“I am so relieved”, was Awan’s response hearing the news that Amrozi and his fellow terrorists were executed just after midnight.
This morning we watched Redaksi Pagi reporting the execution. In the Indonesian style, one-to-two second film bites of the “Smiling Assassin” and his colleagues were strung together into a montage. Amrozi on trial, Amrozi in handcuffs, Amrozi ranting to the press.
“He thinks he is God. He is crazy!” Awan’s outburst was pretty consistent with the sentiments of people who have talked to me over the past week. Many Indonesians want this to be over. For them, the end could only come in the form of a firing squad.
Why? I heard a complex mix of reasons, the main reason being the murder of 202 people. Unlike our own media, who are quick to recite the number of Kiwi or Australian casualties, the race and religion of those killed is irrelevant. This is not a lesser crime because depraved and immoral infidels were killed. Nor does it matter that the targets of previous attacks - the Marriott Hotel and the Australian embassy - were Western targets.
For Muslims, the Bali bombers committed another crime: a crime against God and Islam. As such, it is a crime against them; they are victims too.
“Singkir kan! Throw them away!” said Awan, summing up what I suspect a lot of Indonesians feel: anger. The lawyers I work with were more cautious, reluctant to display emotion. Like the President and the Veep, they carefully explain that Amrozi & Co cannot use Islam to justify terrorist acts. They are measured in their response, as I have come to expect. Displays of anger are uncharacteristic for uber-polite, mild-mannered Indonesians - especially with a foreign audience.
In some ways, it’s a shame. If the World could see just a fraction of how Indonesians feel, it could do wonders in the War Against Islam raging in the Western world.
4 comments ↓
Terrorists, criminals, murderers. Glad they’re dead. Although parents of some Australians victims recently said they oppose the execution, preferring the terrorists to have their hands cut off instead. On on hand she has a point, on the other, they’d still be able to spread messages of hate.
Remove their voiceboxes AND hands perhaps?
I’m glad they are dead too. I wish it was done sooner, a lot sooner, so the time gap won’t let those terrorists make use all the media coverage to spread their words & collect sympathy, so the media did not have too much time to make those ruthless killers suddenly become celebrities.
I think capital punishment is barbaric, especially the way we do it here - it’s also kind of a manly way of dying, which makes it easier for fundies to martyrize someone.
Why not finagle lethal injection into our justice system? It’s a perfect passive-aggressive way of conducting state-sanctioned killing that knocks the wind out of fundie supporters who drum up manly-ish martyr-making shooting squad executions.
And have you seen the pics of Amrozi’s mother? It’s a crying shame that the world has pushed people like that into such a corner. She should stop listening to the goons who are turning these guys into demigods, but where else is she going to turn to?
@aulia, @nanoblonde, @LeonnieFM I don’t know. I find the whole thing just too difficult. I’m just glad I don’t have to decide these things! :))