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Article: Jakarta downplays talk of holy war; Muslim-Christian violence in Spice Islands spurs call for jihad and.(World)
- Article from:
- The Christian Science Monitor
- Article date:
- January 13, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 The Christian Science Publishing Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Indonesia's president, key Islamic leaders, and some intellectuals are mobilizing to defuse calls for a jihad, or holy war, against Christians here in the world's most populous Muslim country.
Tens of thousands of people gathered in Jakarta last Friday to vent their anger over clashes in Indonesia's Molucca Islands, where Muslims and Christians have been fighting for a year. Some speakers demanded a jihad, and smaller groups have echoed this call nearly every day since.
Yesterday, some 200 white-clad protesters from the Front for the Defense of Islam demonstrated at the parliament, saying they would go to the Moluccas to fight if the government does not ...