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Letter: Bali bombers rant and threaten
Fri, 10/10/2008 10:45 AM | Reader's Forum
We are subjected to yet more chattering and ranting from Bali bombers Amrozi, Mukhlas and Imam Samudra, as they await execution.
Mukhlas has claimed, "(To) die as a martyr is my desire, my craving and my yearning." ("Bali bombers executions delayed ..." The Australian, Aug. 21, 2008).
Yet this trio has had their lawyers launch appeal after appeal against their execution. Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda has asked, "For people who killed more than 200, why are they so afraid to die?"
Their latest appeal attempts to establish that with execution by firing squad, death may not be instantaneous, but rather slow and painful (Sydney Morning Herald, Sept. 19, 2008).
Yet how many of the 202 victims of their cowardly bombings, including 88 Australian citizens, died in agony from having much of the flesh burned from their bodies, or from having their limbs blown off?
These three also threatened revenge and retribution on all involved in their execution, including President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (Oct. 1, 2008, Yahoo7 News).
The universal value justice requires just or appropriate punishment for heinous crimes.
Blinded by religious hatred, these three will never realize that the people they murdered were simply their fellow human beings, not "infidels", just human beings, like all of humankind, brothers and sisters all.
LES HUTCHINSON
St Maitland, NSW, Australia
Mohanmmad Paul (not verified) — Sat, 10/18/2008 - 10:46am
I convert to Islam.
It was good people and love that brought me to Allah not a bomb or a gun. I wonder if those that engage in terrorism know how much harm they are doing both to Islam and Muslims in general.
I hear them justify their actions saying that it is the will of Allah. Sorry guys but if you think that Allah is talking to you and telling you to make people hate Islam there is something very wrong with you apart from being murderers who deserve a special place in hell.
Try considering that it was Allah who created the lives you destroyed and it's only Allah who has the right to end them.
Erik (not verified) — Tue, 10/14/2008 - 12:42pm
I am seeking from the Muslim organization's statement saying that these murderers will not be honored in death, that their actions are not related to Islam, that it is purely a political power games perpetrated by brainwashed people.
Without a strong and loud statement to this affect, we must assume they have wide support in the Muslim population.
That said, "I am strongly against death penalty."
and again, "I would think that shooting must be the most 'humane' method of perpetrating murder by the government"
Stephen Barber (not verified) — Tue, 10/14/2008 - 11:16am
On Sunday October 12, the 2008 Thiess Indonesia Bali 10's Rugby tournament was played out at the Canggu Club, Bali. This was the biggest ever Bali 10's (in 14 years of competition) & included 18 teams of which 12 teams were from Indonesia, including 7 teams that were made up of 80% or more Indonesian born players. Back on that fateful day in 2002, there were only 2 Indonesian teams playing rugby. The growth of rugby as a sport in Indonesia and collected resolve of all to continue the Bali 10's Rugby Tournament is a great positive that has come out of the 2002 Bali Bombing tragedy.
All those gathered at the Canggu Club on Sunday took time to remember the 27 rugby players & supporters who were amongst the 202 who lost their lives in the Bali Bombings. Lest we forget.
Iwan2 (not verified) — Fri, 10/10/2008 - 3:41pm
Your letter is genuine; however, you do not seem to grasp the depth of their hatred towards anyone who disagrees with their perverse interpretation of Jihad and Islam. As far as these murderers are concerned they are cleansing in the Darul-Harb (House of war)of apostates and Kafirs. As long as Indonesia remains pluralistic it is considered a darul harb or an affront to many fundamentalists with wahabi/salafi perceptions of Islam; who are uneducated males, have little education and have been indoctrinated with hate since they were children.
They want a sharia state like Yemen, Egypt, Somalia, North Sudan, Algiers, Morocco and i have only mentioned a few of the despot states without oil money. The states with oil, well they with all their money cannot produce anything from an economic value perspective.
Indeed many look foward to a quick execution of these murderers so they can be consigned to history.