Salvation Crusaders Arrive in Pator; Camp Established in Refugee Zone

Pator – The 'Salvation Crusade' movement of emancipated slaves preaching the Amarrian faith in Minmatar space reached Pator yesterday, and promptly set up a camp in the largest refugee holding zone on Matar. Abel Jarek, the charismatic preacher and former slave who leads the Salvation Crusaders, stated that the first task would be to build an Amarrian chapel so that "believers may worship in the house of God and take comfort in His shelter."

The Salvation Crusade has caused considerable controversy in the Republic since news of Abel Jarek's intentions reached citizens here. Many Minmatar are outraged that Jarek and his followers have been allowed to set up their camp on Matar and news that an Amarrian chapel is to be built is thought likely to inflame passions even more. Sources in the Republic government have officially confined themselves to confirming that since Jarek and his followers have claimed Republic citizenship as returning former slaves, there is no legal means to bar them from settling on Matar. One anonymous source did comment that "calling this a 'crusade' is only asking for trouble, given our history and the fact that we are at war with actual crusaders [the 24th Imperial Crusade] in Heimatar even now."

While the Amarr authorities have made no official comment on Jarek taking up Republic citizenship, it is believed that any Salvation Crusader who returns to the Empire will incur no penalty under the circumstances. Many Minmatar see this as evidence that Jarek is nothing more than an agent provocateur and his crusade a means of destabilising the situation among refugees on Pator.