Story number 1 for 17 Sep 2002

(Indonesia)–Our newscast begins today in Indonesia, where gunmen reportedly attacked two villages in North Maluku early Sunday. While no one claimed responsibility for the incident, it heightens fears that a full-scale assault against Christians is on the way. That is due, in part, because a February peace accord has failed to stop sporadic outbreaks of violence. Christian Aid Mission’s John Lindner. “The Laskar Jihad, which is the strong terrorist group in Indonesia, has denounced the peace accord, and they don’t intend to abide by it; they are going to do everything they can to thwart it, so, the peace accord is fine in itself, but unless the Indonesia government makes a very strong stand against some of their own Muslim Indonesians, it’s going to go down the tubes.” Lindner says in light of the situation, believers are asked to pray. “Christian ministry in Indonesia is always at risk by those who are opposed to the Gospel. It will continue as long as they have an opportunity to do anything, because these believers there are willing to do whatever needs to be done in order to bring the Gospel to their people.”