So says the Imam Samudra, not me. Of course, the learned analysts will say that the Imam Samudra doesn’t understand his own religion, which is actually quite easily compatible with democracy. Perhaps that is so, but the learned analysts continue to posit it as an established fact, without ever bothering actually to establish it. Meanwhile, Muslims who agree with the Imam Samudra continue relatively unimpeded to make recruits among peaceful Muslims.
And in the West, the learned analysts don’t even allow “Islamic” to be used in conjunction with “terrorism” or “Fascism,” as if it is non-Muslim Westerners who have made the equation, when actually it is Muslims who have done so. Watch Steve Emerson shredding Alan Colmes on this very point here.
“Bombers ready to die,” from the Sydney Morning Herald (thanks to David):
The three death row Bali bombers say they are ready to die and won’t be asking for a presidential pardon.
They also expressed delight at the recent controversy surrounding their impending executions, saying the more pain they cause the greater their reward in heaven.
“I’m very happy especially after hearing that John Howard is very regretful, very angry with us,” the so-called smiling assassin, Amrozi bin Nurhasyim said today at the island prison where he is held.
“The more he is angry, the more I will get rewards from god, right?
“The more I make infidels angry, the more I will get my reward, so I’m more relaxed.”
Islamic militants Amrozi, his elder brother Ali Ghufron (alias Mukhlas) and Imam Samudra were today briefly let out of their isolation cells at Batu Prison, on the island of Nusakambangan in Central Java, to pray for the holy Islamic day Idul Fitri.
They walked the 100 metres to the prison mosque, At-Taubah, unshackled, in their best robes, to pray with other inmates – murderers, terrorists and drug dealers – for today’s holiday which marks the end of the fasting month Ramadan.
But as the one-hour ceremony wound up, the three began shouting “god is great”, rallying support from other prisoners, before they were told to stop by the guards.
The trio could face execution within weeks for their roles in the October 2002 Bali nightclub bombings, which killed 202 people including 88 Australians.
[…]
The three key players in the bombings remain unrepentant, although they apologised to Muslim victims of the terrorist attacks, to mark the holy day, in which Muslims traditionally apologise for their wrongs.
“We apologise for the victims of the Bali bombings, but the Muslims,” Samudra said.
“The infidels will go to hell anyway.”
Samudra said the three were not afraid to die, adding he would prefer beheading.
“Absolutely we are not afraid,” he said.
“That’s what I’ve been waiting for … firstly with execution we will go to heaven and then our wish to see God and the angels is far higher than the wish of the infidels for our death.
“Why would we be scared of death? Even now we are not scared to be executed.
“(US President George) Bush and his allies, you all will go to hell but me and all my friends in the world will go to heaven.”
“No, no, no there won’t be any clemency because its not Islamic law – that is part of democracy and the law of democracy, and we are totally against democracy.”