Laskar Jihad (Army of Jihad or Holy War Warriors) is a violent paramilitary organization in Indonesia that emerged out of a sectarian conflict between Muslims and Christians in the Maluku (Molucca) Islands, which caused the deaths of thousands in the late 1990s and early 2000s.  Laskar Jihad saw itself as a protector of the Muslim population of Maluku, and a harbinger of Jihad, dedicated to converting Christians and bringing Islamic law to Maluku and greater Indonesia.  Although the group ascribed to Salafist Islam, Laskar Jihad can also be described as a nationalist group as they were interested in maintaining the territorial integrity of Indonesia, and not creating a pan-Islamist state.   <P><br /><br />The Maluku Islands conflict has roots that stretch back nearly 400 years.  Unlike the rest of Indonesia which is 90% Muslim, Maluku has a slight Christian majority, and tensions between the two religions have always been high.  The Christian community in Maluku was favored by the Dutch colonialists who ruled Indonesia until 1945, and Christians even fought for the Dutch in the Indonesian war of independence.  Even after the Dutch left, the Christian community in Maluku enjoyed a higher economic and social status than their Muslim neighbors.  It was not until the 1980s that the Muslim population in Maluku began to close the gap, competing for jobs and resources once dominated by the Christian population.  In early 1999, tensions boiled over, leading to wide-scale rioting and eventually open war between the two communities. <P><br /><br />For a year the conflict raged, with the Indonesian government seemingly unable to stem the tide of violence.  In response to a perceived Christian "onslaught" against the Muslims of Maluku, Laskar Jihad was established in January 2000 by Jafar Umar Thalib, an Indonesian of Arab descent who fought for the Mujahideen in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union.  The group was made up entirely of volunteers, mostly from the Indonesian island of Java.  At its peak the group's strength might have numbered over 10,000 fighters.  After training in Java, Laskar Jihad members were sent to Maluku where their presence escalated the conflict rapidly.  Laskar Jihad members destroyed villages, killed thousands of people, and forcibly converted many Christians to Islam, complete with ritual circumcision for both men and women.  Although the group saw itself as a protector of Muslims, Laskar Jihad waged a "holy war" against innocent Christians in an effort that some have termed ethnic cleansing or genocide.    <P>    <br /><br />Laskar Jihad was believed to be aided by Islamist elements in the Indonesian military and also had admitted links with other Islamist terror groups such as the Taliban in Afghanistan, Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines and Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia (KMM).  The group also had unproven but suspected links with al-Qaeda, as many allege that al-Qaeda members trained in Laskar Jihad camps in Java.  <P><br /><br />After quickly establishing itself as the most powerful military force in Maluku, Laskar Jihad sought to expand its influence into other ethnic conflicts in Sulawesi, Aceh, and West Papua.  In Maluku, the group consolidated its power further and attempted to set up Sharia law on the islands.  Despite Laskar Jihad's actions, the Indonesian government was reluctant to clamp down on the group, lest it appear anti-Islamic.  Although the government did make several attempts to disarm and prohibit the group from operating, Laskar Jihad was essentially above the law. <br />