Filmmaker Hanung Bramantyo hopes his controversial new film will spread tolerance and help quell recruitment by radical Islamists on Indonesia’s university campuses

Mission Impossible: Keeping Radical Islamists from Recruiting on Indonesia’s Campuses

Bucktooth Bashir Wants Out

• Indonesia: Jihadist cleric appeals already-reduced jail term: ”I’m being tried for defending Islam”.
• Attacker partially severs ears of deaf, mute Ahmadiyya …
•  1800000 people take part in jihad terror … – JW

Please read the obligatory disclaimer from AFP:

Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country in the world, is constitutionally secular and culturally moderate.

Barry Soetoro aka Hussein Obama no longer welcome

 “Obama is a murderer of our Muslim brothers in Palestine and Afghanistan, a thief of Indonesia’s natural resources, and an imperialist who seeks to take over the world and will do anything for US interests…”  (AFP)

 The ‘new Indonesia’ will be different:

• “90 per cent of Indonesian youth are prepared to carry out violence in the name of Islam.”

The government and the judiciary is complicit in the jihad against minorities:

The Other Indonesia

“Moderate” murderer Dani bin Misra  was filmed smashing an Ahmadi man’s skull; let off with 3 months…

A year ago Hussein Obama returned to Indonesia, where he lived as a boy, as President of the United States. In a speech at the University of Indonesia, he reminisced about catching dragonflies, flying kites and running through rice paddies in the Jakarta of his youth. “Indonesia is a part of me,” he told the audience, while lauding the nation and its people for their new democracy, commitment to the rule of law and tolerance for religious diversity. Obama’s affection for Indonesia is understandable. But as he prepares to go to Bali on Nov. 19 for the East Asia Summit, he needs to ditch the nostalgia and deliver a stern message to his onetime home for not living up to its purported ideals.

A key measure of the level of justice and compassion in any society is how it treats its minorities — often its most vulnerable citizens. On that score, Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, is failing. In the past year, public violence against religious minorities, who together make up about 12% of the 240 million population, has been relentless: there has been a slew of incidents, from burnings and bombings of churches to attacks by radical Muslims on moderates. The authorities appear unable or unwilling to firmly intervene.(Watch TIME’s video “Keeping Radical Islamists from Recruiting on Indonesia’s Campuses.”)

That seemed to be the case when I was in a packed courtroom outside Jakarta a few months ago. On trial were 12 men charged in connection with a mass assault early this year on members of the peaceful Ahmadiyah sect. Ahmadis believe that their Indian founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) was also a prophet, after Muhammad — a claim orthodox Muslims find heretical. This plus other differences have made Ahmadis a target for hard-liners in Pakistan, Bangladesh and, of late, Indonesia too. The attack on the Ahmadis was brutal. A hundreds-strong crowd gathered at opposite ends of a remote rice-farming village on the western edge of Java and converged on an Ahmadi home. The people inside were surrounded and attacked with machetes, sharpened sticks and stones. Three men died; five were badly injured.

At the trial, before the judges entered the chamber, an Islamic cleric in a white robe stepped from the gallery and led the courtroom in prayer. Those inside — plus many more pressed against the outside gate — prayed for the mob, not those killed. People in the crowd told me the Ahmadis had it coming, that the mob was provoked and the violence spontaneous.

One of the accused, 17-year-old Dani bin Misra, was filmed smashing an Ahmadi man’s skull with a rock. He and the other defendants were convicted of “participation in a violent attack that results in casualties.” Dani was sentenced to three months’ jail. The rest, including two clerics, received five to six months. (By contrast, an Ahmadi got six months for wounding an attacker when defending a family’s property.) Said New York City — based Human Rights Watch: “The trial sends the chilling message that attacks on minorities will be treated lightly by the legal system.”(See photos of Suharto’s Indonesia.)

We expect better from Indonesia. When the 1997 Asian financial crisis sparked mass protests that helped bring down longtime strongman Suharto, the majority-Muslim nation shattered the tired myth that Islam is antithetical to democracy. Today, Indonesia is freer and more open than ever. Indeed, many see the country as a model for the postrevolutionary Arab world. Yet institutions are weak, corruption is endemic, and military repression persists in the forgotten territory of Papua. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has condemned the various religious attacks, but not, say his critics, forcefully enough. Extremists have flourished on the fringes of the moderate mainstream, spawning radical groups and religious vigilantes. Their actions undermine everything good about contemporary Indonesia.

I raised the Ahmadiyah verdict with Suryadharma Ali, Indonesia’s Minister of Religious Affairs, one of whose responsibilities is to keep the peace among all faiths. Suryadharma was unapologetic in tone: he said Indonesia respects religious freedom, but that minorities could not use that freedom to “completely modify” Islamic beliefs. He also defended regulations that ban Ahmadis from proselytizing or openly practicing their faith. The minister compared antagonism toward Ahmadis to flag burning: “Your country would get angry if you burned their flag. And the case of religion is higher than the flag.” Perhaps so, but for Indonesia to be truly the modern, moderate society it claims to be, it needs to show through word and deed that it will not tolerate intolerance.

Read “Indonesia’s Rash of ‘Do-It-Yourself Jihad.’”

See pictures of a deadly dam burst near Jakarta.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2099185,00.html#ixzz1dcgse6cq

“Few people are concerned about Islam because it is a five letter word or foreign. They are concerned about it, because it has a habit of murdering their kind of people.” —  

Bombophobia (Sultan Knish)

Like here:

Indonesia:

Explosion in bomb-making class at Islamic school kills teacher

It’s so hard for Islamic schools to get good bomb-making teachers these days: it’s a field in which it is hard to learn from one’s mistakes. But anyway, how many Christian boarding schools have bomb-making classes? How many Jewish boarding schools have them? How many Hindu boarding schools? Why is Islam different in this way? I know it must be the Zionists’ fault in some way, but I just can’t figure out how.

“Explosion at Islamic school in Indonesia kills 1,” by Ali Kotarumalos for the Associated Press, July 12 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A man reportedly trying to show students how to make explosives was killed by a homemade bomb inside an Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, police said Tuesday.

I hope its not one of those thousand schools financed by Australian taxpayers. Remember? The ones where they teach the “moderate Islam” so the radicals don’t cut our throats?

Has anyone seen Tim McVeigh around lately? This must be his work. It couldn’t be the adherents of the Religion of Peace — that we know for sure.

“Bomb in a church in Central Java, Archbishop calls for calm,” by Mathias Hariyadi for Asia News, December 9 (thanks to JW): Yep, the infidels should remain calm. You don’t wanna cause a ‘backlash’ with the soldiers of Allah…..

“It is shameful that the US has renewed its ties with Kopassus when they continue to target churchmen and civilians merely for speaking out about the suffering of their people.”

“US-backed elite Indonesian forces target church members and civilians,” from Ekklesia, December 6 (thanks to JW:)

This should come as no surprise. Since Sharia is believed to be the law of Allah, if the state is not imposing it, individual Muslims may believe themselves to be perfectly within their rights, and indeed, doing a positive good, if they enforce it themselves. “Sharia vigilante violence rife in Aceh: report,” by Sen Lam for Radio Australia, December 6:

Indonesia: Stoning, caning now the law in Aceh - Jihad Watch

Give generously:

Indonesia tsunami death toll tops 300

Not enough Islam, Allah wanted them dead:

THE death toll from a tsunami that struck western Indonesia this week rose to 343, with another 338 people still missing, a disaster official said Thursday. (Courier Mail)

• Warning system failed, infidels to blame
• Allah’s wanted them dead because the villagers didn’t implement sharia properly….

Volunteers search for victims of the Mount Merapi eruption at Kinahrejo village in Sleman, on October 27, 2010, near Yogyakarta, Indonesia. (The Gazette)

Indonesia: 700 churches attacked in past decade

(Source)

Jakarta, Bandung, and Bogor:

Some 700 Catholic and Protestant churches have been attacked in Indonesia over the past decade, according to the Indonesian Christian Communication Forum. Between October 12 and October 17, a Catholic parish was attacked, another was threatened with attack, and a Protestant church was burned down.

“The violence and attacks, against Christian churches of all denominations, has grown in recent years and now in the past several days,” said Bishop Johannes Pujasumarta of Bandung, secretary general of the Indonesian bishops’ conference. “Those responsible are small radical Islamic groups that are sowing panic among our people, especially in the Dioceses of Jakarta, Bandung, and Bogor. They are minority groups, but they should be stopped. The violence also increases the indifference of the civil authorities and police, who shrug off the violence. We demand more attention and protection for the Christian communities and that such acts may not remain unpunished.”

3% of the nation’s 224.9 million people are Catholic, according to Vatican statistics; 6% are Protestant and 86% are Muslim, making Indonesia the country with the largest Muslim population.

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window

Rise in attacks and violence against churches, Christians concerned (Fides)

Hussein Obama to visit Indonesia in November

Update: an Open Letter To President Barack Hussein Obama from Rogue Jew

(SMH)

US President Hussein Obama said on Thursday he would make his twice-postponed trip to Indonesia in November, making good on a promise to travel to the Muslim-majority nation where he lived as a boy.

Obama called off previous plans to make his first visit to Indonesia as president due to his ultimately successful drive to pass health care reform and then over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The visit will allow Obama to speak directly to the Islamic world in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, following rows over plans to build a Muslim cultural centre in New York and a US pastor’s cancelled plans to burn Korans.

Story continues below the fold……..

Indonesia: Muslim arrested with 7,000 detonators

For fish bombs, of course. He wanted to catch a lot of fish. “Indonesia: Malaysian arrested with 7,000 detonators,” from AKI, October 21 (thanks to JW):

Indonesia: Muslims demand removal of Buddha statue on temple roof

And of course the statue is going to be removed. Islamic Tolerance Alert from modern, moderate Indonesia. “Buddhist Statue Draws Islamists’ Ire,” by Arientha Primanita, Bilhuda Haryanto and Aidi Yursal for the Jakarta Globe, October 22 (thanks to JW):

Indonesia: Muslims offended by church named after Mother Theresa, prevent its construction

And authorities do nothing, since of course they don’t want to rile the Muslims. Islamic Tolerance Alert from modern, moderate Indonesia: “Islamic fundamentalists against church named after Mother Teresa,” by Mathias Hariyadi for Asia News, October 22 (thanks to JW):

A Second Villa Trashed in Lombok after Alleged Insult to Islam

“His words were deeply hurtful.”

German in protective custody  for accusing Muslims  of smashing his statues. Stephen Alexander threatened to report the vandalism to the police….  German media silent….

There is an very important hint in the follow up article JG published:

“Alexander, who is also a Muslim, had been “warned” to remove the statues because they resembled Hindu deities. “

He dared to place hindu statues in front of his House. So this justifies all violence and his Villa must be destroyed.

Luke Gregory Lloyd, 64, meanwhile, is facing the prospect of six years in jail after he was charged with blaspheming Islam and immigration violations after disrupting a late-night Koran recital in a mosque near his house in Kuta, Lombok, on Aug. 22. (he pulled the plug on the imams loudspeakers, how good is that?)

Continued, Hussein Obama

It will also be a homecoming of sorts, as Obama lived in the country for four years as a boy with his late mother, and has often spoken fondly of his memories of that time.

The president noted in a speech Thursday to the UN General Assembly that he had already announced plans to visit India in November, adding that “I will continue to Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country”.

Obama, who, as a native of Hawaii, has billed himself as America’s first Pacific President, will then make previously scheduled trips to South Korea and Japan.

The president had intended to travel on to Australia during the two previously postponed visits to Indonesia, but there are no plans to make that visit in November.

Obama’s trip to Indonesia in November will be another clear sign of his intention to improve US ties with the region, and will come after Friday’s US summit here with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

In Indonesia, Obama will stress the country’s emerging economic weight and the role of the world’s most populous Muslim nation in battling extremism, as well as to build on his speech to the Muslim world in Cairo last year.

Indonesia: Islamic Headbangers Attack Shadow Puppet Shows, with Rocks and Swords

The attackers all wore turbans and kept yelling “ Allahu Akbar! ” (“Allah is greater!”) while running amok.

No more arts & culture.  Because traditional art & culture is un-Islamic. When Islam takes over, the native culture & civilization goes into the dustbin of history.

Sir V.S. Naipaul hit the nail on the head when he stated that:

“Islam is in its origin an Arab religion. Everyone not an Arab who is a Muslim is a convert. Islam is not simply a matter of conscience or private belief. It makes imperial demands. A convert’s worldview alters. His holy places are in Arab lands. His sacred language is Arabic. His idea of history alters. He rejects his own: he becomes, whether he likes it or not, a part of the Arab story. The convert has to turn away from everything that is his.”

Sukoharjo, Central Java. First it was churches and a minority Islamic sect, then the gay community and a former Playboy editor. Now the country’s much-derided Muslim hard-liners are reportedly targeting one of its most beloved icons: Wayang.

Ki Slamet Gundono, a world-renowned dalang (puppet master) for the traditional Javanese shadow puppetry, on Wednesday said hard-liners in Sukoharjo, a town south of Solo, had broken up several performances in the area.

“A bunch of youths calling themselves Laskar Jihad [warriors of jihad] attacked a wayang performance taking place in Sembung Wetan village in Sukoharjo on Saturday night,” he said.

“They threatened members of the audience and forced them to disperse. “We strongly condemn this violence,” he added.

Read more » (Islamization Watch)

Indonesia: Muslims oppose building of churches

Why no hand-wringing about “tolerance” and “religious freedom”? Of course, in Indonesia few people are concerned about such things, and if anyone makes a comparison with the resistance to the construction of Islamic supremacist mosques in the U.S., someone will be quick to pipe up and say, “Are you saying that the U.S. should imitate Indonesia (or Saudi Arabia, etc.) in its intolerance?”

Of course not. The differences in the two situations need to pointed out and brought to public attention. Non-Muslims oppose the mosque at Ground Zero because it will be regarded in the Islamic world as a triumphal mosque, and because of the duplicity of its organizers. They oppose other mosques elsewhere because of their ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is dedicated in its own words to “eliminating and destroying Western civilization from within.” Muslims in Indonesia, in contrast, oppose the building of churches out of the Islamic supremacist notion that non-Muslims in Muslim countries must “feel themselves subdued” (Qur’an 9:29).

“Muslims in Bekasi, Indonesia Oppose Another Church Building,” from Compass Direct News, October 13 (thanks to Jihad Watch):

Update:

Islam, a work in progress. Eliminating Indonesian culture is part of it:

• Indonesia: Muslim Hard-Liners Attack Shadow Puppet Shows, with Rocks and Swords

Geert Wilders:

“Whatever the reason is that Yudhoyono will not come to the Netherlands, I will not shed a tear. He earlier declared me persona non grata in Indonesia.”

And who is the loser here?

The Netherlands is also noted as one of Indonesia’s largest sources of aid for education, governance, water management and other areas.

However, none of that changes the fact that most Indonesians would like nothing more than to immolate gay-loving, prostitute riddled, drug smoking Holland with a few, if not many, nuclear weapons.

Blithely and admantly ignorant of this, The Netherlands continues funding and doing business with this Muslim hive. If ever there was a case of “feeding the crocodile”.

From the article: If the President had continued with his visit, he also would have been able to improve the Dutch understanding of Islam. As the leader of the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation and its third-largest democracy, Yudhoyono has the credentials to speak on the subject of Islamic tolerance.

This clown wants to teach the Netherlands about tolerance?    (LOL)

Some samples of Indo tolerance here:

A moderate caning

• Puzzler: Religious intolerance rising among Indonesian Muslims
• Women caned for selling food during Ramadan in modern, moderate Indonesia
• American to appear in court on charges of blaspheming Islam in modern, moderate Indonesia

****************************************

The Stick to Beat the Dog

From the Gates of Vienna

We posted a couple of weeks ago about the kerfuffle caused by the Indonesian ambassador to the Netherlands, who expressed displeasure about the possible influence exerted by Geert Wilders on the new Dutch government. The ambassador made his remarks in advance of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s planned state visit to the Netherlands.

Now it seems that Pres. Yudhoyono’s visit has been postponed, and under the most peculiar of circumstances. Our Flemish correspondent VH has compiled a report with the latest news, based on his translation from Dutch-language sources.

On Tuesday October 5, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono suddenly postponed [or “delayed”] his state visit to the Netherlands, which would have been from October 6 to October 8. The decision was because Indonesia had received information that Yudhoyono might be arrested in the Netherlands for alleged human rights violations. [source Elsevier] From the Jakarta Globe:

Announcing the cancellation of the trip at Halim Perdanakusuma airbase in East Jakarta on Tuesday with his plane waiting on the runway, Yudhoyono said it was a matter of national dignity. … Although he made up his mind just 45 minutes after receiving reports that the court hearing would open on Wednesday, he said he had consulted the vice president and several ministers over what to do.

The president in exile of the Republic of South Moluccas [RMS, pro-independence group] had filed a lawsuit [“Kort Geding”, or Summary Proceeding] against the Dutch State on Tuesday afternoon; the RMS would ask the court in the Hague for the arrest of the Indonesian President.

However, in addition to the fact that the President of Indonesia would have diplomatic immunity during his visit to the Netherlands, on Wednesday October 6 the court rejected the demand by the RMS and ruled that the Indonesian president may not be arrested on arrival in the Netherlands. “The court in the Hague on Wednesday rejected the claim by the exiled President of the Republic of South Moluccas (RMS) John Wattilete against the Dutch state.” The court assigned the costs of the lawsuit to the RMS.” [source Elsevier]

Indonesian President canceled State visit because of “the problem Wilders”

[Source Nederlands Dagblad, quotes and some links added by the translator]

There were more reasons for the cancellation of the state visit by Indonesian President Yudhoyono than the request for his arrest by the RMS. According to sources directly involved, the RMS case was only “the stick to beat the dog’’. That dog was especially “the Wilders problem”.

Indonesian President Yudhoyono is receiving increasing criticism at home for his cancellation of the state visit to the Netherlands. “Mind-boggling, short-sighted and unconvincing” said the Jakarta Post in an editorial, pruning the arguments of the President severely.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s decision to “delay” his trip to the Netherlands for fear of being arrested for alleged human rights abuses is both mind-boggling and short-sighted. His rationale is “unconvincing”; it was highly unlikely that the arrest would have taken place. From the Jakarta Post:

“It is a common practice in international diplomacy for nations to grant immunity to visiting foreign presidents. The government of the Netherlands said it would uphold Yudhoyono’s immunity and treat him as a most welcome guest. … The President’s decision, allegedly made to “protect the nation’s dignity”, quickly boosted the President’s standing and appeased the nationalist camp at home. In the long run, however, it will jeopardize the country’s relationship with the Netherlands. … The delayed visit was also regrettable as it prevented the President from obtaining the Netherlands’ written recognition of Indonesia’s sovereignty, which would have automatically cleared a diplomatic hurdle that has existed since the Netherlands handed over the archipelago to the Indonesian government in 1949.

The Netherlands, which colonized Indonesia for more than three centuries, has never formally recognized the sovereignty of the Indonesian government, despite the 1949 roundtable conference that forced the Netherlands to surrender control of Indonesia.

If the President had continued with his visit, he also would have been able to improve the Dutch understanding of Islam. As the leader of the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation and its third-largest democracy, Yudhoyono has the credentials to speak on the subject of Islamic tolerance. He could have also promoted Indonesia as a role model for Muslim countries. Islam in Indonesia is different from the conservative strain that is practiced in most Arab countries.

Last but not least, the President could have used the visit to boost economic cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands and tap more investment for Indonesia. According to the Indonesian Embassy’s website, the volume of trade between Indonesia and the Netherlands two years ago was US$3.9 billion and Indonesia enjoyed trade surplus of around $2 billion. … The Netherlands is also noted as one of Indonesia’s largest sources of aid for education, governance, water management and other areas. Given the significant amount of the Dutch investment and aid in Indonesia, the minor diplomatic mishap that occurred after the incident should have been prevented.”

Moreover, it is openly questioned whether it was only the lawsuit — in which the RMS demanded President Yudhoyono’s arrest — or whether other motives might have played a role. The Jakarta Globe headlines, for example: “Indonesian President Missed the Big Picture Yet Again in Canceling His Visit to Netherlands”.

… This week, he blasted the Netherlands and its judicial system, and also canceled a state visit, because some has-been Indonesian separatist group filed a case against him in a Dutch human rights court.

It didn’t matter that the sudden cancellation was a massive insult to Dutch Queen Beatrix, or that the Hague District Court summarily rejected the case or that Yudhoyono has diplomatic immunity. … the president said there might be an attempt to arrest him during his state visit. The key word here is “him.” Wouldn’t the first state visit to the Netherlands by an Indonesian president in some 40 years benefit the country, even if there were protesters there?

In his response to the criticism, President Yudhoyono went even further than in his earlier statements. The Dutch court hearing would be “unethical” and the hearing on the day of his arrival date “violates ethics and norms of a bilateral relationship’’ as he defended his decision again a few days ago.

But also on the Dutch side there is the belief that other motives played an important role at the background. The Summary Proceeding [“Kort Geding”] by the RMS indeed was the direct reason for the visit to be postponed, but — as a source directly involved in the consultations around the state visit told Dutch newspaperNederlands Dagblad — that Summary Proceeding still was “a stick to beat the dog”.

For some time the Dutch had realized that President Yudhoyono would rather postpone his visit, after Wilders had gained a major political role due to his election victory. For as President of the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, the Indonesian President would be visiting the country of one of the most outspoken anti-Islamic politicians in the world. Moreover, the timing of the visit clearly became ever more uncomfortable because of the leading political role played by Wilders [in the formation of the new government —translator].

When the latter, after an unfortunately worded statement by the Indonesian Ambassador Habibi [who indicated that voters who preferred Geert Wilders’ party “suffer from a fear psychosis” — see also Clowns and Psychotics at GoV] advocated that the Indonesian ambassador should “have his ears cropped diplomatically”, the revulsion became even greater. Nevertheless, in the opinion of those involved, Yudhoyono would still have come to the Netherlands, if it the court case by the RMS hadn’t provided the Indonesian government with an excellent occasion to immediately also deal with “the Wilders problem”.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *
Wilders responded this Saturday via Twitter: “Whatever the reason is that Yudhoyono will not come to the Netherlands, I will not shed a tear. He earlier declared me persona non grata in Indonesia.”

Nothing to do with Islam:

Indonesian “Militants” are targeting army & police

“They have a long-term strategy of building an Islamic state, and Muslim officials who hinder that objective are the enemy and need to be confronted,”  said Sidney Jones, a leading international expert on Southeast Asian terrorist groups.

Muslim militants wearing black masks stormed the tiny Hamparan Perak police precinct in western Indonesia’s North Sumatra province and emptied their assault rifles – riddling three officers’ bodies with bullets and shining a spotlight on the country’s changing face of terrorism.

Extremists, better known for targeting Western nightclubs and hotels, are now going after Indonesia’s government. And for the first time in more than a decade, the army has waded into the fight.  (Thanks to Cecilie & AP)

Muslims invariably lie and deny that clit-cutting has anything to do with Islam.  While it is correct  that FGM was practiced in some parts of Africa before the 7th century, the same cannot be said for Indonesia, which was largely Hindu and Buddhist until 500 years ago. Even 30 years ago the practice was as foreign as the hideous  Middle Eastern shrouds, which are now seen as ‘obligatory’ and falsely called ‘traditional dress’.

As you can see from this article, FGM is practiced only for one reason:  In March this year, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country’s largest Muslim organization, issued an edict supporting FGM/C, though a leading cleric told the NU’s estimated 40 million followers “not to cut too much”.

Thanks to Islamization Watch

Dede Jafar playing with her ten month old granddaughter. Dede did not hesitate for a moment to have her only granddaughter genitally mutilated. FGM is still widely practised in Indonesia,  even after the government ban in 2006

JAKARTA, 2 September 2010 (IRIN) – Though the Indonesian government banned female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) four years ago, experts say religious support for the practice is more fervent than ever, particularly in rural communities.

A lack of regulation since the ban makes it difficult to monitor, but medical practitioners say FGM/C remains commonplace for women of all ages in this emerging democracy (?) of 240 million – the world’s largest Muslim nation.

Although not authorized by the Koran, the practice is growing in popularity.

With increased urging of religious leaders, baby girls are now losing the top or part of their clitoris in the name of faith, sometimes in unsanitary rooms with tools as crude as scissors.

‘Nothing to do with Islam’- right?  Wrong:

“We fear if [FGM/C] gets more outspoken support from religious leaders it will increase even more. We found in our latest research that not only female babies are being mutilated, but also older women ask for it,” said Artha Budi Susila Duarsa, a university researcher at Yarsi University in Jakarta.

While the procedure in Indonesia is not as severe as in parts of Africa and involves cutting less flesh, it still poses a serious health concern.

“Even a small wound on the genitals can lead to sexual, physiological and physical problems,” Duarsa said.

Indonesia forbade health officials from the practice in 2006 because they considered it a “useless” practice that “could potentially harm women’s health”.

However, the ban was quickly opposed by the Indonesian Ulema Council, the highest Islamic advisory body in Indonesia.

In March this year, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country’s largest Muslim organization, issued an edict supporting FGM/C, though a leading cleric told the NU’s estimated 40 million followers “not to cut too much”.

Sexually mutilated infants, is this cult perverse or what?

Read more »

“It is against human rights,” said Maria Ulfah Anshor, a women’s rights activist and former chair of the women’s wing of the NU. “For women there is absolutely no benefit and advantage.”

Changing perceptions

FGM/C traditionally existed as a sign of chastity; a symbolic practice performed by shamans, or local healers, who used crude methods such as rubbing and scraping.

With shamans largely falling out of favour, the religious are turning to midwives who rely more on cutting instead.

“Midwives don’t know what they are doing. They were never taught the practice at school, so they do the same with girls as with boys: they cut,” Anshor said.

“Even if it is forbidden, we still have to find someone to do it. It is obligatory. We should always try to find someone to do it for us, because we have to.”

IRIN

• Female genital mutilation “is part of the Sunna of the Prophet”
• Are You a Sponsor of Female Genital Mutilation?
• Europe’s Helping Hand To Female Genital Mutilation

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, has authorised a blanket ban on marches in a city on the day of a planned protest by the English Defence League (EDL), an right-wing campaign group.

Ah yes, Britain, where freedom of speech means hate-speech for Muslims and jail for opponents of cultural enrichment…..

Protestors of the English Defence League (EDL) break through barriers

The EDL had intended to demonstrate in Bradford on Saturday August 28 and Unite Against Fascism has planned a protest in the city on the same day.

A Home Office spokesman said: ”Having carefully balanced rights to protest against the need to ensure local communities and property are protected, the Home Secretary today gave her consent to a Bradford Council order banning any marches in the city over the bank holiday weekend.  (Telegraph UK)

Related:

• Whatever happened to free speech?
• UK: Police open fire, arrest EDL members over non-existent bomb …

German-Turkish politician calls for burqa ban

Liberal German-Turkish politician Serkan Toeren has called for a ban on the full-body veil worn by Muslim women. Toeren wants to follow in the model set by France and Belgium, which banned the burqa earlier this year. (Deutsche Welle)

Postcard from Turkey

Indonesia threatens Holland over Wilders

Hissing and pissing:

If the views of Geert Wilders on the Islam are to become part of the official [Dutch] government policy, it could disrupt the relations between the Netherlands and Indonesia. This is what the Indonesian ambassador to the Netherlands, Junus Effendi Habibie, said in an interview with Radio Netherlands. “That would be very regrettable,” Habibie said.  (Gates of Vienna) Read further…

What is it with Muslims, Bombs & Mosques?

Police in India have arrested Islamic cleric Abdul Nasser Madani in connection with blasts that hit the city of Bangalore in mid-2008.

Abdul Nasser Madani was arrested at his home in the state of Kerala.

He accuses the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka, whose capital is Bangalore, of “framing” him.

One woman was killed and several others injured in July 2008 when seven bombs hit crowded areas of the city, which is India’s information technology hub.   ( BBC)

What they say is not what they do:

Lies, lies, lies

“Maintaining Good Relations with the Copts Is a Religious Duty”

from a Muslim cleric at Al Azhar, Islam’s highest institution of higher learning. That’s for foreign consumption. A few days later, what happens? Here:

Egypt: Muslim cleric calls for jihad, Muslims attack Coptic Christians

Cleric misunderstands Islam, leads followers to misunderstand it as well. Happens every day. “Muslim Cleric Calls for Jihad, Coptic Christians Attacked in Egypt,” by Mary Abdelmassih for AINA, August 14:

The annihilation of the Copts is a done deal for Egypts Muslims….

Al-Arabiya Director: The Majority of Muslims Do Not Want or Need a Mosque Near Ground Zero

Unfortunately he is in no position to speak for the majority of Muslims…..

“there are no practicing Muslims in the area who need a place to worship, because it is a commercial district. Is there anyone who is [really] eager [to build] this mosque?… MEMRI

May Allah bless the peace & love of Ramadan!

“The Batak Christians deserve to be stabbed to death”: Indonesian Muslims terrorize Christians as children shout “Allahu Akbar” (JW)

Indonesian Christians sit in outside Presidential Palace, in protest against church closures and other Islamic persecution

More on this recent incident, along with the Islamic Defenders Front’s persecution of Ahmadi Muslims in the days leading up to Ramadan.

Despite the title of the article, which implies a more reciprocal level of activity, the “pushing back” occurring here is but a demonstration held on Sunday, and the ongoing, determined defiance of religious minorities whose only “provocation” is to go on living their lives according to their constitutional rights.

It is not so much pushing back as standing one’s rightful ground. But even that is too much of an affront to Sharia, as shown by the violent response even to the demand for the right to worship in a field. “Religious minorities in Indonesia push back,” by Irwan Firdaus for the Associated Press, August 15: JW

Uganda Bomber Says He Is a Peace-loving Person Who Only Wanted to Kill Americans

Quite normal, wouldn’t you say? For a Muslim, that is…..

TOP LEFT TO RIGHT: Idris Nsubuga, Mohamood Mugisha, Haruna Hassan Luyima and Issa Ahmed Luyima (New Vision)
The racist Uganda bombers responsible for killing 79 people at a World Cup Soccer party cried as they appeared in court this week.
The New Vision reported:

FOUR key suspects who confessed to involvement in the bomb blasts were paraded before journalists yesterday.

Two of them, Edris Nsubuga and Haruna Hassan Luyima, cried over the pain their actions caused. Issa Luyima and Haruna Hassan Luyima are brothers, while Nsubuga is their friend. The fourth suspect was identified as Mohamood Mugisha.

“I am very sorry for the loss of life. I was hesitant to pick on Ugandans.My target was the Americans, who I think are responsible for the suffering in the world. I am very sorry to the people, who knew me,” Issa Luyima, described as the mastermind of the blasts, said without emotion.   More from Gateway

Other Links:

• PFLP-General Command Leader Ahmad Jibril: Our Battle Is Against the Oppressive and Arrogant Forces of the West, “Not with a Group of Jews”
• Egyptian Cleric Ramadhan Labib: Polygamy for the Sake of Satisfying One’s Sexual Appetite Is Allowed
• Saudi Cleric Muhammad Al-Arifi: The Desire to Shed Blood, Smash Skulls, and Sever Limbs for the Sake of Allah Is an Honor for the Believer

MEMRI

Q: “Why are the Muslims backward, and why is superstition widespread among them, even though Islam regards it a religious duty to use one’s mind and [powers of] reasoning?”

A: “Because the Muslims have disregarded the correct faith. The primary sources of Islam encourage thought and [the acquisition of] knowledge, and make a clear distinction between norms that are not to be questioned and superstition. It is this correct Islam that [gave birth to] Muslim civilization which made many achievements in the domains of science, medicine, astronomy and engineering, because Islam never limited the use of one’s mind, but [only] warned against division, which weakens [the Muslims]. In the West, the opposite was true: its progress began only after the role of religion was diminished and that of reason increased – because the church was an ignorant tyrannical [force] that opposed knowledge and reason.”

Q: “When you began your [role] as the sheikh of Al-Azhar, you said that Al-Azhar’s first duty is to achieve national unity. How [is this to be done]? By embracing Patriarch Shenouda again, as we do in every crisis?”

A: “The ties between Islam and Christianity are numerous and tight, and there are family and marriage ties between Christians and Muslims – so preserving national unity is part of Al-Azhar’s religious duty. When a Muslim maintains good relations with his Christian neighbor, he fulfils a [religious] duty for which he will be rewarded on the Day of Judgment. Al-Azhar’s duty is to review the books of Muslim history and tradition, and the directives of the [Muslim] faith, and draw from them the wealth of Muslim traditions that encourage good relations with the Copts – because our faith commands us to do this in order to preserve national unity. The Coptic Church must do the same with respect to the cultural tradition of [friendship] with the Muslims. I think that there will be cooperation in this area.”

The Muslim Hijacking of Ground Zero

The Great Lie told and retold over and over again for the last 9 years, is that Islam was not responsible for 9/11. That lie has been repeated over and over again. It has permeated our culture. It has filled our media. The politicians have echoed it. Books and articles are written that treat it as something every reasonable person understands. Islam had nothing to do with 9/11. Not a damn thing.

The Ground Zero mosque is that lie made flesh. It is that revisionist history given physical form, turned into brick and mortar, steel and cement, raised up to the sky, to look down mockingly on the Ground Zero construction site itself, and the people who come there to reflect and remember. It mocks their memories. It mocks the dead. Its arrogance is the same as that of the Muslim burners of the Great Library of Alexandria, of Hanan Ashrawi claiming there was no Jewish connection to Joseph’s Tomb, or Anwar Al-Awlaki, who had advised the 9/11 hijackers, telling reporters after the attacks that Islam opposes terrorism. It is an act of beheading, not of flesh, but of identity. It takes a blade and saws at the neck of a culture, cutting off its head through lies and deceit.  Sultan Knish

More Links:

• Egyptian Islamic Researcher Abd Al-Khaleq Al-Sharif: The Jews are the most vile among the creatures of Allah.
• Egyptian Cleric Hussam Fawzi Jabar: Hitler Was Right to Do What He Did to the Jews
• Friday Sermon in Gaza: Muslims Should Wage Jihad to Liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the Filth of the Jews, the Brothers of Apes and Pigs
• Jordanian Businessman Talal Abu Ghazaleh: 9/11 Was Carried Out by the Taliban, Part of a Zionist Scheme; US Sank in Quagmire as a Result of “Jewish Hatred of Americans”