2005 Indonesian beheadings of Christian girls
On October 30, 2005, three
Background
Central Sulawesi experienced a lot of Muslim-Christian violence in the late 20th and early 21st century. The most serious violence, the Poso riots, occurred between 1998 and into 2000. Over 1,000 people were killed in riots, and tens of thousands were expelled from their homes.[2] After a period of relative calm, hostilities were reignited by rumors that a Muslim girl had been raped by a Christian man. Thousands of Muslims and Christians were killed during the following year, and more than 60,000 families are reported to have fled their homes in the process.[3]
The
Christian community leaders have repeatedly criticized the authorities for allegedly not doing enough to find the perpetrators of attacks on Christians in Sulawesi.[6]
The attack
The three teenagers were walking to a private Christian school in Central Sulawesi province with their friend named Noviana Malewa, 15, when they were attacked by a group of six masked men armed with machetes. The attackers left one of the girls' heads outside a church. A note was left with the severed heads, which were dumped in plastic bags in the girls' village, which stated: "Wanted: 100 more heads, teenaged or adult, male or female; blood shall be answered with blood, soul with soul, head with head."[1][7][8] Malewa, the youngest, survived the attack with serious wounds to her neck.[9] The surviving girl was able to describe the attackers to the police.
Five suspects, including a former
On going to jail, Hasanuddin said "It's not a problem (if I am being sentenced to prison) because this is a part of our struggle."
References
- ^ a b c d "Indonesians jailed for beheadings". BBC News. 21 March 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ a b c "Indonesia flashpoints: Sulawesi". BBC News. 28 June 2004. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ McDougall, Dan (20 November 2005). "Machete killings fuel Indonesia's religious hatred". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ "Blasts strike Indonesian market". BBC News. 28 May 2005. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ "asianews.it". Archived from the original on January 12, 2008.
- ^ "Three Schoolgirls Beheaded in Indonesia". FOX News. 29 October 2005. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Stephen (9 November 2006). "Beheaded girls were Ramadan 'trophies'". The Australian. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Indonesia beheadings trial opens". BBC News. 8 November 2006. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ "Muslim Militants Confess To Beheading Christian Schoolgirls". OpinionBug.com. 15 May 2006. Archived from the original on 2012-11-12. Retrieved 13 October 2012. (Warning! Graphic Images)
- ^ "Prison demand for Poso suspects". BBC News. 21 February 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ "Islamic Militants in Indonesia Jailed for Beheading Christian Girls". Voice of America. 1 November 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2012.