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To make the Text Letters look LARGER
For Mozilla Firefox 2, Netscape Navigator 9, AND Internet Explorer 7: [Ctrl] + "+" (to reverse, [Ctrl] + "-") For Netscape Navigator 4.78: [Ctrl] + "]" For Internet Explorer 6: View / Text Size > Larger (OR Largest) / (Copied in 2004 from Paul O'Brien Web Design at http://pmob. co.uk/version7 /customise. php ) but updated on 02 Nov 07 |
Guilty of “Christianisation”Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti and Ratna Bangun received the sentence after judges found them guilty of violating the Child Protection Act of 2002, which forbids "deception, lies or enticement" causing a child to convert to another religion. The maximum sentence for violation of the Act is five years in prison and a fine of 100 million rupiah ($10,226). The Sunday school teachers had instructed the children to get permission from their parents before attending the program and those who did not have permission were asked to go home, according to Jeff Hammond of Bless Indonesia Today, a Christian foundation operating out of Jakarta. None of the children had converted to Christianity. When the verdict was announced the courtroom crowd erupted with shouts of "Allahu akbar!" ("God is great!"). The women plan to appeal the conviction. As the three women were waiting to be taken into the courtroom for the verdict Zakaria said the situation did not look hopeful but that some day, "in God's time", all three women would "walk free from the prison". The three women, described by friends as "ordinary housewives", were relieved that they had not been given the maximum five-year prison sentence. All three were devastated at the prospect of being separated from their children, who range from 6 to 19 years of age. As they have done throughout the trial, Islamic extremists made murderous threats both inside and outside the courtroom. Hammond said several truckloads of extremists arrived; one brought a coffin to bury the accused if they were found innocent. [Picture] Three Christian women on trial in Indonesia Photo: Jubilee Campaign "The ladies, witnesses and judges were constantly under the threats of violence from hundreds of Islamic radicals who threatened to kill the three ladies, witnesses, pastors, missionaries and even the judges if the women were acquitted," Hammond told Compass. On 25 August the Islamic radicals warned the judges that they were willing to shed their own blood if the women were not found guilty. Paul Marshall, a senior fellow at Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom, said the case could establish a dangerous precedent. "It's especially troubling and worrisome since it occurred in Indonesia, a country known for its relative religious freedom. If it signifies the future direction of the country the consequences will be terrible." Zakaria, Pangesti and Bangun were arrested on 13 May after members of the local Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI, Muslim clerics council) discovered that Muslim children were attending a Christian education program run by the women. Some of the children had asked for and received Bibles. Defence attorneys pointed out that several of the Muslim parents had been photographed with their children during the Sunday school activities, proof that they had permitted their children to attend. When Muslim leaders lodged a complaint, however, the parents refused to testify in support of the women. No witnesses testified or provided evidence of the charges that the women had lied, deceived, or forced the children into changing their religion. Witnesses who testified against the women had no firsthand knowledge of the educational program and were speaking from hearsay. The "Happy Sunday" program was established to meet legal requirements for a local elementary school which asked Zakaria, who pastors the Christian Church of David's Camp in Harguelis, West Java to establish it. The women launched the program in September 2003. Source: Compass. Republished by permission from New Life. # www.lifeministries.org.au |
Fighting Fund for 2 pastors
In December 2004, Catch the Fire Ministries Inc (CTFM), Pastor Danny Nalliah and Pastor Daniel Scot were found to have breached the Victorian Racial & Religious Tolerance Act because of comments made in a seminar, newsletter and website article concerning Islam. On 22 June 2005, CTFM and Pastors Nalliah and Scot were ordered to make a public apology in newspapers and on the CTFM website, and to promise never again to repeat similar statements anywhere in Australia. (See "$570,000 'apology' ordered" in the last issue of Life News.)
CTFM, Pastor Danny Nalliah and Pastor Daniel Scot are appealing the decision to the Supreme Court. Melbourne law firm Moores Legal is handling the appeal - they have assembled a team including two barristers (one a Senior Counsel) and lawyers to prepare and conduct the appeal. The pastors are appealing to Christians throughout Australia to help with the costs of the appeal. A Fighting Fund has been set up and a trust account has been established with their lawyers, Moores Legal, to receive donations. [Picture] Danny Nalliah and Daniel Scot. (The Fighting Fund will be administered in accordance with the Legal Practice Act 1996 (ViC). Contributions received will be held in trust to meet the costs of litigation and any associated costs. Any surplus funds will be applied to litigation concerning similar religious freedom issues.) If you are able to help, please send your donation to: Catch the Fire Fighting Fund, PO Box 340, Box Hill, Victoria 3128. Cheques should be made payable to Catch the Fire Fighting Fund. Donations can also be made by Direct Deposit: Account name: Catch the Fire Fighting Fund, Account number: 083153 586660144; Bank: National Bank, Box Hill, Victoria 3128. For further enquiries email-: ctffightingfund@ mooreslegal.com.au # www.lifeministries.org.au |
The three faces of Bali’s evilIndonesian police unveil to the world the remains of those believed responsible for slaughter of innocents [Picture] Suicide brigade: Images of the suspected bombers' severed heads, as released by Indonesian police. The heads were recovered with some lower limbs. All three suspects were aged 20 to 25. KUTA: The three suicide bombers believed to be responsible for the latest Bali attacks may have belonged to a radical militant brigade, Thoifah Muqatilah, or Combat Unit. Terror analyst Sidney Jones yesterday linked the Jemaah Islamiyah splinter group with Malaysian bomb-makers Azahari Husin and Noordin Top, who are accused of a series of attacks, including the 2002 Bali bombings. "I don't know for certain," she said. "I have heard it referred to as a splinter group, but I've also heard they are recruiting from within Jemaah Islamiyah." The three dead bombers - who Indonesian police have called a "suicide brigade" - may have been veterans of vicious ethnic conflicts in areas such as Central Sulawesi and Ambon, where Muslim-Christian bloodletting has raged for years. "They have experience of fighting in those sorts of conflict areas," she said. Police yesterday released images of the three bombers' severed heads, recovered with some lower limbs from the scenes. All three were aged between 20 and 25. "All that is left is their head and feet," said Maj-Gen. Ansyaad Mbai, the country's leading anti-terrorism officer. "We can therefore conclude that the explosives were around their waists."
He said the co-ordinated suicide bombings in tourist cafes represented "a new method" by local terrorists and security precautions needed to be upgraded in response. "It is confirmed by findings in the field and scientific analysis, this case is clearly suicide bombing," he said. Video footage of Saturday's Kuta attack showed a man in a black T-shirt and jeans with something on his back strolling into a restaurant full of diners, then exploding. Bali police chief Mangku Pastika said at least three others were believed to have been involved in the attacks. "There are those who planned it, those making the arrangements, those preparing the bombs," he said. "Those are the ones we must search for." Maj-Gen. Pastika said mobile phone calls from three accomplices might have triggered the explosives carried by the suicide bombers. He said the likely scenario was that the suicide bombers walked into the three targeted restaurants. Three accomplices stationed nearby then called mobile phones rigged to explosives carried by the bombers. The calls would have instantly triggered the deadly bombs. Ms Jones said that Indonesian authorities also needed to look beyond immediate investigations and look deeper into the networks behind the attacks to help prevent similar bombings in the future. I Some Islamic schools have long been regarded as recruiting grounds for terrorists. "It's not a question of closing down the radical pesantrens (Islamic schools)," Ms Jones said. "They need to develop some system of monitoring teaching in all the schools - public and private - so they know something more about what is going on in there." The Government also needed to develop work and social programs to remove radicalised mujahideen from the often impoverished conflict areas and in doing so break down the personal links forged in the fighting units. More than 30 Australian Federal Police have arrived in Bali to join the hunt for the three fugitive accomplices. Indonesian investigators have compiled a list of possible names of the suicide attackers and sent body samples to Jakarta for DNA tests. # |
No peace until West bows to Islamic lawIn a recent interview from prison, the alleged leader of Jemaah Islamiyah defends the work of suicide bombers and praises those who attack Western targets. Abu Bakar Bashir, the cleric regarded as the spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, has praised those who attack Western targets as "mujahid" - those who fight for God - and defended suicide bombings as noble. He says Muslims would fight the West until it agreed to be ruled by Islam. The 66-year-old cleric says Muslims will not stop the fight against America because America will not accept Islamic law. He claims he is against the idea of attacking civilian targets in Muslim countries, such as the Bali attacks, but supports the perpetrators of those attacks because they were acting in self-defence. "If they (the West) want to have peace, they have to accept to be governed by Islam," he says. "America has to stop fighting Islam to make the world more peaceful. They will constantly be enemies. But they'll lose. That was what the Prophet Muhammad has said. Islam must win and Westerners will be destroyed. "But we don't have to make them enemies if they allow Islam to continue to grow so that in the end they will probably agree to be under Islam. If they refuse to be under Islam, it will be chaos. Full stop. "If they want to have peace, they have to accept to be governed by Islam." Despite accusations that he co-founded and is head of JI, which is linked to al-Qaida, and has planned the most lethal terrorist attacks in South-East Asia, Bashir has been convicted only on conspiracy charges in relation to the 2002 attack on Bali nightclubs that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. His 30-month sentence for his role in that bombing was recently reduced by four months and 15 days. Jemaah Islamiyah - which means 'Islamic community' - has staged more than 50 bombings or attempted bombings in Indonesia since April 1999. These included bombings on Christmas Eve 2000 of 38 churches or priests which killed 19 people, a suicide attack on Jakarta's Marriott Hotel in August 2003 which killed 12 and another suicide blast outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta in September 2004, which killed 11 including a suicide bomber. It is also suspected of involvement in bombings in the Philippines, where its followers have attended training camps, and of bomb plots in Thailand and Singapore. In Cipinang prison in Jakarta, Bashir is surrounded by visiting family and students who offer him a daily assortment of news magazines and food, especially dates, his favourites. His disciples tend to be well-educated, often university graduates, and they wash his clothes. Bashir's wife visits him once a month and he offers to share the food she prepared with his prison mates, including Christians. He has seven acolytes who act as his bodyguards, including the perpetrator of the Atrium mall bombing in Jakarta, and a man who blew up the Philippines ambassador's house. Bashir is a lanky, bespectacled Hadrami, a descendent from the Hadramawt region of Yemen, who fasts twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. Dressed in a white robe, red sarong and white cap, he is sitting on a wooden chair, one foot up perched on the edge. He exudes politeness and is all smiles, with a strong voice and easy laugh. [Picture] Fighting talk: Abu Bakar Bashir, the jailed spiritual leader of terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah, has defended suicide bombings as noble. "Everywhere, infidels conspire to ruin Islam," he says. "There is no infidel who wouldn't destroy Islam if they were given even a small chance. Therefore, we have to be vigilant "The infidel country must be visited and spied upon. My argument is that if we don't come to them, they will persecute Islam. They will prevent non-Muslims converting to Islam. "To die in jihad is noble. According to Islam, to die is a necessity because everyone dies. But to seek the best death is what we call 'Husn ul-Khjatimah', and the best way to die is to die as a shaheed (martyr). "The people who carried out the Bali and Marriott bombings all had good intentions, but their calculations are debatable. My view is that we should do bombings in conflict areas not in peaceful areas. We have to target the place of the enemy, not countries where many Muslims live." He says if there are bombings in peaceful areas, it will cause discord and other parties will be involved. "They (the bombers) shouldn't be punished because they defended themselves," he says. "In Ball where 200 people died, it was America's bomb. That was a major attack and Amrozi (the Bali plotter who bought the explosives) doesn't have the capability to do that. "He was surprised to see the explosion. When he said that it was Allah's help he was right but he didn't make that bomb. America did. There is much evidence to this effect and so the police dare not continue their investigations. That bomb was a CIA Jewish bomb." Amrozi was one of Bashir's students and officials believe his teachings may have inspired him to get involved in the plot to bomb the nightclubs. Amrozi had visited Bashir's school in central Java and also brought the cleric to preach at the Islamic school in his home town of Tenggulun in East Java. Bashir said he had sympathy for al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. "I have sympathy for his struggle. Osama is Allah's soldier. I don't agree with all of his actions. He encouraged people to do bombings. I don't agree with that. "He said that JI followed his fatwah. His fatwah said that all Americans must be killed wherever they can be found, because America deserves it. Osama believes in total war. This concept I don't agree with. If this occurs in an Islamic country, the discord will be felt by Muslims. But to attack them in their country America is fine. "Muslims who don't hate America sin. What I mean by America is George Bush's regime. "There is no belief if one doesn't hate America. "There are three ways of attacking: with your hand, your mouth and your heart." He says if Western citizens are not against Islam they should not be targeted. 'There is no example of Islam and infidels, the right and the wrong, living together in peace.' ABU BAKAR BASHIR "Especially the Muslim citizens. They are our brothers. Non-Muslims are also fine as long as they don't bother us," he says. "As long as there is no intention to fight us and Islam continues to grow, there can be peace. This is the doctrine of Islam. All laws must be under Islamic law. That's what America doesn't like to see. There is no example of Islam and infidels, the right and the wrong, living together in peace." But Prime Minister John Howard rejects the view that Muslims and non-Muslims cannot live together in peace. He said that the latest Bali atrocity would bring Australia and Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, closer together. He and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono spoke on Sunday night, agreeing "we owe it to those (Australians and Indonesians) who have lost their lives to ensure that the evil deeds of these evil people do not drive our two countries apart." > EDITORIAL 18 > OPINION 19 # |
Would their god condone these rats?BALI TERROR If the US Government warned its nationals in Bali on Friday of a possible attack, how come Australia did not also know (report, 3/10)? There is obviously a lack of "intelligence" somewhere. John Falconer, Mt Claremont Australians must now be considered easy targets by terrorists. After one murderous bomb in Bali, Australians all flocked back giving the terrorists another opportunity. How many more times will this happen before Australians realise that maybe Indonesia isn't a safe place to be in? Ross Liddelow, Bassendean. With this horrendous attack on freedom is it not time that this great country stopped all forms of financial aid to Indonesia? Enough is enough. When they get their court in order and hang, shoot or electrocute some of these animals we may then reconsider aid to this Third World Islamic country living on the good will of gullible idiots like us. They can't be allowed to use our money to spread their poison. Clive Mayo, Heathridge. While I'm an old hand at holidaying in Bali, the message from that popular spot couldn't possibly be clearer. Don't go to Bali. Lloyd Nelson, Katanning. On Sunday night on TV John Howard commented about the bombings and said these Muslims don't like us because of the way we live and the way we dress, but mainly because we are Christians. If he knows this, why in hell's name did he allow so many of them to live here? Peter Taylor, Rockingham Would their god condone these rats? Once again the Muslim extremists have gone about their cowardly attacks on innocent civilians, mostly their own people. These rats (and I apologise to the rodents) who do not have the courage to face up to their opponents are carrying out these deplorable acts in the name of religion. I cannot believe their god condones this. I think they are the victims of some hate-filled mullah whose sick brain preaches this violence against people who, without a doubt, are by far greater human beings than he will ever be. If captured, these low-lifes should not be imprisoned but, because they think that being a suicide bomber is the path to paradise, let's just help them on their way. Will that happen? No, of course not, we shoot mad dogs but not mad Muslims. We let them live to carry on their campaigns of hate against peace-loving and very innocent men, women and children. Richard Sims, Wilson. We must return There can be little doubt that, however indirectly, Bashir is responsible for the latest Bali bombings. Isn't it astonishing that a creature so filled with evil and hate can inspire such blind loyalty? It seems that there are now three more Muslims exceptionally surprised at their final destination. My heart goes out to those beautiful, gentle Hindu Balinese whose livelihoods are once again placed in jeopardy. These people, although they abhor being labelled Indonesian, have done nothing more than fill the coffers of the Indonesian Government through their hard work in the field of tourism. We must show our support now in their time of need and, in thanks for all the magical times we have spent there, continue to travel to Bali. This is the only way we can fight those who are too ashamed to show their faces. Colin White, Highgate. Another nail Like cockroaches, the terrorist filth that creeps around Bali blowing up innocent people has virtually guaranteed that no sane tourists would consider that location as a holiday destination. I have visited Bali many times and I believe I know the mind-set of the people. Most Balinese will take advantage of you if they can but, in general, they are decent people just trying to eke out an existence. They are the pawns in this disgusting religious and political power play. Every tourist killed or injured represents yet another nail in the coffin for Bali. Pity. It was a nice place to visit - once. G. R. Simpson, Kingsley. Psychopaths The cowardly psychos have hit Bali again. I wish the media would stop referring to these nutters who blow up and maun innocent people in the name of their pathetic religious interpretations as simply "terrorists". Descriptions such as murderous cowards, spineless killers or poltroons should be used much more extensively. They are lock-up-for-life, bullet-in-the-head mental cases. These people are not normal. Invariably they are severely disturbed psychopathic cowards who have latched on to a religion in an attempt to justify or hide their mental state, their immature delusions and hatred and their childlike insecurities. We must describe them as they really are and we must keep going to Bah. To stop travelling is to lose. Phillip Achurch, West Perth. New priorities Perhaps the latest bombings in Bah will make the Balinese authorities rethink then: priorities on crime and punishment. They are severe on drug trafficking involving Westerners but so far have been rather lenient on people involved in bombings causing death and injury to Western tourists and their own kind, not to mention the damage to buildings and the harm done to the tourism industry in that country. By all means crack down on those guilty of drug dealing, but until they are seen to impose realistic penalties, including the death penalty, on anyone found to be involved in the killing of innocent people, this terrorist behaviour is likely to continue. Noel Benporatti, Karratha. PM is right In view of the latest Bali bombing, I'll back John Howard and his so-called draconian laws all the way. Civil libertarians, take a long step back and have a really good look at your ideas in view of this outrage so near our homeland. Maxine Green, Dianella [Picture] Mr Howard Tell us the truth John Howard will tell Australia that Saturday's bombings in Bah happened for the same reason the original Bali bombings happened - Indonesian anger at what we did in aiding East Timor. George Bush in the US will tell Americans that this latest bombing is further proof that the Islamic world is jealous of our technology and our advanced, democratic lifestyle. Mr Howard will not admit that both these bombings, as were the bombings in Spain and England, are the direct result of the alliance with America and its political machinations in the Arab world, specifically Iraq. Blind Freddy can see what is happening and it will not stop happening until someone tells Australia the truth. America has blown it big time and as long as we are its allies, we will be under attack. When will we be told the truth of why events are happening? Are our leaders so afraid that we cannot handle the truth? Tim Johnson, Leeming |
What do these sick people want?BALI TERROR What do these sick people want? Perhaps the time has finally arrived for the Australian Government to take some action in the aftermath of yet another "demonstration" of the bilious world of Islam. Our Government must sit down with the engineers of these sickening atrocities and simply ask them to clarify precisely what they want. Yes, I know this may appear to be somewhat conciliatory but that is not the point. We really do need to know what these loathsome creatures desire from us. Once we have been furnished with their requirements, we can then determine whether such demands are acceptable or otherwise. I suspect there would be a negative response and that is when our Government could take some decisive and definitive action. This would take the form of explaining to these vermin that we don't want to be "friends" any more. Friendships are built on trust, understanding, generosity and a willingness to compromise. We have been all these things in a one-way process and the time has come to go our own ways. They really don't like us, but that's OK. We won't send them any more of that nasty Western money and we promise not to go there on holiday ever again. They can live their lives exactly as they wish and we can do the same, both safe in the knowledge that there will be no interference of any description. Perhaps we could be "friends" again some time in the future. Hope is a wonderful thing. Michael Crosthwaite, Craigie. Let's wake up Tim Johnson (Letters, 4/10) attributes the Bali bombings to Australia's acquiescence in American foreign policy. Indeed, the anti-American Left has made an opportunistic convenience out of jihadism with its virulent rants gaining strength with each bombing. Jihadism, however, predates the policies they refer to and the leftist movement itself. They seem to be saying that our policies must be tailored to not aggravate extremists. This is stupid and immoral. Mr Johnson is serving up a leftist pretence that Western policy is what lies at the heart of jihadism when it has its roots in much deeper things. I agree with John Howard when he says that we can't buy immunity by doing nothing and some people need to wake up to the fact that Australia has enemies - unless they want to convert to Islam, of course. Matthew Lague, Roleystone. Stop carping We should not be surprised that violence is increasing in the world. It is a psychological reality that what we focus on we tend towards; what we feed on we become. The media thrive on the frenzy of reporting the blood and gore and human misery that results from violence. There are endless talk-shows mindlessly analysing the details that are absolutely irrelevant and are partially responsible for its increase. Governments speak gravely about fighting terror while contributing more to war and oppression and inequality and death than they do to peace, liberation, fairness and life. We reap what we sow. Maybe, instead of our pathetic carping about the terror of these times, we ought to set about producing the bliss for which we were designed, for which we all desperately long and which, incidentally, is the only possibility for the ending of these callous attacks on innocent humanity. If there is ever to be lasting peace, it will be built only on generosity - on justice, mercy and humility. John White, Toodyay. Insane policy I hope the Prime Minister and Amanda Vanstone will have their attention drawn to Peter Taylor's letter (4/10) in which he refers to John Howard's recent comment that "these Muslims don't like us because of the way we live and the way we dress, but mainly because we are Christians". Mr Taylor asks: "Why in hell's name did he allow so many of them to live here?" I couldn't count the number of people I've heard asking the same question. We can only conclude that past and present governments have implemented immigration and refugee policies which are bordering on insanity. Anyone who imagines, even for a moment, that you can bring in hordes of people from vastly different cultures, races and religions to a Western democracy like Australia and expect everyone to live in peace and harmony is totally out of touch with reality. F.Riley, Nollamara. Howard's fault Your front page on Monday graphically depicted the horror of terrorist bombings and of how inexcusable such actions are. However, it must be said that Australians are dying from these attacks due to the policies of John Howard and his Government which have put Australians in the firing line on arguments based on lies and deceit and a slavish desire to follow the Americans into any manure that it asks of us. I hope that the Australian press has the gumption and independence of mind to continue tackling Mr Howard over this. Barry Christy, Albany. It's too late In the wake of the latest Bali bombings I urge the Australian people not to direct their anger against Islamic migrants in Australia. It is too late for that. It is time for the Australian people to stand up and show their anger and disgust at our illustrious Federal politicians who allowed these ethnic groups to migrate here in the first place. It is time to express in the strongest way possible our disgust at our Government's waste of taxpayers' money propping up those countries where these murderous terrorists are bred and brain washed into believing what they are doing is right. R.E. Smith, Osborne Park. Misguided God forgive them. Terrorists are people who have been indoctrinated, misinformed and misguided by ignorant, so-called religious leaders who have no concept of what God or Allah really stands for. God or Allah clearly indicates they should place no other gods before Him, which is in fact what they are doing. They accept without question the words and orders of their fanatical and ignorant leaders as being the absolute truth. Islam stands for submission to God, not to fanatics who believe they have the right to destroy that which God or Allah created. Brigitta Suba, Perth. Make it safe Ameer Ali has described the latest terrorist attack as "the evil hands of hatred". How true. These terrorists have no faith in God, in themselves or in humanity. Australians now need to say to the Balinese people that we will not visit you unless you make your home a safe place. Feeling sorry for people creates apathy. Fighting for their own survival will make the Balinese people stronger. Maureen Haynes, High Wycombe. No chance Your headline on Monday said: Muslims plead: don't blame us. I just have to say this. Did the victims of the bombings get a chance to plead "don't kill us for the sake of someone else's jihad"? I thought not. So why should we care what kind of Muslim you are, any more than your bombers cared what kind of infidel they killed? If you want to make a difference, start with your religious leaders. We'll notice it when you do. T.Russ, Parkwood It's time to step over the Australian line I agree with the Federal Government's Muslim advisory body leading member Dr Ameer Ali's statement that it is "time to draw a line" on the new terror laws (report, 1/10). Now that you have made the statement, it is time for you to act. Either you are Australian or you are not. If you consider yourself Australian and support our beliefs, you are welcome. If not, step over the line and leave this country. Your statement supporting resistance against foreign forces in Iraq, including Australian soldiers, is an offence to us true Australians who support our troops. I am a veteran who has served this country in conflict and I find your view extremely offensive. J. Parkinson, Wanneroo. Something to live for If suicide bombing is a guaranteed entry to heaven, why then are the older leaders of all these groups not leading by example? If we are to overcome this philosophy, should we not be offering them something to live for, not just to die for? Materialism and the Western way is not something to live or die for. P. Noble, Wandi. False promise? The Australian Muslim leaders' denunciation of terrorist atrocities in the name of Islam is to be commended. Now we can expect them to press for the issue of a fatwah to serve notice to would-be terrorists that the promise of paradise with all its delights will be denied to them. Dick Percsy, Swan View. Bad response When people speak of others as rats, cockroaches and mad dogs who don't think of us as human, aren't they expressing the very hatred that they condemn (Letters, 4/10)? If this is our response, then who wins? Janice O'Keeffe, Coolbinia. [Picture] Abu Bakar Bashir WE DISAGREE He has no credibility Abu Bakar Bashir, the Muslim cleric who has almost served his 18-month sentence for his part in the murder of 202 Indonesians and foreign tourists, has made an astounding claim. He states: "Everywhere infidels conspire to ruin Islam. There is no infidel who wouldn't destroy Islam if they were given even a small chance" (No peace until West bows to Islamic law, 4/10). If this is the case, why hasn't Mecca, Damascus or Tehran been destroyed with nuclear weapons? From there every big city and religious site of significance to Muslims could be systematically obliterated with nuclear, biological or chemical weapons until all resistance to Western demands was ceased. There are five "infidel" countries with the capacity to do exactly that and yet they haven't done so. If Abu Bakar Bashir is the best spokesman that Asian Islamofascists could find, they have a problem. They will never have any credibility. Alan Wells, Wembley. Get real, Mr Howard John Howard may very well reject the view that Muslims and non-Muslims cannot live together in peace (report, 4/10), but he does so at Australia's peril. Philosophically, theologically and practically, Muslims reject that view, as stated in the Koran and in your report. Prime Minister, please discard your politically correct blinkers and look reality in the face. Ron Brolsma, Kelmscott. Appalling pictures I was appalled to see the disturbing and degrading pictures of the alleged Bali bombers in your newspaper (4/10). This is sensationalist and unethical news reporting. It is important that at times like this we take a moment to try to understand from a compassionate view why acts like this are undertaken. There is no need for us to stoop as low as those who commit these heinous crimes through making them international stars. Surely this incites only more hatred and encourages those who might be contemplating following in their footsteps by showing just how much coverage and effect these acts have on the desired target group. I ask you to consider genuinely, what purpose, what good does publishing these pictures serve? There is no good in a decision like this. It is disrespectful to the dead, their families and the families of those affected - and to any human being who understands the concept of respect for others. I pity you who thinks a choice like this was positive. You should be ashamed. D. Gillam, Scarborough. Today's text We are rewarded or punished for what we say and do. Fools think they know what is best, but a sensible person listens to advice. -- PROVERBS 12:14-15. (The Bible for Today). From the Bible Society. |
When will the West wake up to these people?Publicly, John Howard is acknowledging solidarity with the Indonesian Government. Privately, I imagine, our Government ministers would be gnashing their collective teeth in fury at the failure of Indonesia's president to act decisively. Eventually, after more atrocities, maybe people will realise that these fanatics are irrelevant: countries that take a firm stand don't have a problem. Bashir has said his immediate goal is to have all of South-East Asia as one Islamic state - that includes Singapore. Has anybody noticed there is not a peep out of Islamic militants in Singapore? Lee Kwan Yew declared a state of emergency to deal with the communist threat back in the early 60s. This state of emergency has never been repealed. It gives the Singaporean Government the right to lock up people who are seen as a threat for as long as it likes, with no trial. "Oh no!" I hear the civil libertarians saying. "Such powers are unthinkable!" After a few bombs have gone off in Australia perhaps the idea won't be so unthinkable. Kelvin White, Bayswater. Xenophobia The terrorist attacks in Bali were perpetrated by a group that is without a single moral or redeeming virtue. It makes me sick, almost as sick as I felt when reading the letters by R. E. Smith and T. Russ (5/10). Comments such as "why should we care what kind of Muslim you are?" display the same ignorance that fuels these abhorrent attacks. My Muslim friends, even those who "should never have been allowed to migrate here in the first place", suffer shame and embarrassment because some Australians continue to generalise and cast all Muslims in a way that only thinly veils their own racial intolerance. The West Australian's lack of responsibility in publishing such letters at a volatile time sets multiculturalism back three paces in favour of xenophobia. Brendyn Nelson, Como. Media to blame Day by day it becomes more and more evident that, worldwide, terrorists have a huge asset at their beck and call It is, simply, the media, both print and electronic. Why the media become so hysterical over an event caused by terrorism is really beyond comprehension to any thinking person. The terrorists absolutely love it. The media are a deadly weapon in their arsenal. They let everyone know who they are and what they do and, worst of all, the publicity gets people to fear them. Parents know that when a child is "acting up" the way to quieten things is to ignore it. The media could take a lesson there, but would it sell newspapers and fill hours of TV? No. G.J. Singleton, Attadale. I'll do it Abu Bakar Bashir says the bombings will stop when the world agrees to be ruled by Islam. If Islam ever becomes the stronghold it believes it should be I'll blow myself up. T. Theisinger, Kenwick. I DISAGREE [It's not the Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus or Christians] I am getting rather tired of hearing the civil libertarians and Muslim leaders in Australia saying the new anti-terrorism laws unfairly target the Muslim community. Perhaps these people could answer this question: who is responsible for terrorism and suicide bombings in the Philippines, Britain, Indonesia, Egypt, Spain, Thailand, Pakistan, Chechnya, Russia, the US, Israel, Iraq and African countries? No, it's not the Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus or Christians, it is Islamic fundamentalists. Now, with the latest Bali bombings, not aimed at military buildings and personnel but innocent women, children and tourists in restaurants, we need to be ever more vigilant here in Australia to prevent these maniacs preaching their hatred in their mosques. Russell Cox, Meadow Springs. BALI TERROR Don't be fooled by their excuses Terrorists strike again and once more there are people blaming our Government and the US for our presence in Iraq. When will they learn that these sick, depraved individuals do not care about military operations in Iraq? That is a convenient excuse for them to continue killing and maiming what they hate most - Westerners, people who live their own way and will never follow Islam. That is why they kill us and blow us up. They hate our way of life. They live among us and look down on us because of the way we live. If US and Australian forces were not in Iraq, they would use some other excuse to kill us. Do not be fooled. These disgusting people like to kill. They will not get a better place in heaven with their Allah. They will rot in hell. Melissa Watson, High Wycombe. Keep them out of Western countries I agree with F. Riley (Insane policy, 5/10). If Muslims don't like us because of the way we live and because we are Christians, why are they coming here and why are we letting them in? It is hard to fathom why anyone with such an extremist religion as Islam would choose to live in a Christian country. There may be some peaceful people among them, but even they can be duped into sheltering terrorists. People from such radically different cultures should not be allowed into a Western country. Peace and harmony is impossible. Norma Lambert, Tuart Hill. Don't legitimise these assassins Why do we dignify the heinous acts of these men with the term "bomber"? This implies a legitimate state of war, such as a declared state of hostilities between two nations. These men are assassins. Even the word terrorist has a certain respectability when applied to a freedom fighter like Nelson Mandela. Craig Leeman, Craigie. They would have shot him So, Abu Bakar Bashir is to be released soon. This nutter who wants to take us back to the Dark Ages and who rejoices in his part in having killed so many innocent people and in destroying the economy of Bali gets out after only a short sentence. Pity he wasn't carrying drugs - they would have shot him by now. Craig Barrell, Duncraig. Don't play into their hands Sorry, Colin White (We must return, 4/10), by returning to Bali you are actually playing right into the hands of the terrorists and making the Balinese people more subservient. The Balinese need to fight for their livelihoods, which they will do if the tourists stay away. Maureen Haynes, High Wycombe. Thanks for the front-page warning Given the potentially offensive nature of the pictures on page 4 (The three faces of Bali's evil, 4/10), The West Australian is to be commended for providing the warning on the front page. Those people who are more sensitive to the atrocities committed by these men can leave the page alone. J. Riessen, Ballajura. Today's text I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn 't like the peace that this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid. -- JOHN 14:27 (The Bible for Today). From the Bible Society. |
Show Muslims the truth[Picture] Abu Bakar Bashir All Christians must pray and make sure that this deception is lifted from the Muslim people. God loves all, and since He is a God of love, it could never be His will that the West, or any nation, should ever capitulate to Islamic rule, or any rule for that matter, by acts of hatred and terrorism. This was the folly of the Crusades and the Inquisition. It will be our love for them, and our teaching of Biblical and democratic principles, that will bring them into the truth that will set them free from the lie that says the Muslim can never live at peace with us, the "infidel". As a nation we must stand and pray to preserve our Judeo-Christian heritage at all costs, yet extend the knowledge of our God through our love and acceptance of the Muslim people without having to compromise any of our beliefs to accommodate their misguided belief that the whole world must surrender to Islam. Pastor Alan Wells, Yokine. Rewrite Bible There comes a time when we have to say enough is enough, let's get rid of the reason that these bombs are killing our brothers, sisters, mums, dads, sons and daughters. The reason is religion. Whether it be the Koran or the Bible, it does not matter. Both have been the catalyst for the murder of innocents for centuries. I can hear the outcry from the different sides as I am typing this. Some will say it is the interpretation of these books that is the problem. Sorry, but all the "thou shalt not this" and "thou shalt not that" just confuses most people. If everyone understood these books we wouldn't need religious leaders calling on people to murder others or call for jihads. It is time that a spade is called a spade. These people are not terrorists, they are murderers, nothing more, nothing less, and anybody who supports them in any way, shape or form should be treated as an accessary. Teaching people different interpretations of the Koran and the Bible should also be a crime. These publications need to be rewritten so that everyone can understand them and understand the intent of them. I am sick of these religious fanatics, both Islamic and Christian, murdering our children. If there truly is a God or an Allah, I am sure he would be utterly disgusted by what religion has done to this world. Dean Devenish, Golden Bay. Another way Residents of Kuta have suffered greatly from the bombings. Once a crowded area of lively tourists, it is now a temporary resting place for mutilated bodies. I am a 15-year-old girl now deciding whether or not the Simpsons at the usual time slot of 6pm is a more appropriate show to watch, rather than the nightly news. This way, I won't have to realise how serious terrorism has become and how it is all around us. My opinion may not be as important as those of my seniors, but I believe as human beings we can do more to prevent these cowardly acts. I read the interview with Islamic spiritual leader Abu Bakar Bashir (4/10). I could not believe that this man would order his followers to kill innocent people because they do not follow the Islamic religion. I was disgusted when he said "if they want to have peace, they have to accept to be governed by Islam". Does the world not allow different religions to express themselves without violence against each other? There must be another way. We can solve our differences without murdering innocent people. We are all individuals who inhabit this Earth. If only terrorists could realise this. What are they doing to the world that my generation will grow up in? Monique Pesa, Duncraig. |
Sheikh sought TV funds from banned groupBEN MARTIN SYDNEY The radical cleric who took money from WA Muslims for a shady Islamic broadcasting network also sought deals with a charity banned for channelling money to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network. Sheikh Khalid Yasin, who visited Perth this year delivering firebrand lectures and seeking donations to set up an Islamic broadcaster, was first exposed as a fraud in an investigation by The West Australian in August. But new revelations, to be aired tomorrow by the Nine Network's Sunday program, suggest the charismatic American sheikh has duped donors into funding the construction of a broadcasting centre which does not exist. Sheikh Yasin has distributed glossy brochures promoting the high-tech broadcast centre but the Nine Network claims the facility does not exist and the brochure is a work of fiction. The West Australian understands ASIO officials have investigated his activities and US immigration authorities have monitored his movements. The 59-year-old Vietnam veteran, who converted to Islam after hearing a speech by Malcolm X, told the Nine Network that he watched the September 11 attacks on his home city of New York from a hotel in Saudi Arabia. He was there to discuss his plan for an Islamic broadcaster with officials from Islamic charity Al-Haramain. But six months later, the US Government ordered the charity be shut down, claiming it was funding terrorism. Insiders sympathetic to al-Qaida were accused of skimming big amounts of money from the charity and using them to pay for terror attacks. A later investigation by US Treasury officials showed a direct link between the US branch of the charity and bin Laden and accused it of money laundering and being involved in the Chechen conflict. The program exposes Sheikh Yasin as a conspiracy theorist who blames Western governments for spreading AIDS among Muslims as a form of population control and says he understands why Muslims become suicide bombers. He also makes the extraordinary claim that the World Trade Center attacks were carried out by "very sophisticated entities, other than some Middle Eastern guys on an airplane" and the building was rigged with explosives from the inside. Sheikh Yasin's resume, which was to be used to apply for a working visa so he could preach and raise funds in Australia, has been exposed as bogus. WA groups involved in supporting Sheikh Yasin's tour refused to comment yesterday. # |
THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN OCTOBER 8-9 2005 – 18 OPINION
THE RIGHT QUESTIONSJOE Frost spoke powerfully for the whole nation when he addressed a 1000-strong crowd at a ceremony of remembrance at Newcastle's Sacred Heart Cathedral for the victims of the senseless October 1 bombing atrocities at Kuta and Jimbaran Bay. "Why did this happen?" Joe demanded as he fought back tears. "Apparently it's about religion ... But we were eating dinner on the beach with our friends and families. Who does that offend? Who doesn't eat dinner with family and friends? It's the most common thing in the world." All Australians will share Joe's sense of moral outrage over the bombings. The 20-year-old was among those eating dinner under the stars with families and friends on a deceptively peaceful Bali night when three suicide bombers exploded devices packed with shrapnel, killing 22, cruelly injuring more than 100, and shattering the innocence of innumerable young lives. The bombs that murdered Jennifer Williamson and Colin and Fiona Zwolinski, all of Newcastle, and Busselton teenager Brendan Fitzgerald, left Joe almost unscarred in a physical, but not in an emotional, sense. Like him, many Australians will have spent the days since the resort island's second terrorist attack in three years struggling to comprehend Jemaah Islamiah's slaughtering innocents and ruining families, apparently to tear apart Bali's tourist economy, undermine confidence in Indonesian democracy and further the al-Qa'ida-linked terror network's aim of installing an Islamic theocracy to rule the archipelago. The awful irony is that it was drugs, not bombs, that were worrying the parents of a group of Newcastle teenagers planning a surfing holiday to Bali. Anxious following Schapelle Corby's high-profile conviction in Bali on drug charges, they decided to accompany their youngsters to the island as chaperones and banned them from partying at Kuta's famous nightclubs. The real danger, it is now clear, was not in young Australians' propensity for enjoying themselves, but in the minds of fanatics motivated by hatred of the West and inspired by the lie of martyrdom. This harsh reality was driven home in comments made by jailed JI leader Abu Bakar Bashir in an interview last month and published in The Australian this week, in which he sanctioned jihadists using nuclear weapons to further their murderous ends and talked of a clash of civilisations that would not end until Islam conquered and ruled the West. Despite the brutality of this unequivocal statement, it remains almost impossible as we go about our everyday lives, travelling to work or school, sharing meals with family and friends, celebrating in a restaurant or taking an occasional holiday, to understand that fundamentalist Islam regards ordinary Australians as mortal enemies, fodder for its terrible designs. One notable difference between the aftermath of this month's attacks and the Bali bombings that left 202 dead three years ago is that on this occasion even the left/liberal commentariat has backed away from blaming everything but the perpetrators. As with the battle of ideas that followed September 11, 2001, the targets for blame for the October 2002 atrocities in Bali included the victims (immoral, ugly Western tourists), global poverty, the US, the war on terrorism, George W. Bush, John Howard, Israel or all the above. Perhaps the horror of July's London Underground bombings and Bali 2 has finally convinced this clique that no justification exists for spilling innocent blood for evil ends. The latest bombings raise another important question: is Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono too soft on terrorism? The President has failed to ban JI or even admit to its existence as an organised entity despite the blood spilled at its hands in Bali; has allowed Bashir's jail sentence for his role in the 2002 bombings to be reduced by 4 1/2 months as part of a general holiday amnesty; and is about to allow a further 30-day cut to his term, over Australia's protests. Attention has focused on Indonesian authorities' success in tracking down most of the terrorists responsible for the attacks in Bali three years ago and, more recently, in Jakarta. However, media reports that Dr Yudhoyono has failed to clamp down on intolerance – for instance, on the criminal behaviour of Islamic thugs in closing down Christian churches – are disturbing. In the battle for the hearts and minds of Indonesian Muslims, it is essential the moderate majority prevails. To this end, it is more important than ever that Australia stands by its northern neighbour. As Joe Frost told the congregation: "These are our darkest hours, the worst days of so many of our lives. This sad and sickening act has torn us open. But we'll stand together and we'll make it through." # |
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[Free-for-all immigration needs nipping in the bud]Much is written on "multiculturalism", mostly to brainwash ordinary Aussie battlers about its great efficacy for their and their country's welfare. That's propaganda because it allows many immigrants, and most importantly the Muslim element, in indulge in an arrogant declaration of opinion to be forced on Australians, like it or not. We must stop this influx of a culture foreign to our sovereignty and ideals. Even now, draconian laws are being enacted because of this blight, hence this free-for-all immigration needs to be nipped in the bud by the Canberra politicians whose duty to Australia is being warped by outside pressure groups. Gordon V. Coates, Claremont Change comes from within and no country likes outsiders to interfere in its internal affairs. We should emphasise a peaceful coexistence with Indonesia rather than see ourselves as the great helping friend they don't want us to be. Hubert Schaub, Mullaloo. Terrorists win as freedoms are lost In fact, it is easier to do so than to appear to be doing nothing to "protect the public from terrorism". However, as we are already finding, it is also convenient and easy to use such laws to repress dissent and to persecute individuals and groups who speak out. We only have to look at the arbitrary incarceration and deportation of the American protester who was labelled a "threat to security" yet was here to teach methods of peaceful protest. Then we saw the spectacle in Britain of the 82-year-old man who dared to heckle Jack Straw at a public gathering. He was detained under the new terrorism laws simply to shut him up and get him out of the meeting so Mr Straw could continue his speech. Very convenient in both cases. It is all very well for John Howard to assert that these laws are intended only for people who are "terror suspects" and will not be used against "ordinary citizens". However, if you give police the powers of arbitrary arrest and detainment, you are expecting those police to make a judgment about who is a "suspect". The police have a job to do and if part of their job is to keep order at a public meeting, it will be easier for them to keep that Mr Howard order using these new laws. The police will use the laws at their discretion, and their ideas about who is a "terror suspect" might be various and changing. Anyone involved in some kind of public protest will be at risk of arbitrary arrest and imprisonment for up to two weeks, without any of the rights under arrest we have had in the past. I am sure Education Minister Brendan Nelson will be relieved to have these laws passed. He won't be spooked by student demonstrations when attending university functions - the police will have the power to tidy up the campus and make his passage dissent-free. So much for protecting our democracy from the forces of terror and tyranny. The terrorists have won - we have ditched the principles on which so-called Western civilisation was founded. Jill Lyall,Lockridge. ISLAM [Converting by sword their historic fanaticsm] Since the establishment of Islam, its adherents have converted by the sword. They have killed, maimed and terrorised, all in the name of Allah. They firmly believe all other faiths are anathema, evil and to be destroyed - all in the name of Allah. For several centuries they did not pursue their murderous activities because they did not have the finances. They had, through then-own fault in not educating their ordinary people, become ignorant, depressed economically and unable to develop a good economy. Then oil was discovered in many areas of what is now Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf of Arabia. Money poured in and with it the innate fanaticism of Islam started to increase. Now these Islamic leaders are ready to return to their historic beliefs of "conquer by the sword, convert by the sword". They educate their young to become "martyrs" for Allah. They tell them it is their divine mission to kill and if they kill themselves, they will receive a wonderful reward. These Islamic leaders convince themselves they will rule the world. Non-Islamics must stop these evil fanatics. One way to show an idea as evil is to continually ridicule it, to shut down all other recruiting outlets such as their schools and to enforce a liberal education for all young Islamics in non-Islamic countries. Mary Gregg, Australind. |