USA and the internal Islamic threat

USA and the Internal Islamic Threat

By Lee Jay Walker      –  THE SEOUL TIMES
Tokyo Correspondent

 

Terrorists’ attack on the World Trade Center buildings in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001

The United States is now gradually waking up to a growing internal Islamic menace which desires to kill in the name of Islam. In the past week you have had three different cases involving Islamists who desired to kill and intimidate the people of America. In the United Kingdom the same problem exists but just like in America, under President Obama, both nations are pandering to Islam and propagating false lies about this religion. Therefore, it is time to focus on the real factors behind the growing Sunni Islamic threat within America and in other nations.

The first important factor that must be understood is that this threat comes from radical Sunni Islam and not from Shia Islam. In America and the United Kingdom you have many Shia Muslims; however, it is clear that all major global Islamic terrorism derives from radical Sunni Islam.

It is also abundantly clear that the Ahmadiyya Muslim community is not involved in terrorism because their brand of Islam is based on different interpretations and this branch of Islam suffers greatly in Pakistan and other nations, for example in Indonesia. Therefore, it is vital to understand where the focus should be because Ahmadiyya Muslims and Shia Muslims, and other branches of Islam like the Alevi, must be split from where the problem exists.

In Lebanon you do have Shia terrorist organizations however they are focused on either internal problems in Lebanon or on the situation in Israel. Also, in Yemen you have current problems with the restive Shia population but once more this is an internal matter and not based on expanding jihad and the same applies to Shia organizations in Iraq and Pakistan.

Therefore, Islamic terrorist attacks in America, India, Indonesia, Kenya, the United Kingdom, and other nations, have all been done by radical Sunni Islamists. Also, the inspiration behind these terrorist attacks is coming from the same avenue and this avenue of terrorism and global Islamic jihad can be traced back to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

B. Raman, a specialist in this field stated in the South Asia Analysis Group, paper number 1767, that “While the Deobandi extremists have been backing—-openly or covertly—- Al Qaeda and its ideology, the Barelvis have been uncomfortable over it. Many of them have been critical of the use of the Pakistani territory by Al Qaeda and the (International Islamic Front) IIF for their terrorist operations in other countries. They have also been worried over the implications of the message disseminated by bin Laden in January, 2006, in which he claimed that plans for another terrorist strike in the US homeland were already underway.”

B. Raman also states that “There are two main groups of Sunni sectarian organisations in Pakistan—-the Sipah-e-Sahaba and the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, both strongly Deobandi-Wahabi-Salafi and both members of the IIF, and the Sunni Tehrik, strongly Barelvi and anti-Deobandi-Wahabi-Salafi. Since many years, the Sipah-e-Sahaba and the LEJ have embarked on a campaign for the Arabisation and Wahabisation of the Barelvi Muslims and for removing the distorting influence of Hinduism. The Sunni Tehrik has been resisting the onslaught of the Deobandis, Wahabis and Salafis.”

Therefore, just like B. Raman points out, we can apply this to the international arena because the same forces and with Saudi financial backing, irrespective if government or organizations or wealthy individuals, is spreading the same message of hate to other nations far and wide. Yet why do nations like America, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom, and many others, allow this?

It is abundantly clear that the Muslim community in the UK in the 1960s and 1970s is very different to elements within the Muslim community today. According to B. Raman he states that “For the last fifteen years, there has been a conflict between the Deobandis and the Barelvis for the control of the mosques and their funds not only in Pakistan, but also in the UK. Previously, the Barelvis used to control the mosques in the UK frequented by immigrants from the sub-continent, but they have since been driven out by the Deobandis and Wahabis. This was the starting point for the radicalisation of the Pakistani-origin Muslims in the UK and in the other countries of West Europe. The ISI (Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence) has been supporting the Sipah-e-Sahaba and the LEJ in Pakistan as well as in West Europe.”

Therefore, it is clear that funding within Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is causing mayhem and it is obvious that you have “a war within Islam” and “an ongoing Islamic jihad” against moderate Muslims, other sects within Islam and against non-Muslims. Other channels of funding throughout the Middle East also applies but the mindset and ideological thinking is based on the same branches of Islam and it is clear where the counter-jihad must begin.

Yet amazingly, and even after September 11th, whereby nearly all Sunni Islamists were Saudi nationals; the United States destroyed a secular based nation in Iraq and ignored the greater problem. After all, how many American soldiers and other international forces have been killed by radical Saudi Islamists in Iraq or by Saudi Arabian organizations which preach jihad and hatred?

Given this, it appears that the focus of attention is based on the wrong area and even today Saudi Arabian funding is creating mayhem in mainly Muslim societies or mainly non-Muslim societies where Muslim minorities are growing.

Walid Phares, author of “The Confrontation: Winning the War against Future Jihad,” and of many other books and a senior expert in this field, stated “Petro-Islamism is also having a big impact in the higher education sector. As Walid Phares, an expert on global terrorism remarks in The War of Ideas (2007), globally, “a wave of oil funding hit university after university, college after college, and research centre after research centre. The objectives were fully ideological: further the cause of Islam, support the Palestinian cause, and plant the seeds of the concept of an illegitimate West.”

In Britain, a report about the growing rise of Islamic funding by Brunel University’s Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies highlighted the nature of the problem. The report stated that more than $491 million dollars have been spent on funding Islamic study centres and other forms of propagation. These institutions include Cambridge and Oxford, therefore, radical Islamists have gained a foothold in major circles.

I myself studied at the University of London and radical Islam was clearly a daily problem and militants were often trying to spread their hatred and propaganda. It is also noticeable that Omar Sheikh who was convicted for the beheading of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter, also studied at the London School of Economics.

Getting back to the radical Sunni Islamic threat then it is vital to confront this threat openly and to stop hiding behind liberalism, moral relativism, or untold excuses for why we must understand the causes behind radical Sunni Islam. The apologist brigade, for example Karen Armstrong, and countless others, portray Islam to be a religion of peace but Mohammed, the prophet of Islam, did not show much peace towards his enemies, instead he either enslaved them, had them killed or they were exiled.

Another important factor which must not be overlooked is history. For example the Buddhist/Hindu lands which are now called Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan (especially influenced by Zoroastrianism), and other nations; all allowed diversity despite occasional bouts of religious tensions. Therefore, you had Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Nestorian Christians, Pagans, Zoroastrians, and other faiths, all mingling together in a vast region

However, the onset of Islam changed all this because over time in both Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, the older religions of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Zoroastrianism (the oldest religion), would be Islamized because of several factors.

These factors were multiple but clearly the role of Islamic jihad, dhimmitude, jizya, massive persecution, slavery, forced conversion, control of resources, and so forth, all culminated in a tide of Islamization.

Yet the leaders of these areas would also have believed that accommodation could have been met and that Islam was just another religion. However, Islam is based on victor and vanquished, and this religion is more like an ideology because it fuses religion, politics, economics, law, and the regulation of society, together and clearly non-Muslims are unequal (indeed Buddhists and Hindus are deemed to be subhuman because they are not people of the Book) in accordance with the teachings of Islam.

Even in 2009 apostates from Islam can be killed in accordance with the teachings of Mohammed and other religious believers are still suffering from Islamization. This applies to Christians being burnt alive in Pakistan, apostates from Islam being killed in Somalia, attacks against Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan, persecution of Baha’is in Iran, Christian pastors being beheaded in northern Nigeria, Assyrian Christians and other minorities (Shabaks, Yazidis and Mandaean) also fear daily attacks and the same applies to the persecution of Coptic Christians in Egypt.

The forces of Islamic jihad is ongoing and Buddhists face severe persecution in southern Thailand and the Chittagong Hill Tracts (also Christian and Hindu tribal’s) in Bangladesh and of course Buddhism in history always collapsed when Islamic armies conquered their lands.

I stated in a past article, that “Today, just like the 7th century, Islam is still killing apostates or persecuting them. Today, just like in the 7th century, Muslims are still waging wars against non-Muslims in countless numbers of nations. Today, just like the 7th century, Muslim fanatics are still killing fellow Muslims who are deemed to be not Muslim enough.”

“The apologists will keep on making excuses; however, it is clear that in many parts of the Islamic dominated world, that hatred still dictates. Therefore, in 2009, just like in the 7th century, non-Muslims still suffer enormous persecution and some Islamists are still dreaming of spreading Islam by the sword or by propaganda.”

Now this war against non-Muslims and moderate Muslims alike is being waged in northern Nigeria against Christians, against Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan, against Hindus in Bangladesh and Pakistan, and against Buddhists in southern Thailand. The same also applies to countless other conflicts or nations where minorities suffer enormous persecution, for example the persecution of Coptic Christians in Egypt.

This jihad is now being propagated within nations like America and the United Kingdom. Yet how can you confront your enemy when you have to play by political correctness, pander to the very same people who want to enforce Islamic Sharia law on you or have dialogue with a religion which supports killing all apostates and treating non-Muslims unequally in Islamic Sharia law?

If we ignore the past diversity of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan, then one day our civilizations may end up the same way?

After all, just like the past, religious leaders and elites within the Buddhist, Hindu, Nestorian Christian, and Zoroastrian communities did not understand the true nature of Islam. However, by the time they understood it was too late and today Buddhism in Afghanistan and Pakistan is a distant memory and the same applies to Zoroastrianism in Uzbekistan. At the same time, in the modern world Buddhism may soon be a distant memory in southern Thailand if Islamists get their way and maybe Iraq will soon have no more Mandaeans?

Walid Phares comments on recent events in America and states that “The North Carolina cell, the New York subway plot, the Dallas attempt, the Illinois case, added to the previous cases of the shooting of a soldier in Arkansas, the precedent New York cells, Georgia’s young Jihadists, all the way back to the infamous Virginia paintball network, if anything gives us the genome of what is morphing inside the country — a vast body of dispersed cells with at least one binding force — the Jihadi ideology. The question thus is to find out who is propagating the doctrines of Jihadism: who is funding it; who is protecting the indoctrination operation which leads naturally to the rise of homegrown or foreign linked, lone wolves or packs of Jihadists, Terrorists. That is the real question: where is the factory?”

Therefore, it is vital to stop major funding which is spreading radical Sunni Islam and to focus on where the threat is. It is also vital that national governments work together and that history is not forgotten. Also, more attention must be focused on persecution and injustice “within the House of Islam” and the “real Mohammed” must be told instead of the Western liberal version which is bent on appeasement and revisionism.

LEE JAY WALKER

leejayteach@hotmail.com

http://www.leejaywalker.wordpress.com

http://www.theseoultimes.com

http://www.leejay13.wordpress.com

 

INDONESIA and Ba’asyir, the preacher of hate

Indonesia and Ba’asyir, the Preacher of Hate

By Lee Jay Walker
Tokyo Correspondent  –  THE SEOUL TIMES

Abu Bakar Ba’asyir

The nation of Indonesia is blighted by Islamists who desire to destroy moderate versions of Islam because militants desire to install a new society based on dhimmitude and Islamic supremacy. Therefore, Islamic clerics like Abu Bakar Ba’asyir support the implementation of Islamic Sharia law and his attitude towards non-Muslims is one of hatred when the rhetoric flows.

Abu Bakar Ba’asyir was born in 1938 and he is a leading Islamic cleric in Indonesia and many Muslims view his opinions greatly. However, it must be stressed that Muslim opinion varies greatly in Indonesia and this applies to hardliners and moderates who support the notion of a secular state.

Yet according to Abu Bakar Ba’asyir it is essential that Indonesia is ruled by Islamic Sharia law and he openly glorifies Islamic jihad during bouts of militancy. Therefore, the government of Indonesia is in a flux about how to deal with him and over the decades he was either threatened by authorities in Indonesia or tolerated.

Abu Bakar Ba’asyir and Abdullah Sungkar opened a boarding school in 1972 in order to preach to the next generation about the need to implement Islamic Sharia law in Indonesia. In time both individuals would flee to Malaysia because the Suharto regime was in no mood to bow down to Islamists and Suharto was bent on economic modernization and authoritarian control over the whole of Indonesia.

In 1999 Abu Bakar Ba’asyir returned to Indonesia, however, both he and Abdullah Sungkar gained from their exile in Malaysia because they met leading Islamists and they both understood the need for a collective approach in order to spread Islamic rule.

Therefore, Abu Bakar Ba’asyir and Abdullah Sungkar were involved with Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) which was a lose patchwork of various radical Islamic organizations. The main goal was to create a super-Islamic state which would incorporate Indonesia, Malaysia, the southern Philippines, Brunei, and Singapore (some would also include southern Thailand and Cambodia).

The vastness of this region and the mass complexity is a wonder to behold, however, in the wrong hands it could become a nightmare. 　After all, you have a very diverse mix of ethnic and religious groups and you already have religious bouts of violence between Christians and Muslims in parts of Indonesia and the southern Philippines. More recently, tensions have erupted between Muslims and Buddhists in southern Thailand and passions often run high in Malaysia which is the most diverse nation in the region when it comes to religion.

Therefore the views of Abu Bakar Ba’asyir can’t be ignored or brushed aside so easily because JI have been involved in many terrorist attacks and have been involved in communal violence against Christians in Poso in Indonesia and other areas alongside other groups like Laskar Jihad. Also, more alarming, he often plays around with words and distances himself when needed and just like Islamic terrorist organizations like Laskar Jihad, he/they can melt away from the scene and then come back either through a new organization or a new upsurge in militancy.

Walid Phares, author of “The War of Ideas: Jihadism against Democracy” and other books, stated “We all know that the process to become a Jihadist, is long and tenuous. It needs a Salafi-Wahabi environment to be produced. The question in Indonesia is this: Who is producing the “ideological culture” out of which Jama’ah Islamiah came from? What are the structural webs that produced Laskar Mujahidin (or Laskar e Jihad), or Laskar Jundullah or even the Sulawesi-based Mujahedeen KOMPAK?”

However, the geographical reality of the entire region follows the complexity of ethnicity and religious diversity. Added to this is rampant poverty, cronyism, mismanagement of resources, and vastly different development stages and political infrastructures. Therefore, Islamists have many angles to manipulate and spread their message and you have links between jihadists and senior officials even if these links are on the periphery or based on manipulation by national governments.

Therefore, Walid Phares sums up this complexity by stating that “…the Jihadi “Laskars” around the archipelago are projecting themselves as the “protectors” of the territorial unity of “Muslim Indonesia.” Hence their action against non-Muslims, including in Poso, the Celebes, etc is projected as “in the interest of the nation.” They are trying to emulate Hassan Turabi’s strategy in Sudan: the defense of Islam’s lands.”

Given this, JI moved easily between supporting Muslims during communal violence against Christians in Maluku and Poso in Indonesia; and then to targeting economic and Western interests throughout the region. At the same time you have inter-links between JI, al-Qaeda, MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Abu Sayyaf and other Islamic organizations.

JI have been responsible for many deadly deeds and this applies to killing 15 people in 2000 after an attack against the Jakarta Stock Exchange and killing many during Christmas Eve bombings during the same year　in Indonesia. They have also spread their terror to the Philippines with several attacks and an attack was thwarted in Singapore. The most deadly attack happened in 2002 with the Bali bombings and more recently two hotels were attacked in Jakarta in 2009.

Returning back to Abu Bakar Ba’asyir he stated in 2002 that “If non-believers have weapons capacity, the funding, then they will go to war against Islam. In the Koran Allah has said they will always wage war against you, they will always attack you as long as they have the capacity.” He further stated that “The government of Indonesia right now is being directed by America to service its needs and the primary need of America is to bury Islam particularly in Indonesia.”

He continues by stating that “…Hence our religion Islam, our nation and our country is currently being threatened by foreign races with all manner of libels, with the bombings in Bali, with explosions everywhere, all of those are the plots of non-believers whose aims are to weaken and profane the believers of Islam.”

Therefore, Abu Bakar Ba’asyir is somehow trying to claim that the Bali bombings were done by non-Muslims and this is similar to the September 11th conspiracy theory. However, this is clearly ridiculous and Osama Bin Laden and other brutal killers are proud of ordering the killings of many innocents and many Islamists have either been caught or were found dead at the carnage they inflicted on others.

These statements can be found on page 166 and 167 of Zachary Abuza’s book called Militant Islam in Southeast Asia, Crucible of Terror. Zachary Abuza also states that “Although Abu Bakar Ba’asyir was named by both Malaysia and Singapore as a prime suspect and a leader of Jemaah Islamiya network, he continued to live and preach openly until October 2002.” He also told Zachary Abuza personally that “I　am not a member of Al-Qaida, but I really respect the struggle of Osama Bin Laden, who has bravely represented the world’s Muslims in their fight against the arrogant United States of America and their allies.”

Yet what logic can be found in these words by Abu Bakar Ba’asyir? After all, Al-Qaida and the Taliban were involved in the massacres of thousands of Shia Muslims in Afghanistan. This was followed by countless numbers of terrorist attacks against Shia Muslims and other non-Sunni’s in Iraq; and of course innocent Sunni Muslims have been killed by radical Sunni Islamists.

Yet in the paranoid world of Abu Bakar Ba’asyir he blames non-Muslims for doing terrorist attacks, despite clear evidence that they were done by Islamists. Then he praises Osama Bin Laden who ordered the killings of thousands of Muslims and non-Muslims, after all, according to the theories of Osama Bin Laden then killing innocents in cold blood is justified and a religious Muslim duty.

Amazingly, some Muslims and converts to Islam are still being brainwashed and manipulated by people like Abu Bakar Ba’asyir. He and Osama Bin Laden glorify religious martyrdom but then hide either behind words and the manipulation of language, in the case of Abu Bakar Ba’asyir; or when applied to Osama Bin Laden, then he just hides but orders other people of hate to kill in the name of Islam.

Islamic radicalism is a serious threat and you have so many conflicts involving Muslims, irrespective if internal Muslim wars or against non-Muslims. Alternatively, you have so many terrorist threats and religious persecution of non-Muslims in mainly Muslim nations is a daily reality. Therefore, this issue is not only serious and of major importance but it is also a nightmare.

The reason it is a nightmare is because the current jihad is in reality the same jihad that Mohammed started in the 7th century. However, unlike the old jihad, Islamists have a free reign to propagate their war throughout all societies because of the liberal nature of many non-Muslim societies.

Therefore, religious leaders like Abu Bakar Ba’asyir are dangerous but you have many hidden leaders keeping quiet but with the same aim, however, they desire the same aim but by being more astute and obtaining Islamization by stealth.

LEE JAY WALKER

http://www.leejaywalker.wordpress.com

leejayteach@hotmail.com

http://www.theseoultimes.com

http://www.leejay13.wordpress.com

 

 

NIGERIA and Christian martyrs

Nigeria and Christian Martyrs

By Lee Jay Walker
Tokyo Correspondent   –  THE SEOUL TIMES

The Boko Haram extremist group killed many Christians in northern Nigeria.

The nation of Nigeria is multi-ethnic and multi-religious and this nation also suffers because of radical Islam. In truth, Nigeria is a frontline nation in the struggle between Christianity, religious pluralism and an open society against radical Islam and dhimmitude. Therefore, Nigeria, just like Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia and Sudan, is a frontline nation in containing the dark forces of Islam and preventing the spread of Islamic Sharia law.

However, I will mainly focus on Nigeria and the recent Christian martyrs of this nation but I will touch on the importance of the other nations. After all, Christianity is still the most dominant religion in the world and unlike the majority of mainly Muslim nations, the vast majority of mainly Christian nations support religious freedom.

In contrast, the “heart of Islam” beats to supremacy, dhimmitude, persecution, and either religious alienation or in cases like Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia; then the “heart of Islam” beats to the annihilation of all religious minorities. The differences between mainly Christian nations and mainly Muslim nations when it applies to religious freedom, is clearly a million miles apart.

After all, let us not get bogged down by major and intense debates; instead let us look at the stark reality. If a male Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, atheist, or other, had sex with a Muslim female, then this would be punishable by death in Saudi Arabia and in other conservative Muslim controlled societies. Even so-called moderate mainly Muslim nations would be in a fix and a spell in prison may suffice.

If Muslims had the same constraints in nations like America, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and a host of other nations, then you would have a huge outcry by both Muslims and liberals alike. However, such discrimination is happening, but of course it is brushed under the carpet in order to appease either Islamists, one world pipe dreamers, moral relativists who excuse everything under the sun and a host of others who desire to manipulate reality.

However, for nations on the frontline it is very different and of course Sunni Islamic bigotry and fascism is on the rise and it is essential for non-Muslims and Muslim moderates to tackle this hatred head on and not by “holding up the white flag.” Therefore, I will re-focus on the need to not only remember the Christian martyrs of Nigeria but the importance to understand why they were killed and how they stood up for religious freedom, liberty, and all the values that decent people all over the world support.

In July 2009, the sword of radical Sunni Islam was once more in action and the Boko Haram extremist group killed many Christians in northern Nigeria. Churches were set ablaze and Christians became open targets and many were told to either convert to Islam or die. This statement was given to three Christian pastors because if they converted to Islam then pastors Sabo Yukubu, Sylvester Akpan, and George Orji would be alive today.

Despite the terrible violence that was going to be enacted on them they all remained firm and choose the Christian faith over the dark forces of militant Islam which is based on the Koran, the Hadiths, and then enforced with the implementation of Sharia Islamic law. These pastors, who are real believers of God and love, gave up everything so that “the light of religious freedom, liberty, and truth” could shine during this terrible time of Islamic barbarity.

Therefore, while they were being tormented and tortured by radical Sunni Islamists these three brave individuals gave everything and put their trust in God and the Christian faith.

Even if you are not a Christian, just think of the firm conviction that they had and just look at the contrast and how people abandon friends over small issues. Yet Sabo Yukubu, Sylvester Akpan, and George Orji gave up everything in order that “hope, love, freedom, and justice” would emerge victorious and of course this was based on their Christian faith and in the knowledge of everlasting peace on The Day of Judgement.

However, look at the contrast, you just had Koranic inspired hatred and Hadiths which justify killing infidels during jihad. Of course, for the three innocent pastors and other Christians, they had never done anything wrong but in the twisted logic of radical Sunni Islam then jihad is open to anything.

Given this, while they were being beheaded the Islamists were shouting “Allah Akbar” and other Islamic statements. The pain they suffered is outside of our imagination and the Islamic torments were loud and full of joy while these Christian martyrs were entering their final seconds. Can you imagine their fear, bewilderment, and utter shock at seeing Muslims baying for their blood and celebrating like they were doing something Godly?

Yet this madness in northern Nigeria is nothing new and Christians in the north are on the frontline against the tide of Islamic hatred and dhimmitude. Yes, many Muslims will also feel aghast at such barbarity in northern Nigeria, however, for others they will deem it their Islamic duty to kill and persecute in the name of Islam.

Today Christians are on the frontline in many nations and the same applies to other religious minorities, for example Buddhists in southern Thailand face the same sword and the same applies to Hindus in Pakistan and Kashmir. Also, only recently Christians were burnt alive in Pakistan and converts from Islam to Christianity in Somalia were also beheaded.

The Muslim leader of this madness in northern Nigeria was Mohammed Yusuf, and just like Osama Bin Laden , he also ran away despite ordering Muslims to die in jihad. However, he was found cowering and scared unlike the three innocent Christian pastors who remained loyal to Christianity and religious freedom.

Shortly after Mohammed Yusuf was caught he would soon be found dead and you have various accounts of what happened. However, sadly you have many other Mohammed Yusuf’s all over the world who also desire to kill infidels in the name of Islam.

This madness will never end if appeasement is the answer or if political leaders like Obama, the President of America, make false statements about the real nature of aspects of Islam. I should also stress that “important and deadly facts about the Islamic faith are not being told.” However, Islamists are doing this carnage in the first place because of their deep knowledge of Islam and because killing apostates, forcing minorities into dhimmitude, and declaring jihad is all sanctioned by Mohammed and the Islamic faith.

Therefore, it is vital that these Nigerian Christian martyrs are never forgotten because Islamists and jihadists are also based in many Western nations and freedom and liberty must be a universal value and not limited to a pick and mix foreign policy.

More important, these three individuals, and so many others before them, gave everything because of their love of humanity. While the killers did everything because they hate religious freedom, liberty, justice, and equality. Instead, these brutal Islamic militants killed because of hatred and this darkness must be stopped firstly in frontline nations and then closer to home.

After all, this radical Sunni Islamic jihad is much closer than we think and homegrown terrorists can be found in Australia, America, Germany, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and a host of other nations.

LEE JAY WALKER

http://www.leejaywalker.wordpress.com

leejayteach@hotmail.com

http://www.theseoultimes.com

http://leejay13.wordpress.com

 

INDONESIA and Islamic terrorism

Indonesia and Islamic Terrorism

By Lee Jay Walker     –  THE SEOUL TIMES
Tokyo Correspondent

An Islamic school in Indonesia

The government of Indonesia faces many internal problems because of the geographical reality of this nation and ethnic and religious tension does engulf Indonesia from time to time. However, what is worrying is the possible collusion between radical Sunni Islamists and the security services of Indonesia. Therefore, is collusion happening in places like Sulawesi and West Papua (Irian Jaya) or is it a long-term goal of containing Christians and ethnic minorities?

If we turn the clock back to 2001 and focus on events in that year, then it is clear that either collusion was happening or events happened because it was a direct policy of the government of Indonesia?

This applies to Laskar Jihad because this brutal Sunni Islamic terrorist organization sent even more fighters to central Sulawesi in order to persecute Christians. Laskar Jihad, like other past or current Islamic terrorist organizations, is brutal, barbaric, and cowardly.

Laskar Jihad, just like other radical Sunni Islamic terrorist organizations, believe that it is their Koran-Hadith inspired duty to kill innocents and to install fear. Therefore, the region of Sulawesi was a paradise for them to cause mayhem and to create a major gulf between both communities. Given this, events spiralled out of control and inter-religious clashes erupted because these outsiders to Sulawesi desired to kill in the name of Islam.

However, much more disturbing is the role of the government of Indonesia or elements within the security services and military. After all, Laskar Jihad was given a free reign to enter the region and this radical Sunni Islamic terrorist network was not removed from this delicate region. Therefore, surely collusion was taking place, if so, then how can religious or ethnic minorities feel secure in Indonesia?

After all, it is noticeable that in Sulawesi and West Papua that Islamists and the government of Indonesia do have vested interests which overlap. Also the situation in East Timor in the past mirrored covert operations based on systematic terror and fear.

Yet East Timor belonged to the “old world” of nationalism and preserving the nation state of Indonesia. However, just like the Palestinian situation, it became clear that Islamic terrorism and militant organizations were on the rise. The secular nature of Palestinian resistance now lies in tatters because Hamas and others now have a clear Islamic agenda, therefore, Sulawesi and West Papua are seeing a “new world” whereby Islamists have an ideological motive in spreading hate and dhimmitude.

Zachary Abuza, the author of Militant Islam in Southeast Asia, Crucible of Terror, states “The government never prevented the Laskar Jihad militia from coming, nor did it try to expel them. Muslim paramilitaries were reportedly armed with machine guns (including M-16s) and rocket-propelled grenades, forcing thousands of Christians to flee.”

This raises serious issues because it appears that the government of Indonesia and various radical Islamic organizations do share a common ground. Of course, many Indonesian political leaders do not share the same theme but important elites within powerful institutions do share similar concerns, albeit from different perspectives.

Zachary Abuza comments that “First, Jafar Umar Thalib and the Laskar Jihad have considerable political support. Vice President Hamzah Haz has been a staunch defender of the organization and helped get Thalib acquitted in January 2003.” Zachary Abuza also states that “…while the military has at times had to employ force against the Laskar Jihad, the reality is that the two organizations have the same goal in preventing secessionist movements from succeeding, as happened with East Timor.”

However, the Indonesian government will clampdown when vested interests are threatened and this applies to Islamic terrorist attacks in Bali or against hotels, and other economic based attacks. Also, it appears that the government will take action against international Islamic jihadists rather than home-grown Islamists.

Once more, Zachary Abuza comments that “Until the Bali bombing, Indonesia took few constructive measures in the war on terrorism. The Singaporean, Malaysian, Philippine, and U.S. governments all expressed utter frustration with the Indonesian government, and despite many appeals, the Indonesians did not arrest any Indonesian suspects wanted abroad.”

Therefore, just like the government of Pakistan which manipulated radical Sunni Islamists to cause mayhem in Afghanistan and Kashmir; the government of Indonesia had similar vested interests when it applied to domestic issues.

However, the Pakistan government can no longer control elements within Pakistan because Islamists have been emboldened and they desire to enforce Islamic Sharia law and dhimmitude throughout the nation. Indonesia does not face this problem because the centre is much stronger but it is a dangerous game to play and it is clear that religious minorities and secularists in Indonesia are worried about this.

Also, Islamists will have ample opportunities to stir mayhem because various parts of Indonesia remain tense and another major incident could easily ignite tensions. The people of West Papua may also witness Islamization because of increasing Muslim migration and Islamic organizations which have a shared agenda with the government of Indonesia.

In an article published by Asia News in 2006 it stated that “Islamic extremist groups are entering West Papuan territory, with the consent of elements of the Indonesian army, to set up bases there.” Therefore, this part of Indonesia faces severe problems and Islamic radicals and government agencies have similar objectives. Given this, many Papuans are worried about religious persecution and state-sanctioned persecution.
Therefore, Christian areas of Indonesia face a frontal attack against them and this applies to Javanization, Islamization, direct government policies, and the threat of Islamic terrorism in sensitive parts of Indonesia is always possible.

This policy does not apply to the whole of Indonesia and it must be mentioned that this nation is very complex because Christians have much greater freedom in Indonesia than in the majority of mainly Muslim nations. Yet for Christians in sensitive areas of national interest or in areas of distinct divisions, then the situation is very different.

Despite this, it is clear that the implementation of Islamic Sharia law is a worry for all religious minorities, moderate Muslims and secularists. Therefore, radical Islamic organizations must not be given a free reign because if this happens, then the only victory will be for the dark forces of humanity and this means radical Sunni Islam and the implementation of Sharia Islamic law.

It is now vital that pressure is put on all nations which are colluding with radical Islamic terrorist organizations or with radical Islamic educational institutions because this is where the brainwashing begins. Therefore, more pressure must be put on Indonesia to clampdown against radical Islamic institutions and to stop the manipulation of these networks when it comes to secessionist problems within Indonesia.

LEE JAY WALKER

leejayteach@hotmail.com

http://www.leejaywalker.wordpress.com

http://www.theseoultimes.com

 

 

ACEH in INDONESIA passes stoning to death law

Aceh in Indonesia Passes Stoning to Death Law

By Lee Jay Walker
Tokyo Correspondent –  THE SEOUL TIMES

Flag of Aceh. The Free Aceh Movement (Indonesian: Gerakan Aceh Merdeka: GAM), also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front (ASNLF), was a separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region of Sumatra from Indonesia.

The nation of Indonesia is multi-ethnic and multi-religious but just like Nigeria religious issues and tensions remain. In northern Nigeria many states in the north were allowed to introduce Sharia Islamic law, however, for Christian minorities this was a nightmare because they became threatened by the brutal reality of Islamic Sharia law. Therefore, will Aceh inspire Islamists in other parts of Indonesia in the future and what about being equal in law?

In the past you had a brutal civil war in Aceh between the Free Aceh Movement who wanted either an independent state or real autonomy within Indonesia. However, the tragic events of the tsunami in 2004 altered the internal situation and central forces and the Free Aceh Movement both compromised in order to resolve many long standing issues.

Prior to the tsunami in 2004 the civil war had been ongoing and in 2001 the government of Indonesia allowed a broader role of Islamic Sharia Law in Aceh. However, this was also followed by a fresh Indonesian military offensive in 2003-2004 but events would unfold after the tsunami and a peace deal was struck in 2005 between the Free Aceh Movement and the government of Indonesia.

The region of Aceh is diverse but the vast majority of people follow Islam and this applies to approximately 98% of the population. The other 2% of people in Aceh are Buddhist, Christian, or Hindu. However, in Indonesia the religious issue is complex because despite the majority of people being Muslim you still have sizeable minorities who follow other religions.

Christianity is the second major faith in Indonesia and accounts for 9% to 13% of the entire population. Also, in recent decades this faith is growing and thriving despite bouts of persecution. Therefore, just like in Nigeria, the role of Islamic Sharia law is serious because many minorities fear religious persecution and discrimination.

Many provinces throughout Indonesia have opted to implement aspects of Islamic Sharia law but these infringements have been limited in scope when compared to Aceh. For according to reports in recent days the region of Aceh will allow people to be stoned to death in cases of adultery and other draconian laws based on Sharia will also be implemented.

Therefore, the slippery slope is starting to gain in momentum and this bodes ill for Indonesia just like it does for northern Nigeria. After all, in northern Nigeria you have many tensions between Christians and Muslims and only recently you had more Christian martyrs beheaded by radical Islamists.

Currently in Indonesia it is clear that Christians face pressure and restrictions in Aceh, West Java and South Sulawesi and the role of Islamic Sharia law will only add to this problem. In other parts of Indonesia, for example North Sulawesi and Papua, Christians form a majority while sizeable communities can be found around Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Maluku, and other parts of Indonesia.

In Padang in West Sumatra you are seeing growing infringements on non-Muslims because all females must wear headscarves irrespective if Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or whatever faith or no faith. Also, in some parts of Indonesia radical Islamists are putting pressure on local leaders about preventing new Christian churches to be built or to close down churches.

Indonesian Islam was always very diverse because of past influences and traits of Hinduism and Buddhism can be found throughout a vast part of Indonesia. However, in modern day Indonesia it is clear that radical Islamic networks are trying to impose a more brutal and harsh version of Islam and this bodes ill for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Aceh was always different because Islam was firmly established a long time ago and conservative versions are more natural in this part of Indonesia. Yet it is like northern Nigeria, how can non-Muslims feel secure or equal under Sharia Islamic law?

If you have a legal system which is based on equality for all ethnic and religious groups then the threat of control is lifted. However, what will happen in Aceh if a Muslim converts to Christianity, Hinduism, or any other religion? Will this individual be killed like it states in the Koran and the Hadiths?

Also, in the future non-Muslim missionary work may be curtailed while Middle Eastern funding continues to spread a dark shadow over Indonesia. Even more alarming, radical Sunni Islamists will be encouraged and they will increasingly put pressure on minorities by spreading radical Islam and enforcing dhimmitude on all minorities.

The Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and other similar organizations are determined to Islamize both moderate Islam in Indonesia and society on the whole. They propagate their version of Islam and then persecute minorities like Ahmadiyya Muslims and Christians.

Therefore, in modern day Indonesia the threat of radical Islam is real and the implementation of stoning people to death for adultery is a slippery step and one that is all too common in the history of Islamization.

After all, in Afghanistan you once had Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims, and many branches of Islam were once more moderate in this nation. Yet in time the fullness of Islam was implemented via the teachings of the Koran, the Hadiths, and the implementation of Islamic Sharia law and the consequences of this was the destruction of Buddhism and Hinduism.

Indonesia is still “a young democracy” and this nation is extremely diverse in terms of ethnicity and religion but in the past pluralism won the day. However, today this pluralism is being threatened on many fronts and the introduction of stoning people to death for adultery in Aceh could further embolden other regions to implement Sharia in full.

Given this, it is essential for all minorities to work together and alongside moderate Muslims in order to preserve a society based on secularism. The “heart” of Indonesia faces many challenges but this issue could tear this nation apart if it gets out of control.

Radical Islamists will also do their best to spread hatred and their hatred is indeed deep. Therefore, the government of Indonesia must do more to tackle this issue and appeasing Islamists is not the way forward because they want to spread the Islamic culture and to enforce a monoculture on the people of Indonesia.

LEE JAY WALKER

leejayteach@hotmail.com

http://www.theseoultimes.com

 

If you have any views visit the discussion board.

 

2016 Olympic Bid and Racist Governor of Tokyo

2016 Olympic Bid and Racist Governor of Tokyo

By Lee Jay Walker     
Tokyo Correspondent    –  THE SEOUL TIMES

Shintaro Ishihara (石原 慎太郎), who was on Sept. 30, 1932, is a Japanese author, politician and the governor of Tokyo since 1999.

The Governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, desires to bring the Olympics to Japan, however, if this happens then what happened to the Olympic ideal? After all, we are talking about a racist and sexist who denies the Rape of Nanking and who blames foreign nationals for crime. Therefore, if Tokyo wins the right to host the 2016 Olympics it means that the “family of nations” is in the hands of a racist and sexist leader.

Therefore, it is up to individuals and organizations to campaign against the Tokyo Olympic bid because of past statements that Ishihara made. I am not talking about mild comments; on the contrary, I am talking about blatant nationalism and sexism.

I always believed that the Olympic ideals were meant to bring people together under one banner and where males and females were respected equally. However, clearly this does not apply to the Governor of Tokyo.

In a past article I mentioned that Ishihara “desires to leave a legacy” and if Tokyo wins then Ishihara and nationalists can gloss over their extreme views. Also, it will embolden other racists and sexists to pin the blame on foreign nationals and to follow the same racist path to power.

However, the real legacy of Ishihara is being anti-Korean, anti-Chinese and anti-foreign by nature. At the same time Ishihara is clearly sexist and how strange it would be for a person who deems females to be inferior and who wants to keep Japan for the Japanese, to be given his glory day!

All nations have a negative past however we expect our major leaders to move on and try to start afresh. However, Ishihara is very dangerous because he is keeping the heart of racial hatred alive and he belittles the history of both China and Korea by making outlandish statements. Given this, it is essential that the Olympic Committee understands the real motives of this unashamed individual who mocks the memory of many people, and who wants to employ revisionism and hatred of others in order to maintain power.

In my last article about Ishihara I stated “….he is a dangerous maverick who installs anti-Korean and anti-Chinese hatred. Not only this, we are talking about a rampant sexist who made an alarming comment about the role of women in society. Ishihara also belittled Africans in another tirade and the only reason he remains so silent recently, is because the nationalist leader of Tokyo understands that he is under the international spotlight. Therefore, it is essential to enlighten people about this individual who stokes up hatred towards others via un-logical outbursts of inhumanity.”

In 1990, Ishihara mocked the memory of China and he belittled one of the worse crimes of the 20th century. Not only this, he is mocking the memory of real pain and sorrow and a crime against humanity. After all, vast numbers of people were killed and babies were slaughtered and many members of the Imperial Japanese Army raped tens of thousands of Chinese women.

Despite this, Ishihara stated in a Playboy interview that “People say that the Japanese made a holocaust but that is not true. It is a story made up by the Chinese. It has tarnished the image of Japan, but it is a lie.” Also, more recently Ishihara gave his blessing to the film called The Truth about Nanjing (Nanking) and in typical nationalist style this film ignores reality and instead panders to the nationalist heart and to people who despise China.

Therefore, it is vital that the Olympic Committee understands the true nature of Ishihara. After all, behind all the smiles in Japan, just like child abduction in this nation of thousands of mixed blood children, you have a sinister motive and this is based on rampant nationalism and extremism amongst certain elites in Japan.

Therefore, would the Olympic Committee award Germany the Olympics if the local mayor stated that the holocaust was a myth? If Japan wins the vote in early October then what would this say about the Olympic dream and ideal?

After all, the Olympics should be based on harmony but Ishihara does not support harmony or sexual equality. He commented about women that “old women who live after they have lost their reproductive function are useless and are committing a sin.” Therefore, this person must be exposed and the same applies to the hidden nature of racism and sexism within the logic of the Governor of Tokyo.

LEE JAY WALKER

http://www.leejaywalker.wordpress.com

leejayteach@hotmail.com

http://www.theseoultimes.com

 

RANDY COLLINS and Child Abduction in JAPAN

Randy Collins and Child Abduction in Japan
Tokyo Correspondent Walker Introduces Special Story

Special Contribution         –  THE SEOUL TIMES 
By Randy Collins

Child abduction in Japan getting serious

I am the Tokyo Correspondent of The Seoul Times and I have been honoured in recent months by many left behind parents. All these left behind parents are victims because of the Japanese political and legal system which is allowing child abduction, parental alienation, cultural alienation, religious alienation, and linguistic alienation.

Both Walter Benda and David Brian Thomas who founded The Children’s Rights Council of Japan (http://www.crcjapan.com) state that “the best parent is both parents.” This organization is trying its best to fight against the injustices of the Japanese legal system and the political system which is allowing child abduction.

This article highlights the personal pain and sorrow of Randy Collins and it is “a real story and tragedy” that could happen to anyone because of the Japanese political and legal system.

Before reading, just close your eyes and think how you would feel if the most precious thing in your life was taken away from you. How would you cope? How would you keep on fighting?

The pain and anguish is “soul destroying” and sadly national governments are not doing enough to challenge Japan.

I firmly believe that a central organization like The Children’s Rights Council of Japan needs greater financial and political support in order to end this injustice. Also, it is vital that the mass media gets involved because this crisis will continue to grow.

This article by Randy Collins is very emotional because every day he knows that parental alienation is happening and remember the other victims in all these tragedies. After all, many grandparents may never see their grandchildren again?

Therefore, please read the article below written by Randy Collins and then close your eyes and think for one moment, “how would you cope if the most precious thing in your life was taken away from you?”

ARTICLE BEGINS

My name is Randy Collins. On June 16, 2008, my world came crashing down. Unfortunately my story is not a rare one. It has happened to thousands of children and will continue to happen until Japan decides to get with the rest of the free world in the 21st century by signing the Hague Treaty and returning the illegally abducted children it has sanctioned the abductions of.

Reiko Nakata Greenberg Collins, a Japanese citizen who had lived in the United States for 25 years at that time, and I were married on September 1, 2001. She had a daughter from a previous marriage to another American. We made sure her daughter was in one of the best private schools in the state. She was a very bright and fun girl to watch grow up. Even though she was not my biological daughter, I still considered her my daughter.

On March 3, 2003 we had a baby boy, Keisuke Christian Collins. During the entire pregnancy she slept in another room. I was naïve and thought this must be a cultural thing. Months turned in to years, and in March of 2008 my wife of 7 ½ years and I were beginning the process of a divorce. She was still sleeping in the same bed as our son till the day I moved out of our home. She slept in another bedroom and in the same bed as my son for 6 of our 7 ½ years of marriage. I later found out from her previous husband she had done the same thing with him, which led him to file for divorce from her.

I moved out of our house in late March and moved in to a house a few miles away. After telling me for a few months her parents were going to pay off the house and she was going to live in it, she said she wasn’t going to stay in the house after all. When I asked where she was moving to, she would never tell me. In the beginning of June she finally said she was moving to an apartment in a neighboring city. Had I thought it through, I would have noticed that the monthly payment on the apartment was going to be much more than the payment on our house. It also would have taken her daughter out of the school district she was attending. This was only a decoy as she had already made the plans to flee the country.

Being concerned for my son’s safety, and after I learned of numerous news stories’ related to Japan’s permissive acceptance of international child abductions, I obtained a Superior Court order on June 13, 2008 in which Reiko was to turn over my son’s passport to the Japanese Consulate and neither of us was to remove our son from Orange County, California. I immediately notified the Japanese Consulate in Los Angeles on June 13th after the court verdict. The exact words I got from them when I told them of the courts ruling were “We don’t care”. When I made mention that I had concerns for my son’s safety from being abducted, he said “They are Japanese citizen and are free to go where they want”. I told him my son was born here in the United States, not in Japan.

The last day I saw or heard Keisuke’s voice was Father’s Day on June 15, 2008. We had spent the day together. He wanted to go to my church and see Pastor John. We had lunch, and went to his favorite place, The Discovery Science Center. He loved dinosaurs and the Discovery Center had a fun interactive dinosaur’s exhibit. A couple hours after dropping Keisuke at his mother’s, Reiko called to ask me if Keisuke was feeling alright during the day. I had told her yes. She said that Keisuke was now vomiting. Since my next day of custody was the next evening for dinner, I said let’s see how he feels tomorrow. Little did I know she was finalizing her plot she had been putting in place for a very long time.

The next morning on June 16th at around 11:30, Reiko had left me a voice mail message saying Keisuke was still not feeling well and we could make up the day with Keisuke another time that week. Not thinking anything more about it, I knew my next day with Keisuke would be June 19th. When I went to pick him up on the afternoon of June 19th, there was no answer at the door. Since I knew Reiko had a doctor’s appointment that afternoon, I figured she had forgotten I was to pick Keisuke up. I left several messages on her cell phone. Minutes turned in to hours. Still there was no response from the messages I had been leaving. Shortly before 5:00 pm I called my attorney to tell her Reiko’s lack of response to my calls. My attorney called Reiko’s attorney who responded with “I can’t talk to you. I’ve been in contact with the State Bar’s ethics committee.”

My attorney advised me I needed to get in to the house to see what was happening. I am still the owner of the house and went through a door I knew was always open. When I did, I found that all of their clothes were gone. The cats and dogs were gone as well. It was learned later in the investigation that Reiko had made that call to me on June 16th from Seattle Airport. She had fled earlier that morning from the Los Angeles International Airport to Seattle and then off to Narita, Japan, to live with her parents Ken and Miyuki Nakata in Chiba, Yotsukaido. This was just 3 days after the court ruling that neither of us was to remove Keisuke from Orange County California.

This was not planned in a spur of the moment. During the divorce proceedings it was learned Reiko had transferred tens of thousands of dollars from our Home Equity Line of Credit to her mother’s account for over the past year. I was working full time and going to school. Reiko was paying the bills as my time was already stretched. Little did I know that during this time she was writing checks from our Equity Line to her parents without my knowledge or consent. She also was doing this after divorce papers had been filed.

This is in direct violation of our legal summons because on page 2 of our divorce summons it states that no real or personal property is to be sold, transferred, or deplinished during the course of the divorce proceeding. Her plan also entailed the knowledge of how the airline system and passport system worked. It is highly unlikely Reiko had such knowledge herself. However, her father, Ken Nakata is a retired pilot with Japan Airlines. It is highly coincidental that her parents came to live in our house from October 2007 up to only a few weeks prior to Reiko kidnapping Keisuke and fleeing to Japan.

I called the local police. They informed me that all they could do was to take a report. I also contacted the FBI. All they could do was take a report. I contacted the State Department. They took a report and wrote letters to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Of course, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will do nothing to bring our illegally abducted children back to their native country. Welfare and Whereabouts visits have been requested to Reiko, but she refuses to answer the requests.

I have learned more about Japan’s behavior and lack of basic decency in regard to International Child Abductions than I ever thought I would or need to. Thousands of American children have been abducted by a Japanese parent in the past ten years. Not one child has ever been returned to the United States. Japan accounts for over 22% of all international child abductions by a Non Hague country. If a child born in Japan is abducted by a foreigner, Japan is quick to take the steps to make sure that child is returned. Yet Japan does not extend the same basic decency of reciprocity it demands from other countries.

In April of 2004 Reiko’s parents came for a visit. During this time she had asked me to sit down with her and her parents. Reiko had told me she had been seeing a marriage counselor and asked if I would go too. I said I absolutely would. In fact I had asked her a few times before that to see one but she refused. Being a person of divorce, I did not want my son to have to go through it too. When I asked her for the name and phone number of the counselor she would never give it to me. Once her parents went back to Japan, she dropped it all together. She had no intentions whatsoever to see a counselor with me. Had she done so, she would have had to account for her behavior.

I do not claim to be the perfect husband. All marriages have their ups and downs. But I never did anything to deserve my son being taken away from me. No parent does. Our marriage didn’t work. I tried but Reiko had no interest in being a wife. All she wanted from either of her husbands was a child. We were both used by her for this reason. Once she got pregnant, her husbands were insignificant to her except for their income, as she never did or would work.

Every Easter we would go to Hawaii. Twice a year she would go up to visit the couple she lived with as an exchange student. Every summer she and the kids would visit her parents in Japan for 5-8 weeks at a time. Her daughter went to one of the best private schools in the state. She also had private piano and violin lessons. If reiko ever wanted to buy something, I never stopped her. When Reiko had cancer surgery, I was there for her. I went to the hospital. I was in the waiting room for hours nervously waiting for the doctor to come out. When I had to have hernia surgery, I had to walk to the hospital because she wouldn’t wake up to drive me the half mile up the street. When I had a heart attack and had to have 3 stents put in my arteries, she didn’t even come to the hospital till I called to have her pick me up. When her daughter asked me to be a chaperone for her 8th grade field trip or she wouldn’t want to go, I took the time off work to be there for her. When my family needed me, I was always there for every one of them.

I was and am a loving parent that loves my son more than anything in the world. Even when we were not getting along, I was always respectful to her and her parents, a common decency that was not reciprocated at all. I found out later she did the exact same things to her previous husband. Reiko even went so far as to break in to her previous ex husband’s house to try to steal things. The day Reiko fled to Japan, she called her only friend to tell her she was leaving the country and told her friend she could go in to our house and take whatever she wanted. Even though it was community property, the police told me I had no recourse to get any of our items back because Reiko gave her the OK to enter. Because of this, I had to completely start all over and buy things as simple as an oven mitt. Reiko took or gave away everything I/We owned.

I did all the things I needed to do to protect the abduction of Keisuke. None of it worked. A child has the right to a mother and a father. A mother and father have the right to have their child in their lives, even if the parents can no longer be together. No parent deserves this. A child is not a piece of property like a car or a home. No parent has the right to take the child away from another. It is arrogant, selfish, and criminal.

Based on past history, the chance of me ever seeing my son again is very small. Keisuke has the right to have a father in his life. I have the right to see my son. The Japanese government has continued to make up one excuse after another for not signing the Hague Treaty. Here are some of the quotes some Japanese officials have made regarding the abduction issue in the past 13 years.

1996 – “Kunio Koide, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official, said his government does not see the need for signing the treaty because Japan’s Protection of Personal Liberties Act prevents an individual from being illegally restrained. But Koide acknowledged that it would be difficult to prosecute a parent under that act.” Lost in a Loophole: Foreigners Who Are on the Losing End of a Custody Battle in Japan Don’t Have Much Recourse; Evelyn Iritani, Los Angeles Times, Thursday, September 19, 1996, Page E-1

1999 – “Though it helped draft the convention, Japan has yet to sign. Asked why, an official from the legal affairs bureau of the foreign ministry commented that Japan already has legislation to deal with child abduction. He cited the Protection of Personal Liberty Act, enacted shortly after World War II primarily to prohibit the buying and selling of people. Pressed further, the official admitted current legislation may not always be sufficient. In certain cases of international parental abduction, he said, “I think in Japan there is no way to bring back the child. It’s true, yes.” The official added that the ministry has invited experts on international law to discuss the practicalities of joining the Hague Convention. “I cannot promise when Japan will enter this convention,” he said.” Access Denied Children Innocent Victims of Custody Battles; Tim Large, The Daily Yomiuri, Saturday, December 11, 1999, page 7.

2000 – “A Foreign Ministry official, however, said pressure from within Japan to sign the treaty has yet to materialize.” Parents Driven to Kidnap Children; Rob Giloohy, Japan Times, December 13, 2000.

2002 – “According to an official in the Treaties Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ratification is not likely soon, since that would entail overhauling many domestic laws and procedures. “It would take a major initiative between government branches and ministries,” the official said. “This kind of cooperation does not exist at this time. The only signals we are getting are from the United States. At the domestic level, the government doesn’t feel the need exists.”” Estranged Parents Snatch Their Own Kids in “Abduction Friendly” Japan; Paul Baylis, Asahi Shimbun News Service, January 27, 2002.

2003 – “A spokesman for the treaty division of Japan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said the Hague Convention has not been ratified because “we’ve been studying it” since its ratification.” Divorced From Their Children In Japan, Foreign Fathers Have Few Custody Options; Doug Struck and Sachiko Sakamaki, Washington Post, Thursday, July 17, 2003; Page A9

2006 – “An official at the Foreign Ministry said, “We consider it an important treaty, but as we have to go over its legal aspects as well, we do not yet know when we can sign it.”

The Justice Ministry has been reviewing the convention with the help of legal experts for some years.”” Increased cross-national divorces raise concerns over parental abductions, Japan Economic Newswire, January 3, 2006, AND Japan remains haven for parental abductions, Sayo Sasaki, Kyodo News Service, January 6, 2006

2006 – “More than 25 years after the Hague Convention was completed, Japan’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs says that it is still studying the document. At a recent conference on child abduction held at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, a spokesman said the Ministry wasn’t opposed to the convention, but that “at present there is not enough support from Japanese nationals.”” Think of the Children: Japan’s prejudiced legal system encourages desperate parents to abduct their own kids; Tokyo Metropolis Magazine, January 2006.

2006 – “The Director General gave the expected responses, none of which indicated a willingness to be forward leaning and helpful. He pointed out that the Diet would have to agree to the Convention and that from a sociological and political point of view there is no Japanese constituency for such a move. He added some “personal” thoughts suggesting that abductions affected mostly military families, a contention the Consul General refuted. Director General Komatsu also suggested that the Japanese legal system is open to non-Japanese. While this is true, we countered that the courts have no power to enforce child support, visitation, or custody rulings and agreements. Therefore, this was not a useful recourse.” Letter from Andrea R. Mihailescu, Office of Children’s Issues, US State Department referring to Assistant Secretary of State Maura Harty’s meeting with Ichiro Komatsu, Director General of the International Legal Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA); February 26, 2006.

2007 – “There is no reason to hope for change any time soon: Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is still studying the document, more than 25 years after its inception.” Remember the Children,

Kevin Buckland, Tokyo Metropolis Magazine, January 19, 2007.

2008 – The Japanese government would not comment on specific cases of child abduction and in an exclusive statement to ABCNEWS.com never used the word “abduction.” “We sympathize with the plight of parents and children who are faced with issues of this kind, which are increasing in number as international exchange between people expands,” reads a statement from the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C. The embassy said that The Hague Convention was inconsistent with Japanese law, but that joining the convention was still under review. Spirited Away: Japan Won’t Let Abducted Kids Go, Russell Goldman, ABC News, Feb 26, 2008

2008 – “Japan is taking steps to move toward joining the Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. This will likely take a long time” Mitoji Yabunaka, Vice Foreign Minister, Japan, in a meeting with John Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State, May 8, 2008.

2008 – “The Justice Ministry will begin work to review current laws with an eye on meeting requirements under the 1980 Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.” Japan to Sign Hague Child Abduction Convention, Asahi Shinbun, Miako Ichikawa, May 10, 2008

2008 – “The ministry is at the beginning stage of considering accession to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.” “Mofa has recently decided that the Treaty had to be reviewed and considered by MOJ. Because domestic laws must be changed, ratification will “take a long time.”” Satsuki Eda, Japan Diet Upper House President meeting with US Embassy officials, September 21, 2008.

2008 – “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice are giving favorable consideration to signing the convention.” Mainichi Daily News, November 6, 2008.

2009 – “Japan has ratified many parts of The Hague Convention treaties over the years, but in terms of repatriation of kids, they have been claiming for 20 years now to be “studying” the issue. That’s Japan-speak for “we’re not interested in making any changes.” Japan Inches Toward Signing the Hague Treaty on Child Abductions, Terrie Lloyd, Japan Inc., April 4, 2009.

2009 – “Foreign Minister Nakasone said that Japan is studying its participation in the convention.” March 31, 2009 meeting between Foreign Minister Nakasone and Secretary Clinton.

These are supposedly highly intelligent men and women. How long does it take to review or study a document that has been in place for over 29 years? When is the Japanese government going to stop lying to the world and be a world citizen? The Japanese government and these abductors should be ashamed for the devastation they have caused for the loving and caring parents, as well as the cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents of these illegally abducted children.

I did not put Reiko and Keisuke on a plane to travel to Japan and then they decided not to come home. I did not marry Reiko and have a child in Japan and then move back to the United States only to fight to have my son returned back to the United States. Reiko and I were married in the United States. She had lived in the United States for over 30 years. Keisuke was born in the United States. Reiko Nakata Greenberg Collins violated State and federal laws by abducting our son. Japan is harboring an international fugitive. If any person is going to travel to another country, that person has a responsibility to adhere to the laws of that country. If that person violates those laws and flees to another country, that country has a moral, ethical, and legal responsibility to return these criminals back to the country to face the legal system for breaking the laws they have committed If you are going to visit a country, obey the laws or stay home.

This behavior of condoning and financially rewarding these abductors has been going on for decades. It is time Japan is held accountable for its behavior. It is time Japan shows it is a true “ally” of the United States and to other countries such as Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. An “Ally” doesn’t sanction, condone, and financially reward the abduction of our children. If this situation was reversed, Reiko would do everything she could to see her son.

The Japanese government and its citizens would do everything in its power to get Keisuke back to Japan. I am not asking for anything different. The difference is I, and the United States, have a different moral and ethical compass than Reiko Nakata Greenberg Collins, Ken and Miyuki Nakata, and the Japanese government in dealing with international child abductions. The Japanese have always had the façade of Honor and respect. Those are just words. Actions speak much louder than words. Japan’s actions show the real truth.

Any person or country that is respected or has ANY honor, does not support, condone, and financially reward the abduction of children. Only cowards kidnap helpless children. Only cowards support, condone, encourage, and financially reward the abduction of children. Hopefully the newly elected government will change the real truth of the cowards of the current and past Japanese governments and the selfish parents that continue to illegally kidnap our helpless children.

Randy Collins
Father of Keisuke Christian Collins—Abducted June 16, 2008
http://www.bringkeisukehome.com

 

ISLAMIC militants target Buddhists in Thailand

Islamic Militants Target Buddhists in Thailand

By Lee Jay Walker    –  THE SEOUL TIMES
Tokyo Correspondent

Islamic militants target Buddhists in Thailand

The Islamic insurgency in Southern Thailand is ongoing and political and military leaders in Thailand appear to be at a loss because of many internal political and economic convulsions. Yet it is clear that radical Islamists desire an independent state and this state is meant to be Muslim to the core, and all Buddhists are deemed to be expendable.

In Kashmir the Hindu minority was forced to flee because innocent civilians were targeted by Islamic jihadists and Serbian Orthodox Christians in Kosovo have witnessed the endless destruction of their Christian churches and culture.

A similar pattern can be seen because Buddhists face daily fears and gradual Islamization in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. While recently three Christian pastors in Northern Nigeria were beheaded by Sunni Islamists because they refused to renounce Christianity.

Sadly, more harrowing stories can be stated about the burning alive of Christians in Pakistan by Sunni Islamists and the continuing persecution of all minorities. Therefore, Ahmadiyya Muslims face the sword of Sunni Islam because of conservative hatred in Pakistan and Baha’is in Iran face severe restrictions and bouts of false propaganda by central forces in Iran. At the same time Christians face either dhimmitude or pogroms in Iraq alongside other minorities like the Shabaks, Yazidis, and Mandaeans because radical Islamists threaten all minorities.

In Southern Thailand the current Islamic insurgency is following a similar pattern and this pattern is based on the beheading of Buddhists, killing innocent civilians, killing teachers, and spreading darkness throughout Southern Thailand.

Of course Islamists and others want to silence the mass media and many writers fear the shackles of editors or they are turning a blind eye because of political correctness.

Therefore, we have ridiculous media attention about discrimination against Muslims with regards to being checked at airports or being denied dress freedom in France. However, does this really compare with beheading Buddhists in Southern Thailand or burning Christians alive in Pakistan? Also, remember that this is done in the name of Islam because these Islamists want an Islamic monoculture where they kill or persecute non-Muslims first and then kill fellow Muslims, like killing Ahmadiyya Muslims, because they are not deemed to be Muslim enough.

Turning back to Thailand it is clear that Muslims in the south feel alienated from the central state and the economic infrastructure is weak. However, many Buddhists in Thailand also face economic hardship and grinding poverty in parts of this nation yet they do not go around beheading Muslim religious leaders.

If Thailand doesn’t do more to respond to daily intimidation and the ethnic cleansing of Buddhists in Southern Thailand then clearly the situation is going to get even worse. It is also important to point out that radical Sunni Islamists in Indonesia and the Philippines, alongside global jihadists, could join the fray if this crisis continues to follow the same path.

This hatred is inspired by Mohammed because he stated in the Hadiths to not only kill infidels (non-Muslims) but that Muslims will be rewarded for killing infidels.

Therefore Islamists follows the sayings of Mohammed and in Hadith 9:4 Mohammed stated “Wherever you find infidels kill them; for whoever kills them shall have reward on the Day of Resurrection.” Mohammed also stated in Hadith 9:50, 57 that “No umma (a member of the Muslim community) should be killed for killing a kafir (an infidel) … Whoever changes his Islamic religion, kill him.”

Therefore, Islamic jihadists in Afghanistan, Chechnya, Indonesia, Iraq, Pakistan, Thailand, or wherever, are directly following the teachings of Mohammed. Given this, Islamic radicalism in Thailand and other parts of the world is a serious issue because minorities are being killed by Islamic jihadists because of the fascist nature of this ideology.

Zachary Abuza, author of Militant Islam in Southeast Asia (Crucible of Terror), and a host of other written material, highlighted the role of the madrasas (Islamic schools).

He stated “In their pursuit of the creation of Islamic states, many Southeast Asian jihadis established Islamic schools to indoctrinate, propagate, and recruit. The leaders of many militant groups in Southeast Asia, including the Laskar Jihad, Kampulan Mujahidin Malaysia, and Jemaah Islamiya, returned from Afghanistan and established a network of madrasas as the base of their operations and recruitment.”

Clearly it is obvious that many radical Islamists are being churned out in radical madrasas and national governments must either regulate these schools or provide an alternative system. If not, they will become a continuing breeding ground for killers of non-Muslims and Muslims alike, after all, the Taliban and Islamic indoctrination came through these radical Islamic schools and they had no qualms in killing Shia Muslims and other so-called Islamic heretics.

Therefore, whoever controls the mosque or madrasas is in a powerful position. It must be mentioned that not all madrasas are involved in hate inspired indoctrination, however, many are out of control and you have a state within a state and of course Pakistan is paying for this now because they allowed this dangerous situation to happen in the first place.

In modern day Thailand you have the false reality of stability in many parts of this nation and tourists from all over the world visit for various factors. However, in Southern Thailand you have a dangerous Islamic insurgency which beheads Buddhists, kills teachers, kills Muslims who are deemed to be loyal to Thailand, and other innocents.

Zachary Abuza also commented that “While the government has recently pledged more development funds for the restive south, the insurgency has never been about development. Sadly, as long as the conflict remains confined to the southernmost provinces, it will remain a low priority for the government, consumed with elite political machinations in Bangkok. And while Southern Thailand remains the single most lethal conflict in Southeast Asia, it remains a low priority for America and its allies in the region.”

Sadly it does appear that Zachary Abuza is correct because this issue is neglected and since 2008 it is clear that this insurgency is growing once more because more attacks and killings have been reported.

Therefore, the war within Islam is continuing because Islamic radicals are killing Muslims and Islamic leaders who are deemed to be infidels because they do not support the ongoing slaughter of innocents. At the same time Buddhists are living in fear and many have been killed in extremely cruel ways and of course many have fled this carnage.　

Sunai Phasuk, a political analyst at Human Rights Watch, commented that “Buddhist monks have been hacked to death, clubbed to death, bombed and burned to death.” Therefore, it is clear that this Sunni Islamic insurgency is following a familiar path and this applies to the destruction of all non-Muslim elements within society or the complete dhimmitude of all non-Muslims by the rule of fear.

The ongoing Islamic jihad in Southern Thailand could draw in other regional and global jihadists, and this could have dire consequences because you have Christian-Muslim tensions in parts of Indonesia and the Philippines. Also, if the Thai army is forced to retreat or adopt a containment policy then clearly Islamic jihadists will gain because they will have free areas in order to spread their dangerous ideology and cause further mayhem throughout the region.

At the same time the current Sunni Islamic insurgency hopes to cleanse the region of all Buddhists and to destroy Buddhist temples and architecture in yet another re-run of Afghanistan. Therefore, it is clear that the minority Buddhist community in Southern Thailand needs greater protection from radical Islamists.

If political leaders in Thailand betray the Buddhist minority then the consequences will be severe. Also, this part of Thailand could become yet another museum where Buddhism is eradicated by Islam?

LEE JAY WALKER

http://www.leejaywalker.wordpress.com

leejayteach@hotmail.com

http://www.theseoultimes.com

 

BANGLADESH and the Destruction of Hinduism and Buddhism

Bangladesh and the destruction of Hinduism and Buddhism
Islamization Blamed on UK for Partition of British India

By Lee Jay Walker
Tokyo Correspondent  – THE SEOUL TIMES

Image of Vishnu — Vishnu is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God. He is exalted as the highest God in Hindu sacred texts like the Taittiriya Samhita and the Bhagavad Gita.

The nation of Bangladesh is witnessing Islamization, just like Afghanistan in the distant past and currently now in Pakistan. It is clear that the Indian sub-continent flourished under both Hinduism and then Buddhism which came afterwards. Both faiths nurtured the very fabric of society but invading Islamic armies and the partition of India was one disaster after another. Therefore, just like Afghanistan, it would appear that one day you will have either complete Islamization or a very small minority which is on the margins of society.

Many stories are never told because of several factors. This applies to not being deemed important because of political factors and of course because of the abject failure of the mass media. Nearly everyone knows about the Palestinian problem or Tibet, but of course we have a deadly silence about the ongoing Islamization in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

However, the current crisis in Bangladesh should be headline news because minorities need to be supported and senior politicians in India must do more to raise this ongoing crisis. Also, the United Kingdom is responsible because the partition of India took place after the British colonial period and the Commonwealth should think about suspending both Bangladesh and Pakistan, on the grounds of failing to protect their respective minorities.

Before the partition of India took place you had sizeable minorities in what was to become Pakistan and Bangladesh. For example in modern day Pakistan the Sikh community is very small but prior to partition this community thrived in parts of what was to become Pakistan. Yet during partition many Sikhs were butchered and killed by Muslims, therefore, they had to flee from the outset.

Of course all religious groups suffered during partition and many innocents on all sides were murdered. Therefore, innocent Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and other minorities, fled in various directions because the situation was chaotic. However, if we look at events many decades later we see one clear reality and this reality is Islamization.

After all, the Hindu and Sikh communities of modern day Pakistan are very small and they face many hardships and it is clear that Islamization is in full swing. Also, in Bangladesh the Buddhist and Hindu minorities are dwindling rapidly and both communities have suffered greatly and the Christian community also faces many problems because of radical Sunni Islam. Yet in modern day India the Muslim population is still strong and vibrant.

Of course you have other minorities who also suffer enormous persecution, for example Christians and Ahmadiyya Muslims in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Also, in India some radical Hindus have attacked Christian minorities. Despite this, the nation of India is democratic and people from all faith groups can reach positions of power.

Also, the government of India believes in pluralism and Ahmadiyya Muslims have more rights in India than they do in Pakistan because radical Sunni Islamic zealots persecute the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in this nation. The same also applies to Shia Muslims in Pakistan, because often Shia Muslims are killed by Sunni Islamic extremists but in India they have much more freedom.

Therefore, Muslim minorities have greater freedom in India and other religious minorities like Jains and Zoroastrians can pray and worship freely in modern day India. It also must be remembered that Zoroastrians fled to India in order to escape religious genocide because Islamic fanatics destroyed Zoroastrianism in ancient Persia (modern day Iran) and other places in Asia where this faith had thrived before the rise of Islam.

If we look at the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh and Pakistan then it is clear that millions of Hindus have fled both nations because of systematic persecution. The consequences of partition are clear and the same applies to the nature of both dominant faiths. After all, the Islamic population remains vibrant in India because of the nature of Hinduism; however, the Hindu population is in freefall in both Bangladesh and Pakistan because of the nature of Islam and its theory of superiority, dhimmitude, and inequality in law which is sanctioned by Islamic Sharia law.

Clearly the growth of Hindu militancy is the legacy of countless Islamic invasions and many massacres throughout history; and the legacy of British imperialism which enabled partition to take place. Also, the ongoing de-Hinduization of Bangladesh and Pakistan is ongoing, therefore, Hindu militants are rightly worried that Bangladesh and Pakistan is following the Afghanistan scenario, whereby all non-Muslims turn into dust and even ancient monuments face destruction at the hands of radical Sunni Islamists.

Therefore, several years ago the Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) held a major exhibition in America in order to highlight the continuing persecution of all minorities in Bangladesh.

Amalendu Chatterjee, HRCBM director, pointed out that the Hindu population was over 30 per cent in the 1940s in what was to become Bangladesh, however, today it is a mere 11 per cent. Given this, Amalendu Chatterjee comments that “It is time that the world should know what is happening with the Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.” He also stated that the reasons for the decline of the Hindu population is “…..because of the atrocities perpetrated on the Hindus by the ruling class all these years.”

Utsav Chakrabarti, a member of the Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism (FACT) stated that “All the representatives and their staffers reiterated the need to protect the rights of minorities and to deal with Islamic groups in a resolute manner.”

American political leaders gave their support and Ed Royce, a Republican member of the House of Representatives, wrote “The international community must take an action against these genocidal acts now before this culture is extinguished and the minorities forcibly killed, converted or exiled in the face of an underground jihad.”

Ed Royce also focused on the extreme ” … persecution faced by Hindus, Buddhists and Christians due to the threat posed by Islamic fundamentalism in Bangladesh.” This threat, just like the systematic persecution and killings of Christians in Somalia is ongoing and it is based on the Koran, the Hadiths and the teachings of Mohammed.

Frank Pallone Jr. who is a Democrat member in the House of Representatives stated that “I was proud to be the Congressional sponsor of this important exhibition on human rights in Bangladesh. I believe it helped bring much-needed attention to the plight of minorities in Bangladesh who have suffered from increasing attacks over the past few years.”

Rape was also highlighted because some Islamists use rape in order to convert Hindus to Islam forcibly. It is also important to add that Islamists use this same method in Egypt because countless numbers of Coptic Christian women have been raped by Muslims and then forcibly converted to Islam.

Therefore, Rosalind Costa who is a social worker highlighted the case of two girls who were raped and then forcibly converted to Islam after being gang-raped by Muslim jihadists. This applies to Rita Rani Das and Purnima Shil who were both gang-raped by Islamists.

The current reality is simple, in Pakistan the Hindu population is in complete freefall because only around 1% of the population is Hindu and now Islamization is taking place in Bangladesh. At the same time the Muslim population in India remains strong and vibrant. Therefore, it is clear that state sanctioned policies, Islamic radicalism and persecution is to blame and once more we are witnessing the reality of Islam in action.

Today all minorities face persecution and alienation in Bangladesh and Pakistan because of the role of radical Islam and natural Islamization based on discrimination and persecution. After all, inequality and discrimination is part and parcel of Islamic Sharia law and the Hadiths.

Therefore, will the international community stand up and debate this issue seriously or will the international community remain shackled by fear and indifference?

What is clear is that Buddhism and Hinduism is in mortal danger in Bangladesh and Christian minorities and Ahmadiyya Muslims also suffer.

When the partition of India happened it was clear that the Hindu minority was sizeable in both Bangladesh and Pakistan. However, within a short period of time we are seeing the demise of Hinduism in Pakistan and now the same is happening to both Buddhists and Hindus in Bangladesh.

LEE JAY WALKER

http://www.leejaywalker.wordpress.com

http://www.theseoultimes.com

leejayteach@hotmail.com

 

 

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY sits back as JAPAN steals children

International Community Sits Back as Japan Steals Children

Special Contribution
By Shane Clarke  –  THE SEOUL TIMES

 

Child abduction

According to the Childrens’ Rights Council of Japan (http://www.crcjapan.com) more than 20,000 children have been abducted to Japan under its policy of state-sanctioned kidnapping. By all accounts, the majority of these children are denied any kind of access whatsoever to their left-behind, non-Japanese parent.

This denial is a direct violation of their human rights as established by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Article 8.1 of the Convention states that parties undertake to respect the right of the child to preserve his or her identity, including nationality, name and family relations as recognised by law without unlawful interference.

Article 8.2 states, “Where a child is illegally deprived of some or all of the elements of his or her identity, States Parties shall provide appropriate assistance and protection, with a view to re-establishing speedily his or her identity.”

Article 9.3 states, “States Parties shall respect the right of the child who is separated from one or both parents to maintain personal relations and direct contact with both parents on a regular basis, except if it is contrary to the child’s best interests.”

Article 11.1 states, “States Parties shall take measures to combat the illicit transfer and non-return of children abroad.”

Finally, Article 11.2 states, “To this end, States Parties shall promote the conclusion of bilateral or multilateral agreements or accession to existing agreements.”

Japan ratified this convention in 1994, bringing upon itself a legal obligation to uphold childrens’ rights as prescribed in the aforementioned Articles. In April 2008, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs released their third report on the Convention, boasting how they had altered their civil and criminal laws to bring them into line with the Convention. However, that is, unfortunately, where the story ends, as far as Japan is concerned.

To date, Japan has consistently violated the Articles in this Convention, and refused to enforce the laws established by its ratification in favour of foreign nationals. It protects and supports those who violate childrens’ human rights, in direct violation of the Convention, hiding behind false smiles and ludicrous claims of doing what’s best for the children concerned. How can denying a child access to one of its parents ever be in his or her best interest, unless that parent is Joseph Fritzl?

So, where is the UN in all of this? Where is that organisation established to maintain peace and security and to protect human rights throughout the world?

The UN are fully aware of the situation regarding Japan and international parental child abduction. They are fully aware of Japan’s consistent abuse of childrens’ human rights, in direct contravention of their Convention. So, why are they not stamping their feet and demanding that Japan fulfil its obligations? Why are they not bringing Japan before the UN Court of Human Rights to try to explain themselves?

Then there is the International Court of Justice. This is supposedly a place where one state can bring an action against another if it feels this other state has committed a crime under international law. So, why has no state brought an action against Japan on the child abduction and human rights violation issues? Again, answers on a postcard to the address above, please.

The International Law Commission has produced guidelines for establishing state responsibility, and Japan falls into a number of the prescribed categories.

Article 1 of the ILC Draft Articles states that “every internationally wrongful act of a State entails the international responsibility of that State.”
Article 3 states that this responsibility cannot be avoided simply by reason of the fact that the act is lawful under internal law.

Obligations may be derived from treaties or Conventions, as shown in the case Case Concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Responsibility can also arise from the ill-treatment of nationals from a foreign state. It can be argued that the abducted children whose rights are being abused by Japan are nationals from a foreign state. Their left-behind parents usually are, and Japan’s denial of a fair hearing for these parents must surely qualify as ill-treatment.

It certainly violates Article 9.2 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that in any proceedings pursuant to Article 9.1, all interested parties shall be given an opportunity to participate in the proceedings and make their views known.

The ILC’s Draft Article 4 makes the state responsible for the activities of all its organs, including its police and judiciary. An example of this is Paraguay v USA. It should also be noted that these organs’ acts are still attributable to the state even if they have exceeded their powers under national law.

Moving on to the abductors themselves, under normal circumstances, a state cannot be held responsible under international law for acts committed by private individuals. However, state responsibility can arise if the state fails to fulfil one of its own duties arising in connection with the non-attributable act, as illustrated in the case of the Janes Claim, where Mexico was held responsible not for the death of Janes, but for failing to apprehend and punish the individuals responsible.

Japanese individuals are committing crimes against foreign nationals across the globe. Japan has an obligation under the UNCRC to punish those individuals. By refusing to do so, they are incurring state responsibility. So, I invite those people we entrust with protecting our rights around the world to explain to the victims of parental child abduction – both parents and children – why they continue to allow it to happen.

Like the candy house in the Hansel and Gretel fairytale, Japan displays a façade of sweetness for all to see. However, inside lies a nasty, dirty secret waiting to entrap any innocent who has the misfortune to step inside: A witch, who will cage and then eat any who fall within her grasp. Isn’t it time an international Hansel came along and pushed this witch into the oven and destroyed her, or must we continue to watch as she consumes more innocent lives?

SHANE CLARKE

Special guest writer