Abu Bakar Bashir Threatens Tourists/Australians

[Stuart Mackey]

un-islamic Infidel link

Beat up infidel tourists, says radical cleric

By Natasha Robinson March 24, 2008 01:26am



* Bashir back to hardline
* Call to beat up tourists
* Retribution for executions

ISLAMIC cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has returned to his hardline rhetoric with a call for followers to beat up Western tourists and for young Muslims to die as martyrs.

In the sermon, organised by an Islamic youth organisation and delivered a few kilometres from the home village of convicted Bali bombers Amrozi and Mukhlas, Bashir likened tourists in Bali to "worms, snakes, maggots", and specifically referred to the immorality of Australian infidels.

The address was caught on video by an Australian university student.

"The youth movement here must aspire to a martyrdom death," said the cleric, who was convicted of conspiracy over the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, but was later cleared and released from prison.

"The young must be first at the front line - don't hide at the back. You must be at the front, die as martyrs and all your sins will be forgiven. This is how to achieve forgiveness."

Observers said the sermon's content was a clear indication of what many terrorism academics have noted - that the accused spiritual head of Jemaah Islamiah has been emboldened by his release from prison last year after serving 26 months for conspiracy in relation to the Bali blasts.

"Immediately after Abu Bakar Bashir was released from incarceration he was very cautious in spreading hatred," said Rohan Gunaratna, head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.
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"The remarks show that Abu Bakar Bashir has gone back to the pre-incarceration period where he was in a very similar way urging JI members, encouraging JI members to move in the direction of violence, especially violence including terrorism."

The sermon was organised by the youth group Persatuan Pemuda Islam Pantura (Java North Coast Islamic Youth Group) and delivered on October 22 last year.

It was captured on videotape by Darwin-based political science PhD student Nathan Franklin, who was conducting research at Islamic boarding schools in east Java.

Bashir's address was observed by the village's police chief and a horde of plainclothes Indonesian police officers. It was also attended by relatives of Amrozi, who travelled to the sermon from the Bali bomber's former Islamic boarding school on the village's outskirts.

The cleric has warned of retribution should the Bali bombers be executed by firing squad.

During the sermon, Bashir talked of a previous visit to Australia, claiming that he had wanted to see the "beauty of the ocean" but was told by a friend there was "one condition" of a visit to the beach.

"He said if you enter that area you must be completely naked," Bashir told the crowd of about 300 hearing his sermon.

Bashir likened non-Muslims to crawling animals. "Worms, snakes, maggots - those are animals that crawl. Take a look at Bali ... those infidel tourists. They are naked."

He called for signs to be erected across Indonesia warning tourists they were entering a Muslim area, and directing they cover up appropriately. But in east Java, he urged the Islamist youth to "beat up" foreigners.

"God willing, there are none here," Bashir said. "If there were infidels here, just beat them up. Do not tolerate them."

Bashir has never sought to hide his support for the Mujahideen, or holy warriors, who seek to wage jihad and die as martyrs in defence of Islam. However, he has in the past been careful to distance himself from the Bali bombings, praising the bombers' intention but not their method.

Mr Franklin, who is completing a doctorate in political science specialising in Indonesian politics, agreed that Bashir's radical address proved the cleric had been emboldened by his early release from prison and was seemingly intent on attracting greater publicity for his cause.

"Going to jail, serving a very light sentence, and becoming a media icon - it's the best thing that's happened to him," Mr Franklin said.

He said Bashir sensed his opportunity for greater power and influence as Indonesia increasingly moved away from secularism towards Islamic law.

The PhD student will screen extracts of the Bashir video, which has been sub-titled, at Charles Darwin University in Darwin on Friday as part of an academic talk on how the sermons give inspiration to the radical Islamist cause to create a Caliphate, or greater Islamic state.

Dr Gunaratna said the radical nature of Bashir's current sermons showed that Indonesia's legal system was still not equipped to police terrorism.

"The very fact that Abu Bakar Bashir is spreading hatred and ideological extremism is testimony to the fact that Australia has failed in engagement with Indonesia to build a robust Indonesian counter-terrorism legislation," Dr Gunaratna said.

Bashir's address contained many direct challenges to Indonesian secularism. The cleric urged his supporters to reject the laws of the nation's parliament and said following state laws that contradicted Islamic Shariah law was an act of "blasphemy".

"Don't be scared if you are called a hardliner Muslim," Bashir said. "It must be like that. We can't follow human law that is in conflict with Allah's law."

[Walsh]

You've got to love the irony of commanding your followers to beat up people for being immoral.

[KlavoHunter]

This guy requires some emergency brain surgery, with a bullet.

[Sidewinder]

"The young must be first at the front line - don't hide at the back. You must be at the front, die as martyrs and all your sins will be forgiven. This is how to achieve forgiveness."

So why don't YOU go and die as a martyr, Mr. Bashir? What are you, chicken? (Makes clucking sounds.)

During the sermon, Bashir talked of a previous visit to Australia, claiming that he had wanted to see the "beauty of the ocean" but was told by a friend there was "one condition" of a visit to the beach.

"He said if you enter that area you must be completely naked," Bashir told the crowd of about 300 hearing his sermon.

Australia to Mr. Bashir: Thank you for boosting tourism to Australia! A TON of Muslim youths came to our fair country to look at naked women after hearing your surmon!

But in east Java, he urged the Islamist youth to "beat up" foreigners.

"God willing, there are none here," Bashir said. "If there were infidels here, just beat them up. Do not tolerate them."

Ever heard of the saying "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you," Mr. Bashir? Do you want Muslims to be beaten whenever they travel to a non-Muslim nation? Oh yeah, you want Muslim youths to die as martyrs, so you're encouraging non-Muslims to assault Muslims when those Muslims arrive in their countries.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Meh. Nothing new. With Indonesia filled to the brim with dirt poor people, nationalist lunatics, corrupted officials and politicians, separatists, you can't complete the cake without a sprinkling of stark raving Muslim jihadists.

[Lusankya]

I've never been able to quite figure out why they care so much about people going to Bali. I mean, the Balinese are over 90% muslim, so it's not as though the Australians are corrupting that many good Muslim youths.

He sounds exactly like this crazy lady who converted to Islam who went on 60 minutes a month or so back. She was getting all angry at Australians who "forced" their tourism on people. As though the Balinese hate our tourist dollars or something.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

I've never been able to quite figure out why they care so much about people going to Bali. I mean, the Balinese are over 90% muslim, so it's not as though the Australians are corrupting that many good Muslim youths.

He sounds exactly like this crazy lady who converted to Islam who went on 60 minutes a month or so back. She was getting all angry at Australians who "forced" their tourism on people. As though the Balinese hate our tourist dollars or something.

Actually, you are incorrect, Bali is mostly Hindu, and not Muslim. It is incorrect to suggest Indonesia is homogeneously Muslim as there are sporadic pockets of Christians and Buddhists.

Then couple with ethnic distributions and what not, Indonesia is a very complex nation with many centrifugal forces. It doesn't take much to start some civil war or some inter-religious warfare.

[Lusankya]

I've never been able to quite figure out why they care so much about people going to Bali. I mean, the Balinese are over 90% muslim, so it's not as though the Australians are corrupting that many good Muslim youths.

He sounds exactly like this crazy lady who converted to Islam who went on 60 minutes a month or so back. She was getting all angry at Australians who "forced" their tourism on people. As though the Balinese hate our tourist dollars or something.

Actually, you are incorrect, Bali is mostly Hindu, and not Muslim. It is incorrect to suggest Indonesia is homogeneously Muslim as there are sporadic pockets of Christians and Buddhists.

Then couple with ethnic distributions and what not, Indonesia is a very complex nation with many centrifugal forces. It doesn't take much to start some civil war or some inter-religious warfare.

Crap. I meant to say muslim. That's why it doesn't make sense when I said "so it's not as though the Australians are corrupting that many good Muslim youths."

[Sidewinder]

Bali is mostly Hindu, and not Muslim. It is incorrect to suggest Indonesia is homogeneously Muslim as there are sporadic pockets of Christians and Buddhists.

Then couple with ethnic distributions and what not, Indonesia is a very complex nation with many centrifugal forces. It doesn't take much to start some civil war or some inter-religious warfare.

Religion: Hindu (93.18%), Muslim (4.79%), Christian (1.38%), Buddhist (0.64%)

So the Muslims are... What? Trying to make the Balinese Hindu to convert to Islam? Yeah, that'll go over 93.18% of Bali's population just fine.

Of course, it might be fun to see what happens if the Balinese decide to secede from Indonesia and expel Muslims from their island. I wonder if India will support Balinese independence?

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

So the Muslims are... What? Trying to make the Balinese Hindu to convert to Islam? Yeah, that'll go over 93.18% of Bali's population just fine.

Of course, it might be fun to see what happens if the Balinese decide to secede from Indonesia and expel Muslims from their island. I wonder if India will support Balinese independence?

You do realise that in Indonesia's context, that is hardly a funny joke?

[Metatwaddle]

You've got to love the irony of commanding your followers to beat up people for being immoral.

<-- Were you looking for this?

Mr Franklin, who is completing a doctorate in political science specialising in Indonesian politics, agreed that Bashir's radical address proved the cleric had been emboldened by his early release from prison and was seemingly intent on attracting greater publicity for his cause.

"Going to jail, serving a very light sentence, and becoming a media icon - it's the best thing that's happened to him," Mr Franklin said.

Wikipedia says he was released 4 and 1/2 months early "as part of the tradition of remissions for Indonesia's Independence Day". Interesting. I wonder why Bashir of all people was released early?

[Frank Hipper]

Abu Bakar Bashir sells pork to unsuspecting and virtuous Moslem grandmothers.

Abu Bakar Bashir grooms his beard with American bacon grease.

Abu Bakar Bashir has a pet pot-bellied pig named Mohammed.



I have to ask, where is the counter-agitprop to this sort of religious retardation?

[Jade Falcon]

"The young must be first at the front line - don't hide at the back. You must be at the front, die as martyrs and all your sins will be forgiven. This is how to achieve forgiveness."

So why don't YOU go and die as a martyr, Mr. Bashir? What are you, chicken? (Makes clucking sounds.)

Aye, I've got to admit these buggers make me laugh, they say its such a great honour to martyr yourself for Allah, but it's such a great honour that they, the true believers, don't do it...

[thejester]

Wikipedia says he was released 4 and 1/2 months early "as part of the tradition of remissions for Indonesia's Independence Day". Interesting. I wonder why Bashir of all people was released early?

The case that put him away was (IIRC) pretty weak, I think the Indonesian government may have been trying to appease domestic radicals.