An Indonesian court acquitted a prominent Islamic militant leader today on charges of inciting Muslims to attack Christians on the religiously divided Maluku Islands. The cleric, Jaffar Umar Thalib, the head of a paramilitary group called Laskar Jihad, walked free to chants of “Allahu akbar!” (God is great!) from his followers. In contrast, two Christian separatist leaders were each sentenced two days ago to three years’ imprisonment for subversion during the violence on the Malukus, in which thousands of people have been killed. The verdict could give renewed vigor to Islamic radicals who have been on the defensive in Indonesia since the terrorist blast in Bali last October, analysts said. Full Story