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Indonesians Sign Up for Jihad in Afghanistan
JAKARTA, Sept 29 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Hundreds of Indonesians are reportedly registering themselves for a
jihad (struggle) in Afghanistan and are preparing to go to Kabul to defend the Muslim country, sources in Jakarta said Saturday.
The same report says that "hatred" for the U.S. has increased in the region of Makassar. Several mosques in Makassar opened registration counters before the last Friday's
jumm'ah (congregational) prayers.
The call to join the jihad movement in support of Afghanistan and the Taliban could be seen posted at gates and doors of mosques in Sulawesi province. Several other cities in Sulawesi have also seen the same movement towards registration for
jihad.
Muslims in the province apparently paid no attention to appeals by the two largest religious organizations in the country, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and the Muhammadiyah, which said on Saturday that they would not support the idea of a
jihad.
However, another significant organization, the Ulama Council of Indonesia (MUI), said if the Afghani regime called for a
jihad, it would be the duty of every single Muslim to follow the order.
The Laskar Jihad Jundullah (LJJ) is the main coordinator of recruiting of local mujahidin (fighters) to join the Taliban in a
jihad. The LJJ earlier said it had more than 10,000 fighters ready to go to Kabul and fight the U.S.
The organizers said jihad was necessary to fend off any attack by the U.S. against a Muslim state, which they consider innocent of the September 11th attacks on U.S. soil.
They added that if there are no Americans in Makassar or Sulawesi, it is an indication that the Muslims of Indonesia must go to Afghanistan to defend a Muslim state from aggression by non-Muslims.
"We have to go there to help the Muslims in Afghanistan if the U.S. attacks," said an organizer.
Meanwhile, hundreds of American citizens are said to be avoiding Indonesia and have cancelled their plans to visit the largest Muslim nation on the globe.
Islamic movements in the country have vowed they will clean Indonesia of all American citizens if the U.S. attacked Afghanistan. They have already carried out some sweepings of U.S. citizens in several major cities.
The anti-U.S. movements said Saturday that they had to retaliate against the U.S. and its citizens for measures against Muslims of all races and nationalities in the U.S.
They call it a rational that the U.S. citizens should accept as long as they are mistreating fellow U.S. citizens who are of Islamic faith, referring to the recent increase in hate-crimes against Muslim Americans.
Anti-American sentiments in Indonesia are forcing many people to lose business contracts and have slowed down the tourism business in other towns in the vast Muslim dominated archipelago.
Indonesia has a population of 212 million, 85% of which is Muslim.
The country is also going through an economic crisis and needs assistance from the U.S.-backed International Monetary Fund (IMF), as well as from the U.S. itself.
The U.S. has promised several loans and financial assistance in return for undivided support by the Indonesian government, lead by Megawati Sukarnoputri, in its "war against terrorism".
However, Megawati and her cabinet ministers have warned the U.S. against engaging itself in a war against Islam and condemns any attacks against the Taliban without concrete proof of their involvement in the September 11th attacks on the U.S.]
With additional reporting by Kazi Mahmood
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