11-9 Thoughts -- FawnDoo's Cavalcade of Whimsy

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Date Posted: 10:28:03 09/11/03 Thu
Author: Goktimus Prime
Subject: 11-9 Thoughts

Today the world pauses to remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001 where nearly three thousand people of multiple nationalities and creeds, perished.

On this day, Australians also pause to remember the events of October 12, 2002, where 202 people (88 of whom were Australians) were killed in a terrorist bombing of the Sari Club in Bali Indonesia.

Here are some of my thoughts on this day:

* I praise the Indonesian government on their quick capture of the Jemaah Islamiah terrorists involved in the Bali bombing. Whilst American forces are supposedly continuing to scour the globe for Osama Bin Laden (or is Bush too busy looking for Saddam?), Indonesian authorities have, within less than a year, arrested the masterminds behind the Bali attack. This week, Imam Samudra was sentenced to execution by firing squad, sharing the same fate as fellow terrorist Amrozi. Although I'm personally opposed to the death penalty, the fact remains that Indonesian intelligence forces have acted very quickly and efficiently at bringing these terrorists to justice and sentencing them under Indonesian law.

* There is very little sympathy for Western Taliban fighters. Australian Taliban member David Hicks continues to rot in an American concentration camp, stripped of his basic inalienable human rights. Although I have no love for Hicks, I do object to the fact that the American government is detaining him without any legal representation. Everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, the right of legal representation and the right to stand trial if they are accused of committing a crime. Even if David Hicks is undeniably guilty, he still deserves to be tried in a court of law. At the moment, Hicks has been imprisoned in Camp X-Ray - a concentration camp which reminds me of Auswich - where he is treated like an animal because the Americans have presumed his guilt without having trialed him in court. Where is the justice? Even if one believes that Hicks is the poorest example of humanity, he still needs to be processed through the legal system. Isn't this what justice is all about? When we arrest criminals, we don't throw them into gaol indefinitely without a trial and a sentenced delivered by a judge. It irritates me that the American government can flagrantly abuse human rights like this.

* The bombing in Bali coupled with the Jakarta bombing only a few weeks ago demonstrates that global terrorism truly is an international threat which not only endangers Western nations, but Islamic ones as well. Indonesia is the world's largest Islamic state, yet they have been victimised by Islamic terrorism twice in the past 11 months. One reason why this happens is because fanatical Muslims are not the same as your average peace-loving moderate Muslim. From the extremist's POV, moderate Muslims are just as much infidels as Christians and Jews. Since September 11, there has been a lot of negative sentiments against Islam in Australia. Shortly after 11-9, a lot of prominent Muslim places such as mosques and even Orthodox Christian churches (who are the same as Muslims in the eyes of your average narrow-minded bigot, I suppose) were themselves attacked. The story of a Muslim schoolbus full of terrified children screaming and crying as people stoned their bus is one that should bring shame to the entire Australian community. I'm certain that similar events have happened in the U.S., U.K. and other Western nations were Islam and Christianity meet. Let us not forget that Islam is fundamentally a peaceful religion, and that your average devout Muslim is just as peace-loving as a devout Christian, Jew, Buddhist etc. Those who commit acts of terrorism in the name of Islam pervert the teachings of their religion. I'm sick of listening to talkback radio callers who hail Islam as a "dangerous" religion. How quickly some people forget that Protestant and Catholic Christians have been terrorising each other in Northern Ireland for a very long time. How quickly we forget that the Ku Klux Klan is technically a branch of Christianity (no less perverse than the Taliban's take on Islam). How quickly Christians forget the Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades. Throughout history, there have been many people who have perverted the teachings of their religion in order to suit their fanatical goals. It works well as a tool to recruit followers. This does not mean that ALL those who follow those religion are fanatical and are potential terrorists.

I'm sure most of you already agree with me on this point, but I think September 11 is an important time to reflect on this. For if we don't, I fear that we would have learnt nothing from the tragedy that occured on that day, and the three thousand lives that were lost, would have died in vain.

Lest We Forget.

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