It’s that old charmer Abu Bakar Bashir, of course, whose forthrightly jihadist statements have been featured here many times. He has said essentially the same thing that he says here before, although he has also in the past threatened jihad against the Indonesian police. Here, of course, he strikes a more moderate tone about attacks in the Islamic world. That call for jihad was despite the fact that the Indonesian Supreme Court overturned his conviction for his role in the Bali bombing.
Bashir has also said that naked women are worse than the Bali bombings, which, curiously enough, got no attention in the mainstream media compared to the widespread publicity that Sheikh Al-Hilali of Australia got for his “catmeat” remark. He has said that the Bali bombings were the will of Allah, and called the families of his victims to convert to Islam.
Anyway, note here, yet again, the strongly Islamic character of his statements. He is basing his entire appeal on Islam, and that is the one aspect of it that the politically correct multitudes would have us ignore.
“Leader of Indonesian Jama’a Islamiyya Abu Bakr Al-Ba’shir: I Support Bombings in America, But Not in the Muslim World,” from MEMRI (thanks to all who sent this in):
The following are excerpts from an interview with Abu Bakr Ba’shir, spiritual leader of Al-Gama’a Al-Islamiyya in Indonesia, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on October 26, 2007.
To view this clip visit: http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1598.htm
“Democracy Runs Counter to Islam, Because it Emphasizes the Sovereignty of the People, Whereas Islam Emphasizes the Sovereignty of Allah”
Abu Bakr Ba’shir: “The path taken by many political parties in their effort to establish an Islamic regime is not the right path, because these parties adopt democracy. Democracy is not an Islamic means. Democracy runs counter to Islam, because it emphasizes the sovereignty of the people, whereas Islam emphasizes the sovereignty of Allah. Thus, if we are to submit to the law of Allah, Muslims have no choice but to say: ‘We hear and obey.’ In democracy, Allah’s commands may be open to discussion, and if we agree with them, we accept them, but if we do not agree with them, we reject them. Herein lies the flaw. Therefore, as long as the Islamic political parties endeavor to adhere to Islam by means of democracy, they will not achieve their goal.”
[“¦]
“Jihad should be waged in places where there is war. Bombings in places where there is no war is not a good thing.”
Interviewer: “So you are against bombings in Arab and Islamic countries, as well as Western countries, if they target civilians?”
We Are Duty-Bound to Establish an Islamic State, and the Muslims Are Duty-Bound to Live in an Islamic Country”
Abu Bakr Ba’shir: “In my opinion, it was wrong to carry out the bombings in Morocco, for example. I am against the bombings in Indonesia, particularly in Bali, because Indonesia is not in a state of war. In my opinion, one should be fighting the infidels in Indonesia by means of Jihad of the tongue — by preaching. Nevertheless, I’m still convinced that [the bombers] are mujahideen, not terrorists, but I believe they were wrong in their judgment.”
[“¦]
“I do not accept their concept of independent judgment, unless the bombing is carried out in the countries of the infidels who declared war against the Muslims, such as America. America has declared war on the Muslims, and therefore, we are permitted to carry out bombings there, because they are the ones who declared war against the Muslims. Herein lies the problem.”
[“¦]
“It is a duty”¦ We are duty-bound to establish an Islamic state, and the Muslims are duty-bound to live in an Islamic country. Muslims are forbidden to live in an infidel country. Sheik Fawzan Al-Fawzan issued a fatwa forbidding Muslims to live in the countries of the infidels. That is why we are committed to establishing an Islamic state. The path that the Prophet Muhammad bid us to take is the path of preaching and Jihad. Waging Jihad is the proper conduct. That is why it is essential to establish an Islamic state by means of preaching and Jihad. We have tried to do this in Indonesia, by committing ourselves to Islamic preaching.”
[“¦]
“I Support Osama bin Laden, as Long as he Wages Jihad For the Sake of Allah”
Interviewer: “So in fact, you support Osama Bin Laden?”
Abu Bakr Ba’shir: “I support Osama Bin Laden, as long as he wages Jihad for the sake of Allah, in order to implement the law of Allah. At times, I may disagree with his independent judgment regarding bombings.”…