Story number 1 for 20 Aug 2002

(Indonesia)–Topping the news, tensions are flaring anew between Muslims and Christians in Indonesia’s troubled region of Central Sulawesi. Violence grew over the weekend with the advent of Indonesia’s Independence Day, raising fears of a concerted jihad against believers. Voice of the Martyrs’ Todd Nettleton. “The main threat that we heard of was that the town of Tentena would be attacked on Saturday, which was Indonesian Independence Day; and we have not heard any confirmation of if that did, in fact, happen. We do know that thousands of people were praying for the believers there. The town of Tentena seems very much in the sights of those Jihad warriors.” Nettleton says Christians are taking precautions, but beg prayer support. “They are doing whatever they can to set up defense mechanisms for themselves, they’re also asking the government to provide some type of military presence that will hopefully offset this attack when and if it comes, but they are very much relying on the Lord because really, that’s the only hope they have.”