Abu Bakar Bashir – Preacher or a Sinister?

Around 9.00 am today I received a call from a dear friend in Sydney. The tone of his voice clearly indicated that it wasn’t one of those ‘miss-you’ calls. He was upset and wanted to talk about it. My friend could be defined as a well-composed man who preferred keeping his feelings within himself. But I guess there are times when you are forced to share your pain because the bag of emotions is way too heavy for oneself.

Abu Bakar Bashir - A man on a mission

“That bloody prick has been set free“, was his first sentence. Not understanding a word he said I questioned him, “What?”. This time in a slightly calmer tone, he said, “The man who killed Shelly*, he just got released from the damn prison. The Indonesian people set him free. What are they thinking?just how can they do this?”.

All of a sudden, everything fell in its place for me. His anger, his frustration and his sadness; all were justified. I knew that my words would do little to ease his pain but I used them nevertheless.

Abu Bakar Bashir walked out as a free man from the Indonesian prison. Sixty eight years old Abu Bakar Bashir, a Muslim cleric is alleged to be a top leader in an al-Qaida-linked terror group Jemaah Islamiyah. This group is accused of carrying out church bombings across Indonesia in 2000, the 2002 Bali bombings, attacks in the Indonesian capital in 2003 and 2004, and a triple suicide bombing on Bali last October. The attacks together killed more than 260 people.

Bashir had served 26 months for conspiracy in the 2002 Bali bombings, which killed 202 innocent people out of which, 88 were Australian citizen. Twenty one years old Shelly and her four friends were among them. He was found guilty of blessing the 2002 Bali attacks, but later cleared of more serious terrorist charges due to lack of evidence, including heading Jemaah Islamiyah, execution, preparation or commission of terrorist attacks.

The actions taken by the Indonesian government are simply mind-boggling. This is the same government which enforces death penalty on any type of drugs-related offences but fail to provide adequate justice to the victims of terrorism. The Indonesian government is well-aware of the fact that Bashir’s al-Mukmin boarding school has been attended by many people convicted in terror attacks in Indonesia, and continues to remain notorious for its aggressive syllabus and preaching.

Bashir’s release provoked immediate reactions from the Australian and American government, both stating their concern that Bashir would resume preaching militancy. But sadly there isn’t much they can do.

The white-bearded cleric stepped out of jail to cheers of “Allahu Akbar“, or God is greatest, from more than 300 supporters and media waiting outside the gates of Jakarta’s Cipinang prison. “I thank Allah that I am free today,” a smiling Bashir said and further urged his supporters saying, “I call on all Muslims to unite behind one goal that is the implementation of Sharia law.”

What further terror inflicted tragedies would take place and the number of innocent lives will go wasted because of this ‘one’ man, is something only time will tell.

For now can’t say if God is really that great but one thing is for certain, IT appears to be emotionally handicapped.

*Real name not disclosed

• Culture, Government, News, Pissed off !, World Crisis
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