Posted on 06/15/2006 5:11:26 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
RADICAL Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir yesterday said the Bali bombing victims were destined to die by God and their families should now convert to Islam.
He also called on Prime Minister John Howard to become a Muslim or burn in hell.
Mr Howard has written to Indonesia's president to express disgust at Bashir.
Just 24 hours after being released from prison for his part in the 2002 bombings, Bashir said becoming Muslims would give the bereaved relatives "salvation and peace".
"For the Bali bomb families, those who are non-Muslims, my suggestion is just convert to Islam so they can be saved and find some peace from Allah," he said at his Ngruki Islamic boarding school near the city of Solo.
He said the families of the dead should understand that they were killed by bombs, not bombers, and that it was "God's will".
Mr Howard told President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that Indonesia had a responsibility under United Nations rules to freeze Bashir's assets and to ensure he was not allowed access to arms.
"It is important that the Indonesian Government monitor very closely the activities of Mr Bashir and implement fully the obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1267," Mr Howard wrote.
"You would nonetheless appreciate the strength of the Australian people's reactions, particularly in view of his links to the 2002 Bali bombings.
"His inflammatory statements on release were affronting to the families of victims of all Australians."
But back in Java, Bashir was telling followers Mr Howard should convert to Islam if he wanted to be "safe".
"If John Howard wants to be safe and avoid going to hell, I suggest he convert to Islam," he told a crowd of followers.
He dismissed Australian and US descriptions of him as a terrorist leader, accusing Western media of "twisting stories" about his beliefs.
He said the Bali bombers did the right thing in defending Islam but had been wrong to resort to violence.
"Their goal was to defend Islam and Muslim people being slaughtered by America and infidels everywhere," he said to cheers.
Bashir was released from a Jakarta jail on Wednesday after serving 25 months for his association with the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people including 88 Australians.
He denies any involvement in terrorism or allegations that he is the spiritual head of militant group Jemaah Islamiah.
Yesterday, Bashir praised Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the head of al-Qaida in Iraq, who was killed in a US air strike last week.
"I didn't know him personally, but I heard he was a good leader," he said of the man blamed for some of Iraq's bloodiest terrorist attacks.
The United Nations yesterday cancelled a contract to deliver earthquake aid through an Islamic group founded by Bashir after a request from Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer.
In Jakarta, Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said authorities could not arrest Bashir for "his thinking and opinions", but said they would act if he broke the law.
It's time that someone out there start speeding up the trip, for guys like that. It would save a lot of trouble, down the road.
Yeah, they are a religion of peace..*rolls eyes*
Did he mention how many Virgins are being offered to convert?
Yes! Become a Muslim and move to Muslim country. After all, the Muslim nations of the Earth are shining beacons of enlightenment and cutting edge development!
Time to drop a five hundred pounder on this evil buzzard.
"He said the families of the dead should understand that they were killed by bombs, not bombers,..."
Wow. I suppose that is one way to look at it. Hopefully some day a nasty ole bullet will find a way into this guys head and then we can all blame the bullet.
Ah, so when you explain it THAT WAY ...
So, if we simply nuke these people; that would then mean we are blameless, as that too would be God's will.
This little pig turd seems to know a lot about hell--isn't that where home is for him?
I wish I still lived in Indonesia and did the hit.
It is time to hold these incendiary, radical clerics responsible for the mayhem they foment.
These vermin need to be hunted down and exterminated.
Or hopefully from a few Australians...
The phrase "Terminate with extreme prejudice" comes to mind while reading about this "Religion of peace" a$$hole.
Religion, the opium for the people!
Man, this guy is really high on this crap!
He is a man in need of ...an accident..
Oh, I'll bet they would manage it somehow if he called himself a Christian. ;)
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