Anti-Christian activity in Indonesia gathers steam. From the Barnabas Fund: While physical attacks against Christians and churches continue, Islamists are increasingly turning their attention to legal means of oppressing Indonesian Christians. CHURCH ATTACKS AND CLOSURES Since November 2003 there has been a spate of church attacks and closures in Java and Sumatra. On Sunday 25 […]
Thousands rally for Islamic law in Indonesia
A woman shouts ‘Allahu Akbar’ as demonstrators march through Jakarta in support of Sharia law (Reuters) A rally for Sharia in Indonesia. From AP, with thanks to Nancy Block: Thousands of white-clad, religious conservatives rallied and prayed in cities across Indonesia yesterday, demanding the imposition of traditional Islamic law in the world’s most populous Muslim […]
Unjust West ganging up on Islam: Megawati
Megawati (AFP) The US and its allies are behaving with “exceptional injustice” toward Muslim countries, says Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri. From Smh.com.au, with thanks to Jean-Luc: Mrs Megawati sought to contrast the way Indonesia had used the law to find and prosecute its terrorists with the “unilateral” US-led invasion of Iraq. The remarks opened an […]
Islamic teacher jailed for hiding Bali bomber
Until Muslim groups worldwide face up to the involvement of “Islamic teachers” in terrorist acts, and do something to prevent it, military actions will not win a decisive or lasting victory in the war on terror. From Reuters: An Indonesian court on Wednesday sentenced an Islamic teacher, believed to have been a leader of the […]
Indonesia: Mayor imposes Islamic dress code on state workers
This story is a couple of weeks old, but it is still relevant in light of the ongoing French headscarf controversy. In the Indonesian suburb of Tangerang, the headscarf is being imposed — possibly on non-Muslims as well as Muslims. This from AsiaNews, with thanks to Nancy Block: The mayor of Tangerang, a suburb of […]
Jihad in an Indonesian cafe
From the Jakarta Post: A bomb attack on a cafe in the town of Palopo, South Sulawesi, was part of a jihad (holy war) against vice in nightclubs and bars, a key suspect was quoted on Monday by the provincial police as saying. “That’s our preliminary conclusion based on the confession by key suspect Jasmin […]
4-nation effort to spell out meaning of jihad
In my line of work, I hear it all the time — from Muslims and non-Muslims alike: “jihad doesn’t mean ‘holy war.’ The Arabic word means ‘struggle.’ In Islam jihad primarily means the struggle within the soul of the believer to conform his life to the will of Allah.” In Onward Muslim Soldiers I discuss […]
Indonesia: Radical Muslim groups getting more vocal
In Indonesia, radical Muslims are strong and getting stronger. This from Straits Times, with thanks to Nicolei: LAST month, Indonesia’s Defenders of Islam Front (FPI) set up an ‘immorality watch’ squad to bring to book perpetrators of vice. Over a hundred supporters of Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir rallied in Jakarta and picketed the Supreme […]
Young jihadis in Indonesia more hardcore than ever
The good news is that Jemaah Islamiyah, the Indonesian terrorist group, has been badly damaged — as have other similar groups around the world. But if you think that the global jihad movement is a spent force, think again: according to this piece in the Straits Times, “the second generation of Muslim terrorist leaders in […]
Indonesian police say arrested Islamic teacher is a terrorist leader
Yet more evidence of the hollowness of the still-prevailing view that Islamic radicals are a tiny minority that has “hijacked” the religion: another Islamic teacher has been arrested — this time in Indonesia — on suspicion of terrorist activity: “Indonesian police said Monday an Islamic teacher arrested in East Java province last week planned to […]