Aceh is a case study in how creeping Sharia works. It gets a foot in the door with promises of moderation, tolerance, and limited applications — after all, “War is deceit,” according to Muhammad. As its proponents gain confidence, enforcement of Sharia becomes more aggressive and intrusive on private behavior, because, in truth, Sharia is […]
Indonesia: Church forced to close on the word of one Muslim cleric
Sharia forbids the propagation of non-Islamic religions. He accused the church of proselytizing, and also invoked Indonesia’s permit system for places of worship. Being at the mercy of the Muslim majority for a permit stacks the deck against building new churches and lends itself to excuses for closing existing ones, as is described in detail […]
Indonesia: Jihad leader facing terror charges says “I”m being tried for defending Islam”
He said it. It is now up to “moderate” Muslim leaders to explain how training for jihad violence does not equal defending Islam. But don’t hold your breath. “Bashir Says Charges Against Him Equate to Ban on Islam,” by Heru Andriyanto for the Jakarta Globe, March 8 (thanks to Block Ness): Firebrand cleric Abu Bakar […]
Indonesia: Another province bans Ahmadis from publicly practicing their religion
This trend has arisen in response to recent episodes of persecution, though the Ahmadis were not the perpetrators, but the victims. It is striking how quickly Indonesian authorities can move when they care to in order rein in Islamic “heretics.” Of course, such pious zeal is never directed at, say, the rabid thugs (and supposed […]
Indonesian regional chiefs to crack down on Ahmadiyya for stirring up trouble
Here’s a recent Jihad Watch headline: Indonesia: Machete-wielding Muslim mob attacks Ahmadi Muslim “heretics,” murdering three That was from February 6. And now authorities in Indonesia are claiming that the Ahmadis have “stirred up community conflicts.” This is exactly the same Islamic supremacist evasion of responsibility and tendency to blame the victim that we saw […]
Indonesia: Islamic cleric gets slap on the wrist for beating and stabbing of Christians
Five-and-a-half months in prison for “unpleasant deeds.” “Indonesia jails Muslim radical over Christian attack,” from AFP, February 24 (thanks to Twostellas): An Indonesian court today jailed the leader of an Islamic vigilante group over an attack on senior Christians, as the country grapples with an outbreak of interfaith violence. Murhali Barda, head of the Islamic […]
“In the name of Allah, I swear that until the last drop of my blood, whatever the risks, Ahmadiyah must not exist in Indonesia”
Note the threat: he is demanding that the government destroy the Ahmadiyya, or he is going to do so himself. So if the government is inclined to be more moderate, he is going to do all he can to force it in a more Islamic supremacist direction. Islamic Tolerance Alert from modern, moderate Indonesia: “FPI […]
Indonesia: Islamic leader on trial for inciting attacks against Christians threatens Christians again in fiery court speech
A speech “peppered with verses from the Koran.” “FPI Leader Fires Up Court With Anti-Christian Screed,” by Elisabeth Oktofani for the Jakarta Globe, February 16 (thanks to Twostellas): In a fiery speech in court that moved some to tears, a suspended Islamic Defenders Front leader on trial for inciting attacks against a Christian group in […]
Indonesia: Muslim cleric charged with terrorism says “I was only defending Islam”
If this trial were to result in an honest and open examination of why Abu Bakar Bashir thinks his actions inciting violence and terror are in accord with Islamic teaching, that would be all to the good. But it probably won’t. “Terrorism charges denied: ‘I was only defending Islam,’” by Karlis Salna for AP, February […]
Blaming the victim: In wake of savage attack, Indonesian lawmakers call on Ahmadis to “repent,” or to be disbanded by government
More on this story. Note the utter lack of outrage at the brutality of the killings; it is taken for granted that the Ahmadis were inviting trouble by so rudely continuing to exist. Adherence to the 2008 ban on their promoting their activities is, of course, in the eyes of the Muslim overlord beholder. Thus, […]