Christians forced to convert and be circumcised

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
] <a href="http://www.csw.org.uk/CSWnews.asp?item=171"; target="_blank">http://www.csw.org.uk/CSWnews.asp?item=171</a>;



Christians forced to convert and be circumcised



Christians have been forcibly circumcised by Islamic holy warriors in the Moluccas islands of Indonesia, as the jihad against believers continues. Women and children, as well as men, have been made to convert to Islam on penalty of death. Rites of circumcision with a razor blade are then carried out to complete the process - without anaesthetic. The same blade is used over and over again, and 'converts' are sent into the sea for 'disinfecting'.



One victim, 32-year-old Christina Sagat told The Sydney Morning Herald: 'I feel like I'm no longer complete, both as a person and a woman.' Conversions of entire Christian villages is a disturbing new development in this conflict, which has been raging for two years. Over 5,000 have died and half a million have fled from their homes. Hundreds of Christians are said to have been forcibly converted.



More than 600 believers were given the choice of death or Islam on the Islands of Kesui and Teor alone. Some who refused to recite the Islamic declaration of faith were killed. In Kesui, Muslims paraded the severed head of a Christian as a warning. On the island of Seram, villagers in Hatu and Hatumete were given the ultimatum - convert to Islam by November 30th or be killed. Human rights organisation, Masariku Network, with financial assistance from CSW evacuated these Christians to a safer location.



The news of forced conversions has galvanised the international Christian community and a number of agencies are fundraising for further evacuations.

Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has reportedly acknowledged: 'There is an effort by Islamic extremists to convert Christians to Islam in the Moluccas.' Yet the Indonesian government has been slow to intervene.



The Roman Catholic bishop of Ambon has appealed for international assistance. Monsignor Mandagi says: 'Most of the victims are just simple people, poor and defenceless. [They] urgently need to be freed and evacuated.' The main militia group involved in the violence is the Java-based Muslim Laskar Jihad (Jihad Force). 'The destruction by Jihad warriors? has been systematic and extensive,' says Pastor Ian Freestone of the Malaku [Moluccas] Support Project, who recently returned from the islands. 'There are many villages in which the Christian population has been entirely eradicated.'



Pastor Freestone states, 'it is more than just local Muslim-Christian rivalry. It is a carefully scripted agenda in which the people [of the Moluccas] are being both manipulated and horribly abused.' The Moluccas population of 1.85 million is evenly split between Muslims and Christians. The conflict began in January 1999.



Jihad warriors are dedicated to the radical Islamisation of the whole of Indonesia. And members of the former Soeharto regime are said to be exploiting the unrest to try to bring down the government, with the aid of factions in the military.



CSW is calling on the international community to urge the Indonesian government to evacuate Christians in danger and to guarantee believers the right to freedom of religion.



Whilst we are calling for the immediate evacuation of the Christians facing forced conversion and/or circumcision this should be viewed as a short-term emergency measure and should be accompanied by plans for the safe repatriation of the refugees as soon as possible. Otherwise we might be facing the situation where, ironically, we are doing the Jihad militants work for them by emptying Christian villages and creating a displaced refugee population.

It is imperative that the Indonesian government is called to address the underlying issues behind the evacuations, namely the activities of the Laskar Jihad and the insufficient protection provided for the Christian communities under the threat of conversion.



Sources include The Sydney Morning Herald

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mika.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    Bad news.



    War's religion should be not present in the twenty one century. These people should be punish.



    But this does not change my point : Islam is not inherently evil, but too many islam people are. They are not the only one to be evil, but they should be less ...
  • Reply 2 of 13
    It is not just Islam. Throughout history uncountable people of all cultures and faiths have been persecuted and/or killed in the name of religion.
  • Reply 3 of 13
    scott_h_phdscott_h_phd Posts: 448member
    [quote]Originally posted by Gringo Viejo:

    <strong>It is not just Islam. Throughout history uncountable people of all cultures and faiths have been persecuted and/or killed in the name of religion.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Yes but RIGHT NOW there's a major crisis in the Islamic world. Pointing out that in the past other have done the same thing does not help us with the immediate problem. Deflecting criticism of modern day Islam is unhelpful. IMO
  • Reply 4 of 13
    vargasvargas Posts: 426member
    At times like this it makes me wonder whether it's worth all this hurt, believing.
  • Reply 5 of 13
    groveratgroverat Posts: 10,872member
    Do we have to have a different thread for every one of these damned articles?



    The point of the topic starter is the same in every one, just keep a "Perpetual Islam is Naughty" thread alongside the "Perpetual God Made Us" thread.



  • Reply 6 of 13
    zarathustrazarathustra Posts: 264member
    [quote] Do we have to have a different thread for every one of these damned articles?



    The point of the topic starter is the same in every one, just keep a "Perpetual Islam is Naughty" thread alongside the "Perpetual God Made Us" thread. <hr></blockquote>



    Perhaps both camps are, by force of subtle and persuasive argument, winning support for their views?



    No..thought not <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
  • Reply 7 of 13
    Sorry Scott. I did not mean to deflect blame from Islam. I have little use for most if not all religions.
  • Reply 8 of 13
    groveratgroverat Posts: 10,872member
    [quote]you know groverat if the kinds of things that seem to bother you as you list above are your biggest problems I would say that you have it good and you should be thankful for what you have.... Many in this world are abused in real terms...



    Some people live in their buffer zone and pay no attention to real crisis in the world.. just as long as they are comfortable that is all that matters....<hr></blockquote>



    Thanks for the lesson in moral priorities, brother Fship.



    But I assure you, this is not all that concerns me. I am well aware of the various crises around the world, I just think it's idiotic to spread one issue out into multiple threads, clogging up the forum.



    You're one to talk about living in buffer zones. <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
  • Reply 9 of 13
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    No more negative articles about Islam, mika! Groverat is only one person, and doesn't have time to defend them all day.
  • Reply 10 of 13
    haraldharald Posts: 2,152member
    I'll defend against people who peddle hate.



    And bore the shît out of you.



    And I'm Jewish.
  • Reply 11 of 13
    progmacprogmac Posts: 1,850member
    I really wish people didn't feel so empty inside or have whatever they have that makes them think they need religion. This crap is out of control. Humans apparently are uncivilized pieces of trash. I want to belong to a new species.
  • Reply 12 of 13
    groveratgroverat Posts: 10,872member
    [quote]Pointing out that in the past other have done the same thing does not help us with the immediate problem. Deflecting criticism of modern day Islam is unhelpful.<hr></blockquote>



    I think an understanding of the history of religion-as-the-oppressor is exactly why people feel the need to point out how people who radicalize Islam are not necessarily characteristic of Islam in general.
  • Reply 13 of 13
    artman @_@artman @_@ Posts: 2,546member




    Jeez, this is the same people <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_2006000/2006042.stm"; target="_blank">who try to measure up to us...</a> <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />



    [ 07-08-2002: Message edited by: Artman @_@ ]</p>
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