ABU BAKAR BA’ASYIR CHARGED WITH CHURCH BOMBINGS

INDONESIA

15 April 2003

On 14 April the radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, alleged spiritual leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) Islamic extremist group in Indonesia, was formally charged with treason in a Jakarta court. Amongst other things he is accused of the Christmas Eve 2000 bombings of over a dozen churches in cities across Indonesia, which killed 19 Christians.

Abu Bakar is charged with intending to topple the government and establish an Islamic state governed by Shari’ah law between 1993 and 2001 through the organisation JI. He is also charged with immigrations violations and of being the leader of JI. If he is found guilty of these offences he will face more than 20 years in jail. Others charged include JI’s alleged operations chief Hambali and two other JI members are awaiting trial for the Bali bomb of October 2003. According to a court official the trial could take place in Jakarta “within weeks”.

THE CHURCH BOMBINGS

On Christmas Eve 2000 a series of 24 bombs exploded and killed 19 and injured over 120 Christians. Forty-five bombs were left outside more than a dozen churches in nine cities across Indonesia, of which 24 exploded. Amongst those killed were a ten-year-old boy and a two-month-old baby. Many of the bombs were timed to go off during Christmas celebration services. JI is struggling for a pan-Islamic state across South East Asia incorporating Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the southern parts of the Philippines and Thailand. It is linked to Laskar Jihad and other extremist Islamic groups in the region.

PRAY

Pray that justice will be done and that those responsible for the attacks on churches will be found guilty.

Pray for the security of Christians in Indonesia.

Pray for the peace and a final end to Islamic extremist violence in Indonesia, in which so many Christians have lost their lives.

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