Posted on 03/24/2008 7:04:37 PM PDT by blam
Bali bombing cleric attacks western tourists
By Nick Squires in Sydney
Last Updated: 1:56am GMT 25/03/2008
Western tourists in Indonesia are "maggots, snakes and worms" who should be beaten up, the alleged mastermind of the 2002 Bali bombings has told hardline Islamic followers.
Abu Bakar Bashir, the cleric who was convicted of conspiracy over the Bali bombings but later cleared and released from prison after 26 months, said the island resort had been overrun by scantily-clad tourists who deserved to be attacked for their immorality.
"Worms, snakes, maggots... those are animals that crawl. Take a look at Bali... those infidel tourists. They are naked," he said.
Bashir, the alleged spiritual head of the Jemaah Islamiah terrorist organisation, made the comments in a speech to an Islamic youth organisation in eastern Java last October.
Tourists who are disrespectful of Islamic customs should be lynched, he said, adding: "If there are infidels here, then beat them up. Do not tolerate them."
The sermon was videotaped by an Australian university student who was conducting research into Islamic boarding schools in the region.
Bashir told his followers to reject Indonesian laws that contradicted Islamic law, and said that signs should be placed in Muslim areas to tell western tourists to dress modestly.
He also stated that young Indonesians should "aspire to a martyrdom death", adding: "The young must be first at the frontline - don't hide at the back. You must be at the front, die as martyrs and all your sins will be forgiven."
Analysts said the speech showed that Bashir had been emboldened by his release from prison.
The bomb attacks killed 202 people, including 26 Britons and 88 Australians. Despite a fall in visitor numbers afterwards, more than 70,000 Britons went to the island last year.
Stephen Smith, Australia's foreign minister, said: "The reported comments by Abu Bakar Bashir are consistent with his well-known views and nothing more than his familiar bigotry."
Mr Smith said that Australia continued to co-operate strongly with Indonesia on counter-terrorism.
However, the department of foreign affairs, advises Australians to think carefully before travelling to Indonesia, including Bali, due to a "very high" threat of terrorist attack.
Meanwhile. three of the convicted Bali bombers, who are languishing on death row, have edged closer to facing execution after their lawyer resigned.
The lawyer withdrew from a last-ditch appeal launched by Amrozi Nurhasyim, the so-called "smiling assassin", his brother Ali Ghufron (alias Mukhlas) and Iman Samudra.
The trio played key roles in the bombings and have already been convicted of terrorism.
Bashir has warned of retribution should they be executed by firing squad.
Is Abu Bakr Bashir old enough to have been around back in the day when the young women of Bali were legendary for going around au “girls-gone-wild?”
Now this is going to piss off some people.
Tourist bucks are very important to Indonesia and the government is not going to take kindly to this idiot’s provocations.
Granted, he should already be dead by firing squad, but I can understand why they treated him with kid gloves before. I bet that he doesn’t get a pass on this one, though.
Bali is Hindu not Muslim...what is that croc talking about?
He is imposing his evil will on the predominantly peaceful Hindu population.
You are referring to the LeGong dancers. Absolutely beautiful traditional dancers wearing slightly less than Britney Spears on a date.
I wonder of this cleric belongs to the UCC Trinity Church that Rev. Wright headed?
Religion of Peace alert. An meanwhile, back in Europe, they are having a national crisis because a short film is about to be released that dares to call Islam violent.
Isn’t one of Bali’s great historical legends one concerning the nobles and warriors of the island committing mass suicide rather than submit to conquest after being defeated in a battle by the invading Portugese?
You’d think a few of them might decide to get together and do something about invading islamists.
Imposing their evil will on others is what Muslims are all about.
This is news?
And, of course, they quickly eliminated the Communist threat in Indonesia, as well as the Chinese threat, and for Bali, the Hindu threat.
I think Bali has had a slight Moslem majority ever since then, and the Communist threat has definitely been minimized.
(Just to remind folks the place could be worse ~ as unbelievable as that might seem).
muslim = maggot
so there ahole!
IIRC, the story is from the West Indies / Caribbean and the people the Taino of the Arawak persuasion.
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