wahid said that islam is an individual matter and it should not enter the realm of politics. When faced
with Maluku mayhem which has been ongoing for more than a year, the administration has shown no serious efforts to end the conflict.
Although it is good to know that muslims elsewhere in indonesia are willing to fight and defend the ummah in maluku, one should remain critical that the enemy of the muslims is not christians per se. What we muslims are up against is an entire facets of society, being made up of the predominant thoughts (secularism), emotions (patriotism, nationalism), and systems (capitalistic/democracy). Therefore, it is imperative not to get carried away by emotions and we shall continue to address the society and challenge its predominant thoughts, emotions,and systems with what we have best: ISLAM. We have to realize and aware that such calamities do not happen by chance alone.

It is the absence of the islamic system that enables the kuffar to dominate,humiliate, and massacre the muslims. Muslims so far have been dictated and forced to react instead of taking a lead and imposing the justice of islam.
Unless serious works to reestablish Islam are consistently being carried out,humanity will continue to suffer and witness more tragedies to emerge. We have heard Lebanon, Aljazair, Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya, and the Balkans. Yet,in indonesia alone, the bloody Maluku is not the only one. There were Atjeh, Banyuwangi, Ciamis, Sambas, Ketapang, and ALLAH knows best where the next massacre will take place (wa na’uzubillah).
should we stand idle and let the list goes on?

Allahu’alam
RUSHDAN