LAKSAMANA.Net, October 16, 2002 03:29 PM
Baasyir Accuses US, Israel
October 16, 2002 03:29 PM
Laksamana.Net - Controversial Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Baasyir has accused the
United States and Israel of planting the deadly bomb in Bali October 12, saying they
want to establish as a fact in the public mind the reality of the international terrorist
organization al Qaeda that they created themselves.
"I do not see this as an act of jihad, I see it as engineered by outside intelligence, in
this case America and Israel," he told a press conference in Jakarta Wednesday
(16/10/02).
"Please go ahead and arrest me if there is any evidence. I do not believe they have
any evidence to link me with the Bali case because I knew nothing about it. I know
nothing about international terrorism."
Baasyir said the aim of the intelligence agencies was to establish their own scenario
that Indonesia is a "nest of terrorism".
"America wants to destroy Islam and they have created al Qaeda to do so," he said,
adding that Jemaah Islamiyah, an organization he is alleged to head, was also a
figment of the imagination of the US and other foreign intelligence agencies.
"I do not have any role in Jemaah Islamiyah," he asserted.
"It is America and the Israelis who are terrorists," said the Muslim leader, in Jakarta
to pursue his defamation case against Time magazine.
Asked by Laksamana.Net if the Bali bombing could be defined as jihad (holy war), he
said that attacking innocent people was not jihad.
"Jihad means to defend Islam when it is under attack. If it is attacked with force, force
may be used to defend Islam. If it is attacked with arguments, jihad means to respond
with argument.
"That does not include bombing innocent people in Bali," he said. "This has no
connection with Jihad."
Baasyir added that Indonesia must not give in to demands voiced by foreign
governments to arrest him and other hardline Muslim leaders without real evidence.
"If Indonesia follows the dictates of these kafir (godless people) it would mean we have
sold out our country and our religion. Our law would have been trodden on by
foreigners."
Baasyir said he would be happy to answer a call from the Indonesian authorities to
answer any question they wanted to put to him, but they had not called him because
they knew there was no evidence against him.
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