Islamic inquisition in Somalia and Southern Thailand

Islamic inquisition in Somalia and Southern Thailand

Lee Jay Walker

The Modern Tokyo Times

 

Buddhist monk injured in Thailand after an Islamic attack

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

The reality of Islam and how non-Muslim faiths were destroyed in the past can be seen by events in the modern world. Therefore, by focusing on Southern Thailand and Somalia in the modern period you can understand how non-Muslim faiths were exterminated by the sword of Islam. These two parts of the world also represent other parts of the world where minorities are on the brink of collapse because of ongoing Islamization.

Modern day academia and liberals desire to whitewash how Buddhism and Hinduism was destroyed in Afghanistan in the past and the same applies to other faith groups in other parts of the world which were crushed by Islam.  Yet the reality is that de-Hinduization is still ongoing in Pakistan and Kashmir just like Christianity is being eradicated in Somalia and Buddhism is being destroyed in Southern Thailand. The reasons behind the past massacres　and the ongoing pogroms is all based on the teachings of Mohammed.  Therefore, in Somalia and Southern Thailand the Islamic jihad continues in the 21st century and this reality is happening throughout the world where Muslims desire a complete Islamic monoculture.
 
In the last few weeks in Southern Thailand you have had three attacks against Buddhist civilians by the followers of　Islam.  Therefore, men, women, and children have been killed for following the Buddhist faith and it is clear that the armed forces of Thailand face a brutal Islamic foe.  Also, even when the armed forces of Thailand desire to bring stability and to quell the Islamic insurgency and to protect innocent civilians from fresh massacres, it is abundantly clear that many still pin the blame on the protectors rather than the Islamic insurgents who kill innocents in such barbaric ways.

It appears that the voice of the Dalai Lama is also very weak on issues like this because it does not suit his political agenda.  In fact, at the same time when Buddhists are being killed in Southern Thailand and face enormous pressure in the Chittagong Hill Tracts; the Dalai Lama appears to believe that jihad is not such a bad thing because it is based on the inner struggle.

The Dalai Lama stated that “Islam is the religion of the heart and needs to be protected. We should not generalize Islam as something fearful just due to a handful of miscreants. Jihad is not a medium of attack. There is a need to break this false notion as Jihad actually means to conquer the evil within individuals….”

Also, the Dalai in the past commented that “Nowadays to some people the Muslim tradition appears more militant……..I feel that’s totally wrong.  Muslims, like any other traditions – same message, same practice.  This is the practice of compassion.”

Therefore, a major spiritual leader in the Buddhist community is whitewashing history and the modern reality for Buddhists in Southern Thailand and the Chittagong Hill Tracts.  Also, while Buddhist temples are prospering in Europe and North America because of openness then the Dalai Lama is distorting reality because he knows that Buddhist temples are not allowed in Saudi Arabia and other Islamic nations like the Maldives, Yemen, and so forth.

The Dalai Lama is not alone because important Christian leaders, politicians, liberals, and others, are also distorting reality and of course this is helping the Islamic cause and stealth jihad within democratic nations. 

Turning back to Thailand and Zachary Abuza who is the author of Conspiracy of Silence: The Insurgency in Southern Thailand, comments that “The militants also target Buddhists, whom they hope to drive away.  There is ample evidence to suggest that this plan is working: according to household registration statistics compiled by The Nation, 34,523 residents, mainly Buddhists, fled the three provinces between January 2004 and May 2005.”  (Page 73)

Zachary Abuza continues by stating “Indeed, the insurgency has led to a certain amount of de facto ethnic cleansing.  Thai officials believe that roughly fifty thousand Buddhists have fled the south.”  (Page 211)

Moderate Muslims have also been killed because conservative versions of Islam are spreading because of outside influence and internal factors.  Therefore, moderate Sha’afis and others have been killed by conservative followers of Sunni Islam who deem moderate Muslims to be apostates.

Zachary Abuza states that “This is the heart of Salafism: to remove all innovations (“impurities”) that have entered the religion since the death of the Prophet Mohammed.  The goal is to Islamicize society and to inculcate it with Salafi values and norms that will strengthen the movement, regardless of whether these values and norms are popular.  The militants have adopted the Wahhabite practice of takfir – that is, labeling fellow Muslims non-Muslims if they do not subscribe to Salafi values and practices.  They have systematically targeted moderate Muslims, Sufis, and others whom they find to be too secular or too connected to the state.”  (Page 128) 

In my article called Sunni Islamists slit the throat of a Christian mother in Somalia I stated that “The 36 year old Asha Mberwa was a mother of four and she had committed no crime and had harmed nobody.  However, Mohammed supported the killing of apostates therefore the Al-Shabaab killed the Muslim convert to Christianity in order to appease the Islamic god.”  

“In true Islamic justice an innocent convert to Christianity was killed in cold blood and bystanders were forced to watch while her throat was being cut.  Her death, like so many other Christian martyrs in Somalia, is a witness to the reality of Islamic Sharia law and the brutal teachings of Mohammed.  Therefore, the Islamic inquisition is in full swing in Somalia and Christians are being hunted down and killed.”

It is abundantly clear that Christians in Somalia are being hunted down and killed in many brutal ways. After this, Sunni Islamic members of the Al-Shabaab seek to find the children of Christian converts and then convert them to Islam, after killing their parents or parent.  Therefore, despite Christians being less than 0.2 per cent of the population in Somalia it is still not good enough for the holy warriors of Sunni Islam and the reality of this can be seen by the brutal murders of converts to Christianity.

Buddhists in Southern Thailand and Christians in Somalia are killed by radical Sunni Muslims and it is clear that these Islamic fanatics desire an Islamic monoculture and the eradication of all things deemed un-Islamic.  This madness is also turning on itself because moderate Muslims are deemed to be tafkir and the eradication of past culture is also deemed to be important.

In Thailand the mass majority of the population is Buddhist and the armed forces of Thailand are strong.  However, in Somalia the Christian community which is very small and lacks any power base is vulnerable and the followers of Sunni Islam desire to kill every single Christian in this country.

Yet despite the differences of both nations it is clear that Buddhists are still not protected from the Islamic insurgency in Southern Thailand.  Therefore, the future of Christianity is hanging by a thread in Somalia and the followers of the Christian faith have been abandoned by the international community.  Meanwhile the ethnic cleansing of Buddhism in Southern Thailand is a reality and because of this the Islamic jihad of the 7^th century is clearly alive and kicking in the early 21^st century; but when will national governments, religious leaders, politicians, and others, stand up to this ongoing Islamic tyranny?

Lee Jay Walker

https://leejaywalker.wordpress.com

http://islamicpersecution.wordpress.com

 

Islamic terrorists kill more Buddhists in southern Thailand

Islamic terrorists kill more Buddhists in Southern Thailand

Lee Jay Walker

The Modern Tokyo Times

Buddhists are protected by the Thai military from Islamic fanatics in southern Thailand

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The ongoing Islamic insurgency in southern Thailand continues and another nine Buddhists were killed by Islamic jihadists who desire an Islamic state.  It is clear that while the insurgency ebbs and flows from many Islamic terrorist attacks to a decrease in activity, that the underlying insurgency remains and just waits to gather pace at any moment.  Therefore, Islamic fanatics randomly kill Buddhists, school teachers, Buddhist priests, Muslims who work for institutions in southern Thailand, and members of the armed forces.

The level of hatred is clear by the wanton violence and brutality because the Islamic insurgents desire to spread fear in order to reach their Islamic goal.  This goal applies to the complete Islamization of southern Thailand and the eradication of all Buddhists and Buddhist temples from the region of Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani.

In the past you had nationalistic sentiments to the insurgency because Thailand annexed the three Muslim provinces in 1902.  However, while you had radical Islamic elements prior to 2001 it is clear that the insurgency had mainly nationalistic tones and the insurgents focused on the government and military of Thailand.

This policy changed from 2001 because now it became apparent that Islamic radicalization had taken root because of outside meddling and the role of Islamic institutions in other nations which were spreading the doctrine of Islamic jihad.  Therefore, it now became open season for Muslim insurgents to kill Buddhists in southern Thailand and to kill Muslims who were deemed to be supporting the government of Thailand or supporting the status quo.

Since 2004 you have had over 4,300 lives lost in a brutal Islamic insurgency whereby Buddhist priests have been beheaded, children have been killed, and civilians are attacked in order to create a southern Thailand where no Buddhists remain.  Moderate Muslim religious leaders also face death and the same applies to anyone who is deemed to be collaborating with the government of Thailand.

Zachary Abuza, who is the author of A Conspiracy of Silence, highlights the complete hatred of pamphlets which are used in order to intimidate the local Buddhist community.

Document 22 states “Dear every Siamese Buddhist Thai who lives near the police stations……I’ll give you three days for you to leave my land.  Otherwise, I will kill, burn, destroy all Buddhist Thai property……The Buddhist Thai will never live in peace.  If you leave the house, travel or go to work, you will die violently.  I will wait for you for 24 hours, in every direction.”  (Page 241)

Document 23 states “The Islamic warriors of Pattani announce the purpose that we will never stop killing the Siamese kafir (infidel) and will never stop destroying army weapons, the economy, politics, education and the Siamese kafir society until we regain the land of Pattani and establish the state of Pattani Darulslam.  I ask for Muslim Malays to be the witnesses.”  (Page 242) – A Conspiracy of Silence

Zachary Abuza in his book called Militant Islam in Southeast Asia (Crucible of Terror) also highlights the role of the madrasas (Islamic schools).  He comments that “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.”

Zachary Abuza also comments 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.”

Turning back to the role of radical Islamic madrasas, then it is clear that Islamists are being churned out of many Islamic institutions and this is causing mayhem.  If national governments do not regulate these schools and maintain tight supervision or if an alternative system is not found, then little will change apart from more Islamic indoctrination and international jihadists.  Therefore, the continuing breeding ground of Islamic hatred must be stopped and checked.  This applies to radical organizations and madrasas which are intent on spreading this hatred and radical institutions can be found throughout the Muslim world and in democratic societies which are sleepwalking into an Islamic nightmare.

In another article that I wrote about southern Thailand I stated that “…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.”

B. Raman (Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi) comments about the role of Thai Muslims within the Islamic jihadist movement and the role of the Islamic madrasas.

B. Raman states that “The external inspiration has so far been mainly from Bangladesh and Pakistan, the main motivating organizations being the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI), which has a presence both in Bangladesh and Pakistan, and the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET), which has a presence only in Pakistan and not in Bangladesh. The extensive media reporting in Pakistan on the presence of foreign students in Pakistani madrasas, which followed the reports of the involvement of three British citizens of Pakistani origin in the London explosions of July 7,2005, has revealed the presence of nearly a thousand Pattanis in the Pakistani madrasas.”

”This has been a surprisingly large number. Till the Pakistani media gave an estimate of the number of Thai students in their madrasas, one was under the impression that the flow of Thai Muslims to the madrasas in Pakistan had considerably declined after the arrest of the brother of Hambali, the operational chief of the Jemaah Islamiya (JI), and some other Indonesians and Malaysians from madrasas in Karachi controlled by the LET and their deportation to their respective countries in 2003. Instructions had gone to the Thai Muslims after their deportation to go to Bangladesh thereafter for studies in the madrasas there since the Pakistani jihadi organisations, which are members of Osama bin Laden’s International Islamic Front (IIF), were afraid that the Americans might be keeping a watch on the madrasas in Pakistan.”

“Many of these Thai Muslims have enrolled themselves in the madrasas of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Balochistan, which are the hotbed of the activities of the Taliban and the Wahhabi-Deobandi organizations of Pakistan.  Some of them have also undergone training in the jihadi training centres of the Taliban and Gulbuddin Heckmatyar’s Hizbe Islami (HEI) and have been participating in the current Taliban-HEI-Al Qaeda offensive in Afghanistan from sanctuaries in the NWFP and Balochistan.”  South Asia Analysis Group – Terrorism in southern Thailand by B. Raman (Paper no. 1501) which was published on 15/08/2005

In the first few weeks of January in 2011 you have had nine Buddhists being killed by Islamic terrorists and in a separate attack four members of the armed forces of Thailand were killed.  Therefore, the Islamic insurgency continues to kill and spread fear in southern Thailand and many Buddhists have left in order to escape the ongoing Islamic insurgency.

It is clear that Islamists in southern Thailand desire a homeland whereby all Buddhists will be cleansed and then Islamic Sharia law will hold sway.  At the same time it is abundantly clear that Islamic indoctrination from outside of Thailand is a serious issue and the same applies to the international nature of the global Islamic jihad.  Therefore, the government of Thailand faces both an internal threat and the reality that external networks are fueling the fire.

Lee Jay Walker

http://islamicpersecution.wordpress.com

 

Southern Thailand and Islamization

Southern Thailand and Islamization

By Lee Jay Walker
Tokyo Correspondent  – THE SEOUL TIMES  

 THE MODERN TOKYO TIMES

Students salute Islamic teacher in Thailand.

Thailand is faced with many internal problems and the political and economic situation remains fragile because of the ongoing political turmoil. At the same time, it is abundantly clear that the Muslim uprising in the southern provinces is a major concern for not only Thailand but for the wider community throughout the region. After all, the global jihadist network is always looking for new opportunities to spread more mayhem and to maintain military and economic functions.

Therefore, you have two important dimensions in southern Thailand. One, and of course the most important component at the moment, is the ongoing anti-Buddhist campaign whereby Islamists desire a pure Islamic state. The other important component is that if the Thai military loses control and if Buddhists continue to flee southern parts of Thailand, then the Islamic internationalization of southern Thailand will become a regional issue and this notably applies to Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

It must be stated that in parts of Indonesia and the Philippines you already have Christian and Muslim tensions and you have several radical Islamic networks in both nations. The most notorious Islamic terrorist networks apply to Jemaah Islamiya (JI) in Indonesia; the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which seeks an Islamic state in the southern Philippines; the Abu Sayyaf Group which is also based in the southern Philippines; and you have other networks which have either lose ties or regional agendas and of course Al-Qaeda have links throughout the region.

In the past the conflict in southern Thailand was mainly an internal struggle between the majority Muslim community of three southern provinces (Pattani, Narathiwat, and Yala) and the government of Thailand. Therefore, for many decades you had the desire for an Islamic state but nationalism was also a core base for demanding independence. However, in recent times it is clear that the Pattani United Liberation Organization (PULO); the Barisan Revolusi Nasional-Coordinate (BRN-C); Bersatu; Gerakan Mujahadeen Islam Pattani (GMIP); and others, desire an Islamic state and they have a jihadist agenda.

Therefore, in the past the Muslim insurgency was aimed at the government and military of Thailand but times have changed. Therefore, since 2001 it is clear that you now have an overwhelming Islamic jihadist agenda and this is aimed at forcing the Buddhists to flee and moderate Muslims are also being killed because they are deemed to be traitors.

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, the Sunni Islamic insurgency is just like radical Islam in Afghanistan and Somalia, to name only a few places in the world.

After all, in Somalia it is clear that Sunni Islamists are intent on killing every last Christian in this nation and in Afghanistan the followers of radical Islam are even intent on wiping out every trace of Buddhism in this land. Therefore, the past Islamic jihads which destroyed Buddhism in Afghanistan weren’t good enough because under the rule of The Taliban they even began to destroy all traces of Buddhism during their year zero campaign.

Therefore, the Sunni Islamic insurgency in southern Thailand 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.

In truth, this is a continuation of what the prophet Mohammed did because he also began the annihilation of Judaism and Paganism in Arabia and on his deathbed he then called for all non-Muslims to share the same fate in Arabia.

Mohammed stated “No Muslim should be killed for killing a Kafir” (infidel). Vol. 9:50 and his dying words were “Turn the pagans (non-Muslims) out of the Arabian Peninsula.” Vol. 5:716

Therefore, the hatred which is ongoing in southern Thailand is directly inspired by Mohammed because he stated to “Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.” Koran 9:29

Zachary Abuza, author of Militant Islam in Southeast Asia (Crucible of Terror) and Conspiracy of Silence (The insurgency in Southern Thailand), and a host of other written materials, highlighted the role of the madrasas (Islamic schools).

Zachary Abuza states that “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.”

Therefore, while past insurgencies fused the Islamic faith with nationalism, it is clear that this is no longer the case and instead southern Thailand is faced by the forces of radical Islam. This new pattern is intolerant towards any diversity and Buddhists are deemed to be subhuman and compromise is not on the agenda.

In the book by Zachary Abuza called Conspiracy of Silence he states that “Execution-style killings have demonstrated a ruthlessness that has never before been seen in southern Thailand. Women, children, monks, and clergy, who in previous iterations of the insurgency would never have been routinely targeted, are now dying in appalling numbers.” (Page 141)

Zachary Abuza also states that “The Thai government has always played down the role of the jihadists. It argues that their numbers are very small and their doctrinaire Salafism/Wahhabism makes them ill-suited to the Malay community. A similar refrain was heard in Indonesia, when officials did not want to confront the growing specter of JI. In reality, Thia security forces are unwilling to acknowledge the role of groups with more international aspirations and contacts. A　homegrown, localized insurgency that does not threaten the tourism industry or the national economy is somewhat tolerable. A group with ties to al-Qaeda – a group that cares little about equity or social justice and a lot about eliminating the enemies of Islam (especially allies of the United States) through indiscriminate violence – is altogether a different thing: it is dangerous and threatening.” (Pages 143-144)

B. Raman (Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi) states in the South Asia Analysis Group, Paper No. 1501, that “The external inspiration has so far been mainly from Bangladesh and Pakistan, the main motivating organizations being the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI), which has a presence both in Bangladesh and Pakistan, and the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET), which has a presence only in Pakistan and not in Bangladesh. The extensive media reporting in Pakistan on the presence of foreign students in Pakistani madrasas, which followed the reports of the involvement of three British citizens of Pakistani origin in the London explosions of July 7,2005, has revealed the presence of nearly a thousand Pattanis in the Pakistani madrasas.”

”This has been a surprisingly large number. Till the Pakistani media gave an estimate of the number of Thai students in their madrasas, one was under the impression that the flow of Thai Muslims to the madrasas in Pakistan had considerably declined after the arrest of the brother of Hambali, the operational chief of the Jemaah Islamiya (JI), and some other Indonesians and Malaysians from madrasas in Karachi controlled by the LET and their deportation to their respective countries in 2003. Instructions had gone to the Thai Muslims after their deportation to go to Bangladesh thereafter for studies in the madrasas there since the Pakistani jihadi organisations, which are members of Osama bin Laden’s International Islamic Front (IIF), were afraid that the Americans might be keeping a watch on the madrasas in Pakistan.”

In my article which was published in The Seoul Times called Islamic Militants Target Buddhists in Thailand, I comment that “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?”

Another important factor is that Islamists are always looking for a fresh opportunity to spread their hatred and ideology. Therefore, if America and other allies begin to contain radical Islamic forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, then just like the past they will look for new ventures and areas to cause chaos.

This factor alone means that southern Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines could witness further infiltration of international jihadist movements in the future. Added to this is the geopolitical and geographic reality which holds many opportunities for the international Islamic terrorist movement.

Abu Bakar Ba’asyir and JI have a goal and this is to create a super-Islamic state which would incorporate Indonesia, Malaysia, the southern Philippines, Brunei, and Singapore (some would also include southern Thailand). This may seem impossible to most people or an illusion, but an illusion in the eyes of radical Islamists does not hinder insurgencies or international Islamic jihadist movements which enter conflicts when the time is right.

International Islamists have moved freely between Afghanistan, Bosnia, Chechnya, Iraq and a host of other countries. Therefore, failed states, narcotic wars, chaos, ethnic divisions, and other dark forces are grounds for Islamists to create more chaos and often with Saudi Arabian funding.

Denis D. Gray and Vijay Joshi, Associated Press, March 10, 2007, state that “Between 1999 and 2003, Thai students held regular paramilitary sessions in Bandung, Indonesia, with the top “one or two” then sent to Mindanao in the southern Philippines, another region wracked by Islamic rebellion, for more combat training, said Col. Wichai Chucherd, Defense Attache at the Thai embassy in Indonesia.”

“An Indonesian military intelligence report seen by The AP on the Bandung training says the presence of Thai separatists on Indonesian soil is worrying because they could form links with Jemaah Islamiyah members who are now in Indonesia.”

“Thai insurgents provided support for frequent visits by Jemaah Islamiyah’s alleged operations chief Riduan Isamuddin, also known as Hambali, who was captured in Thailand in 2003 and is now in U.S. custody.”

Turning back to Zachary Abuza he highlights some Islamic leaflets in his book called the Conspiracy of Silence. These leaflets are aimed to intimidate the local community and many are directed towards the Buddhists.

For example Document 22 states “Dear every Siamese Buddhist Thai who lives near the police stations……..I’ll give you three days for you to leave my land. Otherwise, I will kill, burn, destroy all Buddhist Thai property………The Buddhist Thai will never live in peace. If you leave the house, travel or go to work, you will die violently. I will wait for you for 24 hours, in every direction.” (Page 241)

Document 23 states “The Islamic warriors of Pattani announce the purpose that we will never stop killing the Siamese kafir (infidel) and will never stop destroying army weapons, the economy, politics, education and the Siamese kafir society until we regain the land of Pattani and establish the state of Pattani Darulslam. I ask for Muslim Malays to be the witnesses.” (PAGE 242)

Therefore, the ongoing insurgency is southern Thailand may be viewed to be isolated but clearly this area could be used by international Islamists to further their power base and the importance of the Malacca Straits must not be overlooked for international Islamic terrorists. After all, the region is of major strategic significance and terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda desire to cause economic mayhem where possible.

Overall, it appears that Thailand is going from one political crisis to another in Bangkok but for the Buddhists of southern Thailand and moderate Muslims it is one long nightmare. A major Islamic insurgency is ongoing and given the complexities of the region, then links with JI and other Islamic terrorist networks is clearly a cause for major concern.

If the current situation prevails and Buddhists continue to flee because of countless massacres by Islamists then the central government in Thailand will have little power to control southern Thailand in the future. If this happens, then this area will be cleansed of Buddhists and the next fear is that this region will be utilized by international Islamists.

LEE JAY WALKER

https://leejaywalker.wordpress.com

http://themoderntokyotimes.wordpress.com

leejayteach@hotmail.com

www.theseoultimes.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

 

 

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