Muslims Who Don't Hate America Sin

Scott Atran of the British online magazine "The First Post" interviewed Abu Bakar Bashir, 66, the spiritual leader of the Islamist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and Al Qa'eda's main ally in Indonesia, in a jail cell in Jakarta. Abu was in fine spirits, being served dates by JI bombers acting as his servants, and buoyed by the news that his 30-month prison sentence for conspiracy in the 2002 Bali bombings was being generously reduced by the Indonesian government by four months so that he will walk free soon. Bashir is very popular among Indonesia's mainstream Muslim population.

The 2002 Bali bombings killed 202 people, 89 of them Australian, and injured a further 209, most of them tourists revelling in nightclubs which the Islamists of JI condemned as un-Islamic, as opposed to murdering infidels which is perfectly Islamic. Senior JI members testified that Bashir approved the terror operation. Nor did JI regret the violence, bombing Bali again in 2005 to kill another twenty, wounding 129.

Atran's interview with Bashir reveals the intolerant and murderous mindset of radical Muslims and exactly why they hate us:

Scott Atran: "What are the conditions for Islam to be strong?"

Abu Bakar Bashir: "The infidel country must be visited and spied upon. If we don't come to them, they will persecute Islam. They will prevent non-Muslims converting."

Atran: "What can the West, especially the US, do to make the world more peaceful?"

Bashir: "They have to stop fighting Islam. That's impossible because it is sunnatullah [destiny, a law of nature], as Allah has said in the Koran. If they want to have peace, they have to accept to be governed by Islam."

Atran: "What if they persist?"

Bashir: "We'll keep fighting them and they'll lose. The batil [falsehood] will lose sooner or later. I sent a letter to Bush. I said that you'll lose and there is no point for you [to fight us]. This [concept] is found in the Koran."

Atran: "Have you met Osama Bin Laden?"

Bashir: "No, no. I want to though. After my release, I hope I can meet him."

Atran: "Where will you find him?"

Bashir: "If he still exists - but how could I? I have sympathy for his struggle. Osama is Allah's soldier. When I heard his story, I came to the conclusion that he's mujahid, a soldier of Allah."

Atran: "You will always be on his side?"

Bashir: "His tactics and calculations may sometimes be wrong, he's an ordinary human being after all. I don't agree with all of his actions. Osama believes in total war. This concept I don't agree with. If this occurs in an Islamic country, the fitnah [discord] will be felt by Muslims. But to attack them in their country [America] is fine."

Atran: "So this fight will never end?"

Bashir: "Never. This fight is compulsory. Muslims who don't hate America sin. What I mean by America is George Bush's regime. There is no iman [belief] if one doesn't hate America."

Atran: "How can the American regime and its policies change?"

Bashir: "We'll see. As long as there is no intention to fight us and Islam continues to grow there can be peace. This is the doctrine of Islam. Islam can't be ruled by others. Allah's law must stand above human law. There is no [example] of Islam and infidels, the right and the wrong, living together in peace."

Just as the Koran dictates, the Hadith confirm, and the example of Mohammed demonstrates, Bashir and the radical Muslims will continue to fight non-Muslims until they convert to Islam, submit to Muslim rule as dhimmis, or die.

Questions?