Story number 1 for 6 Dec 2001

(Indonesia)–There are alarming reports from Indonesia that al Qaida is working with the Muslim militia fighting Christians in Sulawesi. Muslim fighters are also summarily executing any believers they find. Don Richardson of Don Richardson Ministries tells us the gravity of the situation facing Christians. “Suspecting that the U-S is going to come in and frustrate their goals, they’re trying to kill a lot of Christians, burn churches, homes of Christians right now, so that when the U-S has finished mopping up in Afghanistan, and looks at Indonesia, they can say, ‘Oh, no-there’s no violence here now.’ ” Indonesia is considering imposing a state of emergency on parts of the island. Richardson says urgent prayer intervention is needed; he adds the violence makes it dangerous for outreach to continue in that area. “Pray that the Christians will be able to defend themselves-that somehow, they’ll have the means to do that. And, that the plans of the Laskar Jihad will be frustrated-God will utilize bad weather, bad scheduling or intervention from the government.”