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 […]
New jihad recruits
“A fresh batch of Jemaah Islamiah recruits (JI) graduates from a Mindanao training camp next week, some others are being groomed in Pakistan and dozens more recruited from mosques and pesantrens in Indonesia.” This from Straits Times, with thanks to Nicolei. It would seem to me long past time for Muslims who truly reject what […]
Bush = Trotsky?
Amir Butler, Executive Director of the Australian Muslim Public Affairs Committee (AMPAC), has written an op-ed in the Jakarta Post entitled “Trotsky’s idea clearly similar to forced democracy upon Muslim World.” Well, I wouldn’t have thought of comparing Bush to Trotsky, although Woodrow Wilson has crossed my mind. But the main point of Butler’s editorial […]
Jihad to be explained by scholars
At long last, a group of Islamic scholars is going to cut through all the confusion and explain what the word jihad really means: “The Council of Religious Ministers for Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore (MABIMS) will publish a comprehensive working paper for explaining Jihad (crusade or holy war) to their Ummah (followers of […]
Cleric: Bali bombers are Allah’s fighters, not terrorists
Abu Bakar Bashir Here is an example of why Muslims and non-Muslims so often talk past each other: Abu Bakar Bashir, the Indonesian Muslim leader who is or has been the head of the radical Muslim group Jemaah Islamiyah (although he denies it) has said that “the Bali bombers and an Indonesian bomb-maker killed by […]
A holly jihadi Christmas in Jakarta?
“Indonesia’s capital could be the target of a bombing campaign during the Christmas and New Year festivities, a Jakarta police chief has warned.” So says AFP, with thanks to nicolei. “‘Based on intelligence information that we have received, the prominent issue that needs to be addressed is bombings,’ Inspector-General Makbul Padmanegara was quoted by the […]
Terrorism, Suicide Attacks Forbidden by Islamic Law, Muslim Scholars Say
An influential group of Muslim scholars in Indonesia have declared that suicide attacks, and terrorism in general, is forbidden by Islamic law.” So says VOA News. “Members of the Indonesian Ulama Council, which brings together Muslim scholars to discuss the implementation of Islamic law, say that killing – especially of innocents – is contrary to […]
Terror groups mull: Is it OK to kill Muslims, too?
“Southeast Asian radicals” — radical Muslims, that is, not Maoists — “are divided over the wisdom of attacking hotels, nightclubs and other ‘soft targets’ where Muslims may be killed alongside Westerners — an internal split that could weaken the terrorist enterprise, authorities told The Associated Press.” This is because a Muslim must not kill another […]
Indonesia: Christians slain during church service
Joko Harmono files this report from Indonesia: Christians slain by Terrorists during Church Service by Joko Harmono POSO, INDONESIA, Nov 30 2003: Tonight, as the congregation in Tabamawo, 120 km (70 miles) east of Poso, sat attentively, taking in the sermon being delivered by their pastor’s wife, Sandra Tengker, two gunmen arrived on motorcycles, coming […]