My dear friends,

I know you may have lots of information about Indonesia already. But I feel you should read this one and pray for our brothers and sisters in Indonesia, please.

Yours in his service,

Ben Sia.

Needs our ardent prayers! Pdt. Thio

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22 DEC 2000

May the story of these victims touch your hearts as my heart was touched as I listened to the interviews. The interview was taped and is being translated and will be provided to news agencies and government officials.

Victims Tell of Their Forced Conversion Christina Sagat, a thirty-two old unmarried woman described in detail in a telephone interview her circumcision to escape death. Christina along with a thousand other Christians escaped death during the November 23 and 24 attack upon their villages on the island of Kesui. The number killed in those attacks is unclear but definitely a number were killed and at least one was beheaded. A jihad leader was seen returning from attacking a Christian village carrying the head of Linus R. a paralyzed man. The jihad leader brought back a head as proof that the Muslims of Kesui had carried out the commands of Al Fatah Mosque to finish off the Christians of Kesui.

Friday morning representatives from two western nations and Indonesian Protestant and Catholic leaders gathered for a long distance telephone interview with rescued victims of Muslim attacks upon the Maluku islands of Kesui (Kasui) and Teor. The hour and half interviews produced shocking reports that confirm gross violations of the human rights of the Christians of Kesui and Teor.

After the initial attacks upon their villages the surviving Christians were gathered into several mosques where they were forced under the threat of death to perform conversion rituals. Initially the victims were forced to take a ritual bath of cleansing and to repeat three times a Muslim declaration (prayer). They were asked if they were doing this willing and with fear in their hearts they all answered their attackers, "yes". Some had witnessed the death of an elementary school teacher who refused to convert.

Constantinus, Vincent and Christina shared how that on December 3 and 4 both men and women were forced to be circumcised to prove that they were really converting to Islam. Without painkillers or antiseptic all the men were circumcised with one razor blade. Several of the men have developed infections from the circumcision.

Word of the women being circumcised was initially met with skepticism and hopes that the ritual was only symbolic. Christina bravely shared the intimate details of being led into a small room and seated on a piece of white cloth while her genitals were washed and then the clitoris cut off with a knife by a Muslim woman. The white cloth smeared with blood was proof that she had been circumcised. As with the men the women were not provided with painkillers or antiseptic. The women did bathe in the ocean to cleanse their wounds.

Christina and Constantinus and Vincent in the interview requested help in rescuing the 856 Christians left on the island of Kesui. Hundreds were left behind because the ship was not large enough to carry all of them and those who boarded the ship were threatened that their relatives left behind would be killed if they left on the ship. Many disembarked in order to protect their family members.

The Indonesian government has no plans to rescue these nine hundred people until after the big Muslim holiday of Idul Fitri, 27 and 28 December. Will they still be alive? What will they suffer in the mean time?

A video has been produced by Southern Baptists about the tragedy of Maluku with the title, "A Silent Scream". The screams of the victims are not being heard. Will you scream for them? Will you cry out against this injustice?

Call your member of congress! Call your newspaper! Call your local television stations and CNN, Fox News, NBC, ABC, CBS, BBC! May your voices be heard. If you do not speak out the screams in Maluku will remain silent, unheard by the world.

May the Lord of this universe hear your prayers as you and your church pray for Christina, Constantinus, Vincent and the thousand other victims of Kesui. Intercede for these helpless people. Cry out for justice! Cry out for the repentance and forgiveness of perpetrators of these attacks!

Pray for the faith of these victims; may it grow and prove to be genuine. Pray that they will accept the confiscation of their property because they know that they have better and lasting possessions.

Pray for the healing of their bodies and minds. Pray for them to have a place to live in peace. They are currently being housed in several refugee centers.

Pray that the joy of Christmas will fill their hearts.

Charles W Cole