Indonesia: Indonesian Bloggers Respond to Gaza Attack

Israel-Hamas conflict escalation has entered second week; as casualties climbing to around 400 dead and over 2000 people injured, the first clash that broke right after 6-month ceasefire agreement between both sides is already noted among the most intense since the Six Day War in year 1967.

International community has been called upon to intervene, at least to promote ceasefire and further peace resolution. In the meantime, marches and demonstration rallies opposing Israel's aerial and naval bombardment have been held as far away from Dublin, Baghdad, to Jakarta.

An Indonesian Islamic militant group, Islamic Defenders’ Front (FPI), planned to recruit up to 1000 volunteers to fight in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, Reuters reported. “Fighters should be in good physical condition, have a strong faith and be ready to die,” said Ahmad Soebri Lubis as head of group.

However, Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Teuku Faizasyah told detikNews [id] that such initiative is not advised knowing the difficulty of entering Israel territory at the present moment.

On January 3rd, Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) opened a donation program [id] for contributing fund for Palestinian victims, coinciding with the embarkation of medical team Mer-C for Gaza Strip, as reported by Antara, state news agency.

According to an official press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Indonesian government condemned the attack and considered it as overreacting violence and unproportional action against rocket attacks launched by Palestinians.

Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas is also set to meet with Indonesia’s humanitarian team on Saturday in Yaman of Jordan, with a number of local journalists also participating in the meeting. The team is scheduled to discuss matters with Palestine’s ministers of foreign affairs and health also to hand over some aids from the Indonesian government.

“During the meeting, we will give two tons of medical aids worth US$ 585 (Rp 6.4 million) and fund of Rp. 2 billion.”, head of the Crisis Control at Indonesia's Health Ministry, dr. Rustam S. Pakaya, later confirmed.

Meanwhile, reactions have also spread across the Indonesian blogsphere. Opinions are mainly pro-Palestinian ones, much of them directed against Israel's military answer to militant Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The escalation is perceived more as interreligious conflict bound to happen for most Indonesian bloggers, rather than a political struggle for autonomy over territory. In result, a large portion of audience dutifully reacts in religious manner, intensifying an emotional bond with the rage and sufferance of Muslim Palestinians far beyond nationalistic reasoning.

The following post excerpts may represent differing perspectives and approach: from crying out “God is great” to signing online petitions — each to its own intention, yet all serve a common cause: saving Gaza, saving Palestine.

Ida Abidin gives no mercy to the Israelis as new year begins:

This war will never stop if the “evil” Israel still in the Palestine land. ISRAEL MUST PERISH FROM EARTH. Israel barbarian! Israel is very brutal! Their attacks only make the children suffer, the children became orphans and destroy the dream Palestinian children. I think the beginning of this New Year will be better than the previous year. I hope the year 2009 to be years of happiness for the children of Muslims in Iraq, Palestine, Somalia and Afghanistan.

Palestine is for Palestinians!!!

Dakwatuna.com praises global support [id] in antagonizing Israel's aggression, while Senopati Arthur provides analysis along with an Islamic resolution to the catastrophe:

Ini bukan saatnya lagi untuk pertemuan, rapat, dan gencatan senjata. Israel sekali lagi telah menumpahkan darah Muslim dan ALLAH telah menentukan Jihad sebagai solusi terhadap tindakan pengecut seperti sekarang. Hanya dengan pembentukan Khilafah, pasukan muslim akan bebas berderap kembali dan berjihad di Palestina, dimana Kalimatullah akan kembali menjadi tinggi.

Analisa Serangan Israel Terhadap Gaza [id]

This is no longer the time for conventions, meetings, and ceasefire. Israel once more has shed Muslim blood and Allah determined Jihad as solution towards the cowardly action happening now. Only with Khilafah formation, Muslim troops will be free to march again and commit jihad in Palestine, where Kalimatullah will be risen once again.

A group of young college students gathered up for an impromptu discussion over at Rosenqueen Company [id], while listening to Rock the Casbah by The Clash.

Yang Heboh & Yang Unik finds bitter humor [id] in the ignorance of Mideast countries.

Inilah Jalanku, blogger in Surakarta, questions the motive of political party-sponsored demonstration:

… nuansa pemilu begitu kental mewarnai aksi damai menentang agresi militer Israel durjana ke Jalur Gaza itu. Bendera-bendera PKS berkibar ditengah-tengah para demonstran. Yang membuat orang menaruh curiga kepada PKS ialah karena adanya bendera PKS yang bertuliskan angka 8, nomor urut PKS dalam pemilu tahun ini.

Kabarnya, bawaslu pun mulai melakukan pemeriksaan terkait aksi damai yang dilakukan oleh ribuan kader dan simpatisan PKS.

Sambil Berdemo, Berkampanye Pula [id]

.. peace rallies against wicked Israeli military aggression in Gaza Strip were thickly general election-nuanced. PKS (Welfare and Justice Party) banners broadly displayed among demonstrators. What would make one suspicious of PKS is because there are banners inscribed with the figure 8, PKS voting number on this year's general election.

It is said that bawaslu (Elections Monitoring Board) begins conducting inspection concerning rallies carried out by thousands of PKS cadres and supporters.

Zoel, graphic designer and blogger from Malang, chooses to give peace a chance after Friday shalat prayer:

Sudah bisa ditebak, demo anti Israel -yang juga membawa nama Amerika dan sekutunya- merebak di mana-mana, tidak hanya di negara yang mayoritas muslim, tetapi juga di Amerika dan Uni Eropa. Di Indonesia, isu yang diangkat adalah seputar Islam, kapitalisme, dan penegakan Khilafah.

[…]

Aku pribadi tidak yakin semua orang Muslim Palestina tidak ingin hidup damai berdampingan dengan orang Yahudi dan Nasrani. Demikian pula orang Yahudi maupun Muslim di Israel, tidak selamanya mereka mau hidup di bawah bayang-bayang sasaran roket pejuang Hamas. Tetapi, karena isu agama pada perang ini sudah terlanjur merekat kuat, entah sampai kapan militer Israel menggempur daerah yang mereka anggap sebagai basis Hamas, sementara pejuang Hamas dengan roket dan intifada-nya terus menghantui Israel.

Perang, Israel, dan Palestina (Hamas) [id]

As one might've guessed, anti-Israel demonstration -herewith America and its allies- spring up everywhere, not only in the country of Muslim majority, but also in America and the European Union (countries). In Indonesia, issues promoted are surrounding Islam, capitalism, and Khilafah enforcement.

[…]

Personally, I'm not sure all Palestinian Muslims don't want to live peacefully with Jews and Christians. Jews and Muslims in Israel likewise, they're not going to want to live as targets of Hamas’ rockets forever. However, for the reason that the religious interest of this war already binds strongly, it is unsure for how long Israeli military is going to attack regions assumed as Hamas bases, with Hamas militants with its rockets and intifada continues to haunt Israel.

Akhyari, Indonesian blogger in Cambodia, adds a non-religious perspective of the conflict:

This is not about inter-faith war, this is a visible form of colonization. This is not only about embargo and sabotage, but about surviving under the bomb rain, this is not about equal right, but about un-justice during tens of year.

FREEDOM from any Tirany and Occupation

Fatih Syuhud, senior blogger located in Surabaya, keeps update of Gaza simultaneously with Komunitas Blogger Muslim.

Brooklyn-based journalist and book author, Christopher Taylor, foresees a prolonged effect caused by the never-ending conflict:

In other words, this is spilling beyond local borders, poisoning religious and cultural relations far beyond the limits of Gaza. For what it's worth: Stop.

Mideast mess, spilling elsewhere

Using Goggle's blog search engine, around 600 or more results retrieved for the term “gaza” for the past week, which is also one of the most searched terms in Blog Indonesia aggregation site, resulting around 250 blog posts and counting.

8 comments

  • Franco

    We need Fatah to lead the Palistinians. Fatah will make a state for Palistine that Isreal must respect in all the eyes of the world. Fatah want life for both states. Fatah wants all the Gazans to live.

    Hamas will never do that. Hamas wants death for Israel or death for itself. Hamas is willing to let the last Gazan die.

    Fatah is life, Hamas is death.

  • Sam

    The reaction from Indonesian Bloggers is normal from anyone who knows the history of the conflict. It is quite obscene to claim that Israel is “defending” its right to exist while It’s denying the bare existence of Palestinians. Israel is openly demanding to become a Jewish denying the right of citizenship to non Jews. This used to be called discrimination and racism but in the case of Israel it is somehow allowed. Just voice your opinion out against Israel and you would be called “anti-Semite”…. The awkward thing is that Arabs are also Semite so where is the crying world? A new Holocaust is in the making, against Palestinians this time, would anyone react?

  • Zindadil

    First and foremost Indonesia and all the other Muslim nations must have no borders. There must be a leader like Saladin and then you can protest at will and action taken. You may shout at the top of your voices here and there and go back to your business. Israel will go about it’s business and do what it pleases. UN is a nation of the Israelites and each and every country in this world is a member. What each and every Muslim nation needs to do do is get rid of it’s corrupt leaders and educate to industrialize and form a Muslim league and the you can raise your voices. Now it wont do anything.
    About “Obama”
    Unless and until you do not pledge allegiance to the State of Israel, one cannot take offices in any part of the world. You will be brought to your knees if you do not. Take a look at Afghanistan, Somalia and many others. You raise your voice against Israel, you will loose your knighthood. That “Sir” title will not be in effect until you have kissed and bowed to the wailing wall as “Obama” did.

    So why even ask this question as to what will “Obama” do. Israel runs the worlds economy and hence one will not do anything.
    What lead did to the Romans, something like that will do to the Israilites.

  • TUHAN KASIHILAH SAUDARAKU DIBUMI PALESTINE,TENANGKAN HATI-HATI MEREKA,,AMIN

  • die in the earth just for few times, then will live at heaven as Allah promised for Sahidin.my Bro in Palestin no worries and no afraid on your struggle to get Allah`s way. Fairy is waiting for your coming…Allahu Akbar..

  • zean gruanstove

    i hear ,and i was saw how the hard war is???
    i was heard and i was think all about that war altough in view minutes but i can’t understand,ALLAH was make us to life in this earth to make the beautiful togetherness each other.but what i see now the beautifully world,now was dirty with many bloods from the mouslim.we are life just for once DON’T ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN THAT WAR AT GAZA WAS THINK BEFORE,all of you was born from your mother was stomuch,so should many child die there?should many people crying because loosing they are family.if the all israel didn’t remember with that they should remember with ALLAH S.W.T.

  • SAVE PALESTINA!! SAVE PALESTINA!! :((

  • rieka juliant arzerichv gruanstove

    Now ISRAELY small calmdown and we are didn’t know yet what happened exactly,and we are didn’t know yet what they are plan for palestine at the next??How DARE the PALESTINE they still take prayer at the front mosque that was distroy ,absolutely i really-realy Glad with that and should all of israel see it if their booms,and their guns is nothing for me,AND palestine.because ALLAH is the greatest in this earth.MY VOICE IS FOR PALESTINE “TILL THE WAR REALLY-REALLY OVER.ALLAHHUAKBAR,ALLAHHUAKBAR,WALILLAHILHAM….

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