Jakarta – In their biggest show of force so far, Muslim radicals called yesterday for a holy war against the country's Christians and demanded the removal of President Abdurrahman Wahid, saying he was protecting the enemies of Islam.

"This President must be replaced, we will ask the [parliament] to replace him," said Jafar Umar Thalib, a leader of the protest who met briefly with Mr Wahid at the presidential palace.

About 2,000 supporters stood in a nearby park during the meeting chanting "Allahu Akbar," Arabic for "God is Great". They were part of a crowd of some 10,000 demonstrators who had earlier gathered at Jakarta's main municipal stadium. Organisers urged the administration to take quick action to end the fighting in the Malukus, which has claimed over 2,000 lives in the past 15 months.

"We are ready to sacrifice everything we have for the sake of Islam," said Mr Thalib, the keynote speaker. "If those killing Muslims in Maluku are not arrested and put on trial, then more bloodshed in Maluku is inevitable."

Another speaker, Muh Mutallib, declared: "We are ready to wage holy war. We are ready to be sent there at any time." Some of the protesters – belonging to a coalition of radical Islamic groups – waved traditional daggers and swords. Mr Wahid, a moderate Islamic leader, has condemned calls for a holy war (jihad) against the Christian minority. He has repeatedly predicted that the violence would abate by April and no new clashes have been reported this month.

Mr Thalib told supporters that the President had said he would not allow extremists to enlist Muslim volunteers to fight in the Malukus. "He is a protector of communists and Christians and he is always against Islam," Mr Thalib said. Christians used to be a majority in the Malukus, located 2,000km northeast of Jakarta and once known as the Spice Islands, until an influx of Muslim immigrants from Indonesia's other islands into the archipelago changed the religious make-up.