Jihad causes poverty: a successful plot would threaten to tank the tourism industry, and would have repercussions for the entire economy and nation. More on this story. “Bali attack plot shows Indonesia terror threat evolving,” by Olivia Rondonuwu and Stuart Grudgings for Reuters, March 22: (Reuters) – A foiled plot by suspected Islamic militants to […]
Indonesia: Leading cleric says Lady Gaga concert “intended to destroy the nation’s morality”
Wait ’til he finds out the meat dress wasn’t halal. “Lady Gaga’s Jakarta Concert Is Haram, Declares MUI Chairman,” by Anita Rachman & Arientha Primanita for the Jakarta Globe, March 18: A high-ranking member of Indonesia’s highest Islamic authority has urged Muslims not to attend Lady Gaga’s upcoming concert in Jakarta, declaring that the pop […]
Indonesia: Police kill five suspected of plotting attacks on Bali resorts
“It was possible the group had been planning to carry out attacks on Thursday, the eve of Nyepi, or the annual Day of Silence marking Bali’s Hindu New Year.” “Indonesia police shoot dead suspected militants in Bali: media,” from Reuters, March 18: (Reuters) – Indonesian counter-terrorism police have shot dead five men suspected of planning […]
Indonesia: Thugs in “luxury minivan” attack church with air rifles
The attack destroyed some windows, but what is worse than this particular incident is that it may not be the last. As this report notes, the getaway vehicle yielded more information on the church and other planning documents. Like the Yasmin Church in Bogor, it has been “put on the map,” so to speak, for […]
Indonesia: Islamic groups object to gender equality bill
As just noted at the end of the posting that precedes this one, “attempts to legislate for the protection of women’s rights come up against protestations in the name of Sharia.” Thank you for proving our point. “Indonesia: Islamist groups object to gender equality bill,” from AdnKronos International, March 15 (thanks to The Religion of […]
Indonesia: “Spiritual group” leader gets 4 years in jail for “blasphemy”
This story affirms in its own words what blasphemy prosecutions boil down to: sacrilege by disagreement, noting that “The defendant and the panel of judges still have a difference of opinion.” Such laws are a supremacist tool to keep dissenters and non-Muslims fearful and erring on the side of silence. “Spiritual Group Leader Gets 4 […]
Indonesian church bomber: “Conscience” told him to bomb church in revenge
Pretexts for revenge are a renewable resource, and, combined with an obsession with honor and shame, an endless supply of excuses for violence and collective punishment. Therein lies an inherent and profound source of instability within the society. “Indonesian court hears militant behind church blasts,” from Agence France-Presse, March 15: A convicted Indonesian terrorist said […]
Indonesia: Five gamblers publicly caned in devout Muslim province of Aceh
Muslim spokesmen in America constantly assure us that Sharia is fully compatible with the U.S. Constitution, and that in its true form it is benign, humane and tolerant. Yet such a form of Sharia has never been seen anywhere on the face of the earth. Sharia Alert from modern, moderate Indonesia: “5 gamblers publicly caned […]
Indonesia: Two jailed in failed Easter jihad attack on church
The mastermind’s sentence of 18 years in jail is actually one of the longer terms we have seen out of Indonesia in recent cases. “Two jailed over church plot, book bombs,” from the South African Press Agency and Agence France-Presse, March 5: An Indonesian court on Monday sentenced the Islamist mastermind behind a foiled Easter […]
Indonesia: Jailed cleric blames U.S. for reinstatement of his prison term, says America must be destroyed
The handy thing about conspiracy paranoia is that it doesn’t have to make sense. An update on this story. “Jailed Indonesia cleric says US must be destroyed,” from Agence France-Presse, February 29 (thanks to The Religion of Peace): Islamist militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir blamed the United States for increasing his jail term, two days […]