Descent Into Madness

Riven by ethnic and religious hatred, Indonesia is slipping out of control

When Jimmy Siahae hit the ground, that was the end. The Muslim mob never let him up again. Their weapons were dull--bamboo staves, kitchen knives, metal spikes--but their hatred was sharp. Siahae was 45, a Christian from the eastern Indonesian island of Ambon, suspected of attacking their mosque. As the terrible retribution began, Siahae didn't have a prayer.

They started on his head, beating and kicking. One man hacked at his left hand, nearly severing it at the wrist. Knives plunged into his flesh. They had stripped him to the waist so they could see the wounds they were inflicting. They...

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