Indonesian Muslims call for 'holy warriors' to enter Gaza

Radical groups have launched a recruitment drive for "holy warriors" to be sent to fight Israel in Gaza.

LONDON (Religious Intelligence) - A Protest rally in Indonesia has led to calls from Muslim radicals for 'holy warriors; to be allowed in to Gaza. The activists also called on Egypt to open the Rafah crossing to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

Around 100 people from the fringe Islamist group Jamaah Anshorut Tauhid (JAT) of radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir gathered to protest in front of the Palestinian, Egyptian and US embassies denouncing Israel's attack.

"Our hope is that Egypt will open its door not only for medical teams but also for mujahedeen (holy warriors) and volunteers," JAT campaigner Haris Amir told AFP.

Although there have been calls from Lebanon and others, Egypt has kept its border with Gaza closed during the fighting, which started on December 27 and has left least 660 Palestinians dead.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said his country would reopen crossings in the event of a ceasefire.

Sources in Indonesia say that local radical groups including the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) have launched a recruitment drive for "holy warriors" to be sent to fight Israel in Gaza.

The group claims that they have received more than 4,000 offers from volunteers to respond to their call. However, the Indonesian government has not permitted any of the 'holy warriors' to leave the country so far.

---

This article first appeared in the Religious Intelligencer and is used with permission.