Good article and quite disturbing.

And as Ziuddin Sardar quite rightly pointed out, if they were consistant with their adoration of the past, they would have to walk or ride camels, or an ass.
And fight their wars with swords and daggers. And not use any modern technology whatsoever, including electricity.

Once again we have the reality that it is Wahabiist Saudi Arabia which we need to fear, not Iraq or Afghanistan. Remember that the majority of the 9/11 perpetrators came from Saudi Arabia and the Saudis are the ones who are financing the building of mosques all over the world.

David

Very good article. This is just another example of the growing influence and power of Islam. Notice that I did not say 'radical' Islam.

What we see is a return to the Islam of Mohammad and the so-called Four Righteous Caliphs that followed him. They took an idea and conquered half of the known world by the sword. They killed and subdued Christians, Jews, pagans, Hindus and Buddhists. They believed that Islam should rule the world and that infidels should submit or die.

Anyone following Indonisian politics has seen a growing Islamic influence. Intolerance is increasing, even against minority Muslim groups.

The same thing is happening in Malaysia, Turkey and Pakistan. The Islamic world, aware of its problems and inferiority, is seeking remedies on the pure islam of the 8th Century. The Islam of jihad. The Wahabis are spending billions of dollars to spread their message of hate and violence against nonm-Muslims (and pretending that it is not so with the help of "moderates" and stupid PC-Westerners). Worse yet, Muslims have found that violence gets them respect.

Of course our Muslim friends here at OLO and in the West (the so-called moderates) deny the obvious. They, as usual, blame others for the actions of Muslims. They tell us these things are not the real Islam, even as they say "Praise be unto him," after the name of the man that killed, plundered, tortured, lied, enslaved, raped and even beat his wife.

Watch and see. The future will not be nice. Radical Muslims kill, moderates make excuses and pretend these vile things have nothing to do with Islam.

Kactuz

What the fanatics fear most of all is the success and choices Muslim women and men are making and enjoying in the freedom of the new homes they now live in.They fear the liberal and advanced education the children and grandchildren of the emancipated liberal and educated Muslims. They know education and the use of clear and unfettered rational mind can expose the truth. What has Islam really offered the world in the way of products and medicines and scientific research? look at what the Hindos, Sikhs and Buddhist s have achieved.They put to shame the retarded iron age affiliates who are going backwards faszter and faster...and well they know it and that is why they are frantically playing games with the dispossessed and hungry in theur comminities.These poor devils are the new cannon fodder of the coming confrontation wit the free world. Oil and the revenues from oil are their only weapons.

socratease

Here is another look at this problem, from altmuslim.com, in an article called "Religion like breath" (Indonesia's religiosity is trending towards something narrow and shallow, advocating that everything should be clearly delineated as Islamic or not. As a result, anything without clear distinction is considered deviant)

http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/b/2759/

Many Muslims in Indonesia are turning to radicalism (it gives them respect, that is, multicultural pc-based respect). They are focusing on the Muslim Ahmadiyya sect but also increasing targeting other religions. It is getting worse and it may happen that in a few years Australia's neighbor to the North will be in the hands of Islamic radicals. Of course, Australian Muslims will pretend this has nothing to do with Islam and will make the usual excuses.

Oh yes, Irf often writes at altmuslim, but I have been banned from that site for years. Can't imagine why.
http://www.kactuzkid.com/censored.html

Still it is a good, "moderate" Muslim site, even if it just can't figure why Islam is so unjustly associated with terror.

Kactuz

We could petition the PM for some guns in the Defence cupboard?

Between the loss of the private firearms following the Pt Arthur shootings and what exists as "small numbers" for 2008 army, navy and airforce personnel...theres a hole.
Nothing at all for a citizens home guard if one is suddenly called for.

...and the Islamics here softly whistle up to the Islamics in Indonesia with the call "we need your help down in Australia".

A sudden change in the global military climate and the whistle gets obeyed.
Australia becomes SOUTH IRIAN!

Indonesia's urban elite may worry about peripherals such as who's going to be next wearing a veil, but the real issue confronting Indonesians as a whole is that their government is dysfunctional. That's what needs to be fixed (by Indonesians: no one else.)

It is no surprise that Islamist parties are making inroads into the political system when the secular parties have merely instituionalised preference and privilege and the bribe economy.

Neither is there is anything necessarily wrong with such a process. It is for Indonesians as a whole to decide whether their choices will lead them further into the 'modern' world.

A great many of them don't actually want to go there, by the way. They seek - quite naturally - to build on their own traditional societies (plural: 'Indonesian-ness' is largely a myth except at the conceptual level) and live better but as they always have. Not unlike the ethos of the National Party in Australia, incidentally, and with the same hand-out mentality.

Several things stand out in your comments:

The reflexive response to Islam, instead of reaction to the wider issue of the hijacking of a nation by a fanatical group. Imagine Australia taken over by Right To Lifers funded by the Vatican and puritan US groups. That, not Islam, is the story.

Such a takeover by RTL would indicate, as it does in Indonesia, a failure of the major parties to govern for all, a failure of credibility. Indonesia has failed its people, serving the wealthy, overseas investors and the military.

Being able to speak indonesian enabled me to capture the rage and hoplessness.

No commentators identified the complicity of the west as a source of concern. Western governments with an eye to the main chance have supported endless corrupt and crippling regimes. Soeharto was among the worst, SBY and Megawati the most incompetant. Megawati is backed by a rapacious husband. The other contenders are merely evil.

Soeharto franchised Indonesia while the west, including Keating praised him. He killed millions and stole billions. He ruined minds and futures by lousy education education; and yet was feted as he had oil, gas, timber, gold and cheap buyable labour.. Now these resoures are expiring, the west is only interested in controlling the 'terrorist risk' arising from such blatant and colonial exploitation.

Like Christanity Islam is not monolithic, and before our redneck friend responds like all igormauses do, and runs for the guns, be aware that Indonesians fear being inveaded by Australia.. that and the social chaos being threatened by the outcome of this election. That was the other major point of the story.

To rant about Islam will not help.. indeed it is a typically blind response that has led to the situation they are facing. Helping to ensure the judiciary is honest, the military restrained, income distributed fairly, corruption contained and all major perpetrators put on trial and people like Bakrie the Minister for Peoples Welfare is brought to trial for crimes against humanity, might be a good start and show Indonesians that Australians are not merely self interested boorish neighbours.

Melody,

Why is it that Muslims and Western liberals are always telling us that it is a small group of "radicals" that are hijacking Islam? It is always the West, Christianity, big business or globalization or bugs bunny, isn't it? The people of Indonesia are not responsible for anything, are they? And of course, Muslims are not responsible for the acts of terror, oppression and lack of human rights that characterize Islamic societies.

When I speak of Islam, it is not a "rant." I speak from experience based upon current events and knowledge of the Quran, hadith and early biographies of Islam's dear prophet. I don't like Islam because of the hate and violence. I don't like it because of what it does to men, women and children. I don't like how it treats others. I don't like the ignorance and deception of Muslims about their own doctrines and sacred writings. Oh yes, the fact that Muslims have threatened my family hasn't helped. Do you think I am wrong? The fact is that moderates and radicals both follow the same Quran and say "praise be unto him" after the name of a man that did so many vile things recorded in Islam's own writings. Why should I believe that anybody that says PBUH after the name of Mohammad wants peace and harmony? My only though is that you have not read the ahadith - yet we are called "igormauses."

Yes, things are bad in Islamic countries and they will continue to get worse because good Muslims are blind as to the nature of their problem, and so they are part of the problem. They are either ignorant or in denial about Islam. Whatever the West has done to hurt Indonesians, it is nothing compared to Mohammad and the liberals that blind them to the real issues.

Kactuz
PS: I have had dengue fever, too, and it wasn't fun.

Melody has a very limited, childlike view of things.
I saw no understanding of the great spirit war raging on in behind all that happens here on earth.
Yet Indonesia is so full of testimonies of evil spirit powers controlling the people...testimonies from the people.
Having rejected the Bible version of life on earth leaves one open and naked regarding just and truthful comment.
Little does she know about the fight between good and evil... or really care.
Her tirade against the Right to Lifers shows an allowance for murder in her heart.
That horrid, selfish character flaw some many young people have these days.
She forgets how good nations like the US had to balance things out as best they could against oppressive governments and the expansion of communism without going to open war against them.

As for the guns...there are none in the Defence cupboard.
And Indonesia has plans for Australia...not us for them...and they know it and have no fear of us invading to our north.
As part of the great global plan of Islam to consume all before it, Indonesia like China waits for the opportunity for a sudden change in the world military climate... to enact her plans.
She calls us SOUTH IRIAN...we call he nothing other than Indonesia.

Praise The Lord ...He saved me from Uni's.
I got the Bible Truth and not a whole bunch of disgusting humanist theory.

I suppose you love the cat and the dog and whales Melody... and your mum and your dad, who both let you live rather than blend you in an abortion... yet you are happy to support the murder of the unborn?

Isnt that schizophrenic?
Do you do drugs?

God was Gracious enough to support your parents decision to allow you into the world...why not be equally gracious and allow life without condemning under the satanic covering of "freedom of choice".

Gibo: << Melody has a very limited, childlike view of things.
I saw no understanding of the great spirit war raging on in behind all that happens here on earth. >>

Pot, meet kettle. Gibo's worldview could be straight out of the Chronicles of Narnia.

kactuz: << When I speak of Islam, it is not a "rant." >>

That may be kactuz's opinion, but I've never read anything from him that didn't qualify as an Islamophobic rant of the worst order.

Just as well idiots like Gibo and kactuz don't get anywhere near being able to influence Australia's foreign policy - or even ordinary Aussies who know a hateful fool when they see one.

It would be a mistake to lump all Muslims together in the same category because of the antics of a few idiots. I am not in agreement with the teachings of the Islamic faith but that doesn't mean that all Muslims are suicide bombers. While Indonesia is I think 90% Muslim, they are generally not fundamentalist. Likewise 70% of Australians call themselves Christian, but they are not all Bible thumping loonies.

In the same way, I am a committed Christian, and I am in no way like Gibo with his paranoia towards the Chinese and the Indonesians. I don't know where he gets this information. The Bible does not say that Australia is going to be invaded by the Chinese or Indonesians, and if it did, there's nothing we can do to stop it.

CJ Morgan, Gibo is not an idiot, he's actually quite intelligent, and that is what makes him very frightening.

I think a number of people are missing the point. That is that fundamental Islamists are spreading their variety of hate and madness everywhere they can. They play on vulnerable people such as the poor, and they are financed from Saudi Arabia (which forbids Churches) and from Iran. They do immense damage with their culture of killing and death.

They may be outside of the mainstream Islam, and preaching a corruption of the Koran, but that does not make them any less dangerous. I hope that Indonesia can reject their awful beliefs, but even if they corrupt only 2% of 180 million, that is still a lot of madmen and women. (3.68 million)