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| Southeast Asia |
| Indonesia Muslim groups call for the banning of Imam Samudra's book |
| 2005-11-24 |
| Hasyim Muzadi, head of Indonesia's largest Muslim grouping - the 40-million-member Nahdlatul Ulama - said convicted Bali bomb mastermind Imam Samudra's best-selling biography should be withdrawn from bookshops as it could inspire other militants, the Australian daily The Age reports. The books contains defiant justifications for the October 2002 Bali nightclub blasts which killed 202 people, among them 88 Australians. Samudra is currently on death-row in an Indonesian jail for his role in the bombings. Muzadi condemned Samudra's book, entitled 'Me Against the Terrorist!' whose cover shows Samudra, 35, in the classic pose he adopted at his trial, lecturing the judges with his right arm raised, and wagging his finger. "Islam teaches that there shall be no killing of other human beings unless it is a war situation," Mazadi was quoting as telling the Swara Muslim (Voice of Islam) website, adding "The government must withdraw the book from sale." The 280-page book has outlines Samudra's political beliefs, which include anti-US sentiment, the killing of Westerners, and the 'rationale' for the Bali bombings. Retailing at four dollars a copy, it is a bestseller in Indonesia, covering Samudra's early school years, his training as a mujahadeen in the mountains of Afghanistan, and his exile in Malaysia during a crackdown on Islamic militants. A chapter titled Hacking, Why Not, urges Muslims to wage invade the websites of US companies. Muzadi called for the book's banning as part of an effort by Islamic religious leaders in Indonesia to combat the recruitment of Islamic militants, announced earlier this month after police discovered a video in which a masked man, believed from his accent to be Noordin Top - considered one of the top figures in recruiting and training terror operatives for the al-Qaeda linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) group. The video, found in what police believe was a recently-abandoned Top hideout in Central Java province, warned Britain, Italy, Australia and America that they will be "the target of our next attack". Muzadi backed the government's decision not to air the video, saying:" Young people could follow them." The taskforce, comprising the progressive 30-million member Muhammadiyah movement, as well as the more conservative Nahdlatul Ulama, is likely to track terror suspects, scrutinise Islamic publications that promote Muslim extremism, and put these on a list of banned publications. It is also expected to start its won publication aimed at promoting peaceful, tolerant Islam. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |