Radicals Agitate Judges in Indonesian Christianization Case

Ibrahim.B.,Indramayu, Thursday, August 18, 2005

Today I feel a tug of war going on in myself between pride and shame in the nation. Yesterday, it was the nation’s 60^th celebration of the Declaration of Independence since August 17, 1945. I felt as proud as any Indonesian should be.

I felt pride because the nation has liberated itself from Dutch colonialism. And today I also felt pride as I saw Chief Judge, Judge Hasby JT., SH., stand up against the pressure of the Islamic radicals, even if just for a moment, but I also felt shame as I saw my fellow countrymen becoming victims of a new imperialism, a new colonialism in radical Islam that wishes to subject its will on the nation.

A few weeks ago I went into a bookshop in Depok Mall, Jakarta, and purchased a book in Indonesian with an English title called JIHAD And the Foreign Policy of the Khilafah State. This book is freely available in book stores and it teaches a vision of aggressive and violent jihad to establish an Islamic Caliphate and from there to launch jihad against other nations to bring them into the Islamic Empire. This is the new imperialism and the new colonialism my country is facing and it is evident in the militant mujahiddin who gather at the court in Indramayu each week to demand the death of three accused housewives who cared enough about children to try and save them from a future in prostitution.

The radicals want Indonesia to be the foundation of a South East Asian Caliphate that will launch jihad against other nations such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia and Papua New Guinea until they have all submitted to Islam. To achieve this vision, all pockets of resistance must be subdued. This is why there have been jihad operations in Maluku and Central Sulawesi in the last few years and why there have been more than 100 churches closed down or destroyed in West Java alone in just the last three years and over 30 churches in the last month. The Indonesian Council of Mullahs (MUI) has spearheaded this operation and it is they who are demanding that these three housewives be severely punished for allowing Muslim children to attend their Happy Sunday activities.

On page 64 of this book on JIHAD it states, “It is not allowed for Muslims to fight those whom the Islamic da’wah [preaching] has not reached, rather the disbelievers must first be called to join Islam. If they reject, then they are invited to submit (live under) the ruling of the Islamic State by paying the Jizyah tax [only paid by non-Muslims – protection money] and if they reject that then war must be waged against them in order to remove any obstacle in the way of implementing the Islamic ruling system upon them.”

In other words there are three choices – join Islam, pay a protection tax called jizyah or be killed in warfare! As the book says, they must “remove any obstacle in the way of implementing the Islamic ruling system.” These three housewives are seen as an obstacle that must be removed.

Today there were less militants who turned up at the court compared to the previous weeks with only 50-60 arriving in two trucks. However that did not deter them from making their presence felt. Again they took over the court and using a megaphone one of their leaders cried out:

“Remember the times of Dutch colonialism! We fought against them with just sharpened bamboo! Our grandfathers shed their blood because of the bullets and bombs of the Dutch. But one man, Diponegoro, became a national hero and stood up against them. You are the ones called to carry out the command of the Prophet and you must be just as brave so that you will be able to implement Syariah Islam (Islamic Law). Are you ready?” And the trucked-in militants responded, “Ready! Allahu akbar! Allah is Greater!”

The oration continued, “You too will become heroes of Islam. Indeed there will be thousands of warriors born out of your heroism in conducting jihad. Are you ready to go on jihad? Are you ready to become sharpened bamboo?” Again they responded, “Ready!” The preacher continued his stirring challenge to the mujahiddin troops, “Every drop of your blood will give birth to many in Islam which will be proved by Allah. 72 houris (fairy women) will bathe you. Alhamdulillah (Allah be Praised!) we have reached the seventh session of the trial. The whole of the Islamic community is again waiting for a just decision but if this court is not just then we ourselves will act according to our own law. Indeed we have our own plans but we are still holding ourselves back because we respect the law in this nation but we will not agreed to it if Rebekka and her companions are given a light penalty what’s more if they are set free. Don’t think for a moment that Rebekka will be able to return peacefully to Haurgeulis [the village where the Happy Sunday was conducted]. We have our own just methods according to Islamic law. Allahu akbar!” To which the excited mujahiddin responded loudly with raised clenched fists, “Allahu akbar! Allah is Greater!”

As today’s session began, the panel of judges called on the defense lawyers to present their defense, but Mr. Posma Sabam Manahan SH., MA.. one of the defense lawyers requested a weeks postponement as the defense was still preparing its response to the case and demands laid out last week by the Prosecutor. The Chief Judge immediately granted the defense lawyer’s request and closed the session.

This was too much for the agitated mujahiddin. They broke out in shouts of anger. One cried out, “Don’t postpone the trial! Get on with it!” Another shouted, “That’s rubbish!” While yet another was clearly heard to say, “Hand down the verdict now! Punish them, Judge!” The mujahiddin were demanding that the judges force the defense team to give their defense and were accusing the judges of not being fair.

Then something happened that I have never seen before. It actually gave me a sense of pride in the country. I saw a judge, the Chief Judge, Judge Hasby JT., SH., stand up to the shouting militants, and he exploded in anger against them saying, “This court has its rules and regulations! Who dared to tell us to hand down the verdict now?” He challenged them to be patient and rebuked them for their behavior. This threw panic into the leaders of the mujahiddin as they scurried around calming down their troops and telling them to leave the court in an orderly fashion. They quickly retreated and climbed into their trucks and departed for another week.

Today’s brush with outrage made me wonder what will be the outcome of this case. Can the judges truly be impartial when even their own safety is being threatened? Can they possibly hand down a “not guilty” verdict knowing that the mujahiddin are threatening violent jihad and the shedding of blood? What will happen to the Christians in Haurgeulis and the families of the three accused if the women are cleared or given a light sentence?

Truly the potential consequences are disturbing but the three women must not be allowed to be thrown on the scrap heap of convenience just to placate the violent mujahiddin.

Indonesia is a land known for its tolerance. Indonesia has a constitution that guarantees freedom of religion. Indonesia has a system of law that is meant to protect the innocent and the oppressed and to punish the oppressors, but where is it when we need it?

So we must continue to ask, “Will we see true justice in this case?” We can only pray that we will.