Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – Fears are growing of violent clashes between Indonesia's two big Muslim organisations as tens of thousands of supporters of President Abdurrahman Wahid prepare to fight to defend him.
Mr Syafei Maarif, chairman of the 15 million-member Muhammadiyah, has warned of anarchy unless the embattled Mr Wahid acts to head off attacks by his supporters in the 40-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).
"It seems to me that the President and NU leaders are not trying hard enough to anticipate their supporters' acts. That's really worrying to me," Mr Syafei said.
"We must anticipate the possible escalation of tensions ignited by NU supporters ... we are still trying to hold back our emotions." Members of the NU, which Mr Wahid led for 16 years, have already staged sporadic attacks on Muhammadiyah supporters in their East Java strongholds.
The attacks followed fierce criticisms of Mr Wahid and plotting to unseat him by a former Muhammadiyah leader, Dr Amien Rais, now Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, the top legislature. Most Muhammadiyah members live in cities and towns and practise what is often called modern Islam. Most NU members live in villages and pursue a more traditional Islam.
NU leaders say 20,000 of their supporters have signed pledges declaring they are prepared to mount a holy war and die to protect Mr Wahid from his enemies.
At least one NU cleric has issued a religious edict authorising the "spilling" of Dr Rais's blood. In the East Java town of Banyuwangi, Mr Wahid's supporters have painted red crosses on the homes of about 50 Muhammadiyah members, reviving memories of the mid-1960s, when red house markings signalled death for inhabitants during purges of members of the Indonesian communist party.
Speaking in Jakarta, Mr Syafei said he had asked the military and police to be ready for the arrival of swarms of NU supporters in Jakarta before parliament resumes on April 30.
During the session MPs will consider issuing a second censure motion against Mr Wahid, a crucial step towards his possible impeachment over erratic leadership and two corruption scandals.
NU leaders in Surabaya, the country's second-biggest city, say they expect hundreds of thousands of their supporters to travel from East Java to Jakarta to attend a pro-Wahid prayer meeting before parliament's resumption later this month. One NU offshoot, the Truth Defender Front, is reported to be training hundreds of members in combat at a camp in Banyuwangi.
"If the elite causes Gus Dur's downfall, we will defend the country and the nation," the group's leader, Mr Wiro Sugiman, said, using Mr Wahid's nickname.
The national police chief, General Surojo Bimantoro, said this week that security forces were ready to deal with possible attacks by Mr Wahid's supporters.
Political parties demanding his resignation also fear they will become targets of fanatical supporters of Mr Wahid, especially Golkar, the party that kept the former dictator Soeharto in power for 32 years.
Golkar's East Java headquarters in Surabaya were attacked and burned to the ground during a pro-Wahid rally attended by more than 50,000 people in February.
Since then Golkar's chief, Mr Akbar Tanjung, has watered down his public criticisms of Mr Wahid and backed away from pushing for an early convening of parliament, where many MPs had planned to oust him. Mr Wahid has repeatedly denied that people joining so-called suicide squads linked with the NU are his supporters.
But he insists he can do nothing to stop them coming to Jakarta, and has provided some who have already arrived with food.