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Translation of excerpts from the Laskar Jihad leaders concerning the Malino II Peace Agreement

February 13, 2002

REGRETTING THE MALINO AGREEMENT – The Central Leading Board of the Forum Komunikasi Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah at Yogyakarta gives permission to copy (if needed partially) from their Laskar Jihad Bulletin 6^th edition.

“… Since the first slaughter of Muslims on January 19, 1999, we have always been stuffed with “reconciliation”. It is like somebody that has been beaten up, and while still recovering from the impact, has to agree to the dictum “peace”, wrapped in the word “reconciliation”. However, how apparently this “reconciliation” is just a camouflage of the rotten intentions of the Christian revolutionists… To the Muslims in the Moluccas, reconciliation means: voluntarily giving up their lives. Many times there have been acts of reconciliation, but each time it was torn up by the Christians. Reconciliation thus has become a stigma.

Surely, for the Muslims any reconciliation is hard. Anticipating any act of justice and truth, and while the slaughterers are still freely roaming about, the word “peace” is hardly acceptable. Before the inflicted injuries have healed, treachery upon treachery is taking place… How strange it is that all parties can effectuate reconciliation. As if by this reconciliation everlasting peace will be accomplished. They lay the roof for protection, but are forgetting the foundation and pillars. As if everybody wants to close his eyes, not caring about the carnage on that Idul Fitri day. They do not care about the presence of the separatist FKM Movement, covering up the rottenness of the church and those provocateurs that hide behind the “Word of God”.

It is too early to talk about reconciliation whilst one community is still traumatized with this expression. Those delegates that convened are not sufficiently representative to talk in the name of the people. This reconciliation even turns upside down the Muslim ranks. One by one, those who used to be public figures, have been trapped associating with the Christians and now have become people that are good for nothing. Trash. The Muslims also experience filthiness from inside. Day by day those who should lead the community, are renouncing their duties. Therefore, be not appalled if the muslims grow in determination to reject any compromise, let alone reconciliation…

The Christians endlessly protest against the presence of the Laskar Jihad Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah, whereas these have done much to enhance morality among the muslims in order to invigorate jihad spirit. The Muslims have proved their masculinity by carrying out assaults during several months. However, these actions were exclusively aimed at destroying the Christian separatists’ strongholds that incessantly threatened the presence of Muslims… The Christians should be aware that the revenging attacks of the Muslims, causing numerous casualties among the Christians, were the result of what the Christian separatists had done to the Muslims, previous to the event of January 19, 1999, in Wailete, Air Bak and Dobo. He that sows wind, will reap tempest. That is how the situation of the Moluccas is now…

Any reconciliation that is agreed upon to please the Christians, is bound to wreck. So what should be done instead? To put an end to the conflictd in the Moluccas, the Government must detain and bring to justice the provocateurs that hide behind the conflict. Look what they did in the Poso case. The champion of the conflict, Fabianus Tibo, was caught and brought to justice publicly, witnessed by many… We do not perceive any such proceedings in the Moluccas. Of course, if justice has to be done in the Moluccas, the Muslims themselves must do it. In what way? There is no other way than jihad fi sabilillah (the way of/to God)! This has been the teaching of the forefathers of our nation when they opposed the Dutch Christians. Allahu’A’lam.