[NeroASERCH]

I thought you didn't believe in Allah. But I can understand, given everything else you post that you side with the terrorists.

[Lillie_Steins]

That's a fair question. In this case, it sends the message that the highest penalty will be exacted for terrorism and it makes clear that Indonesia is not shying away from punishing terrorism. Of course, I have no expectation that this will stop people from saying nothing is being done. Muslim police investigating, muslim security arresting, muslim lawyers prosecuting, muslim judges passing sentence and muslim executioners killing terrorists will not stop the lies or the propaganda.

Big deal, terrorism is not the only problem with Islam. The religion and culture itself does not mix with the rest of the world. No non-Muslim should be accepting of Islam.

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/392126.aspx



CWN.org - JAKARTA, Indonesia - Thousands of Indonesia's Muslims took to the streets in protest this week, expressing outrage over the government's refusal to outlaw a moderate Islamic sect.

The protesters are part of an extremist group that attacks Christians and moderate Muslims. Their actions threaten to destroy religious liberty in Indodnesia.

The radical Muslims demonstrate outside Indonesia's presidential palace. Why? Because the government failed to ban a moderate sect of Islam called Ahmadiyah.

The government recently ordered the sect to stop its activities or face up to five years in prison. But that was not enough for these Islamic fundamentalists.

They're called the Islamic Defenders Front - or FPI - and they believe that any religious belief that does not conform to their view of Islam should be outlawed.

Dr. Syafii Anwar, executive director of the International Center for Islam and Pluralism, condemned their actions.

"I don't agree with Ahmadiyah, but our Constitution states that there can be freedom of religious beliefs," he said. "Nobody has the right to persecute and FPI's behavior is against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

The group is even more violent against Christians. In recent years the FPI has closed down and even set fire to Christian churches.

They've also attacked Christians with stones and have caused them to be imprisoned,

Sunday School teachers Etty, Ratna and Rebekka were put in jail for two years after they were falsely accused of converting Muslim children to Christianity.

The FPI became even more controversial after its members burned and destroyed mosques of the Ahmadiyah sect because their beliefs differ from mainstream Islamic teaching.

The group even attacked a peaceful rally promoting religious tolerance in the country.

Senny Manafe is public relations officer of the Arastamar Bible School. The FPI attacked the school several times last year. He says the group is bad not only for Christians, but is hurting the whole country.

"What FPI is doing is against the law therefore it is going against the government," he said. "Our government should stop the FPI from doing jihad. The businessmen leave the country because there is no peace and unity."

But for now, the Indonesian government appears to be bowing to the wishes of this radical group.

"I believe the President is pressured because of the coming elections," Dr. Anwar said. "Those in government are supported by Islamic parties. FPI is capitalizing on political issues threatening them that they will not vote for them if Ahmadiyah is not banned."

Even though the government has called on the FPI to stop its attacks against other religious groups, it remains to be seen if the authorities will take real action against Islamic extremists to protect religious freedom in Indonesia.

Indonesia's constitution guarantees religious freedom for five faiths: Islam, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

However, Indonesia has more Muslims than any other nation in the world. More than 90 percent of its 240 million people practice Islam.

[Beerinkol]

So let me get this straight...

Three days later, on June 4, more than 1,500 police officers were deployed to arrest more than 50 persons at the head office of the Islamic Defenders Front in downtown Jakarta. Many of those arrested were members of the Front, a vigilante organization known for violent raids on bars and cafes, and which has publicly denounced Ahmadiyah and threatened to “personally” disband the organization. Its chairman, Rizieq Shihab, was arrested, but the man who allegedly organized the June 1 attack, Munarman, escaped.

Muslim police arrest the militants, a religious freedom society headed by a Muslim condemns the attacks on the Ahmadiyah and the constitution of Muslim nation of Indonesia protects them. Yet the only thing we are supposed to pay any attention to is that there is a militant fringe group???

You're right calling attention to the biased nature of your source was only the tip of the iceberg. How can you possibly look at that and come to the conclusion that the militants who are now arrested by Muslims and guarded by Muslims are the ones in control? What kind of hysterical pablum is that? What I get from that article is that there is significant support from Muslims including the former president to protect the Ahmadiyah.

[Paul Bunyan]

Let's hear what the teachers themselves have to say about it.

Most Muslims in our country want to live at peace with their Christian neighbors, but a militant brand of Islam, imported from Pakistan, is trying to stir up jihad against the Christians and establish Sharia (that is, Islamic) law. Please pray for us.

http://www.worldchristianministries.org/idop/idop2.asp

Yes, there is a militant brand of Islam and we know where it comes from. Muslims are dying daily because of it. Stop trying to pretend that all of us belong to that militant sect.

[Raj_Copi_Jin]

What's good about death penalty?

Hi Elin, some of us feel that people who don't respect others lives (to the degree of taking them) dont deserve to live either. There is absolutely no difference between a murderous terrorist and, say, Eichmann. The latter the state of Israel sought out, judged, and executed. Our enemies execute our civilians at a political whim, why cant we execute the executors?