I am borrowing Roland Shirk's phrase and using it a slightly different way. Indonesia has seen a spate of book bombs recently. It seems the jihadists find hollowing out a book, filling it wilt explosives and sending it to their favorite apostate or kuffir is the new fun thing to do. The latest victim, Ahmad Dhani is a popular singer in Indonesia and has locked horns with Islamists in the past. The book he received was titled "Militant Jew"
A little Islamic anti-semitism to go with your explosion?
From Google News March 17 by Niniek Karmini
A little Islamic anti-semitism to go with your explosion?
From Google News March 17 by Niniek Karmini
Popular singer latest target in Indonesian mail bombings
JAKARTA, Indonesia — A popular singer. A former anti-terror chief. An outspoken critic of Islamic extremism.
All have been targeted by parcel bombs sent by suspected Muslim extremists, leaving many in the Indonesian capital asking, "Who's next?"
Indonesia, a secular country of 237 million people, most of them Muslims, has a long history of religious tolerance. But a hard-line fringe has grown louder, and more violent, in recent years.
Critics say the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono — which relies on the support of Islamic parties in Parliament — is partly to blame.
Keep appeasing the Islamists and eventually they will eat you.
By remaining largely silent, even when mobs attacked Christians and members of Ahmadiyah, a minority Muslim sect, with knives, sticks and rocks, extremists have become emboldened.
"Had the government pushed back from the beginning, it probably wouldn't have gotten to this stage," said Yenny Wahid, executive director of the Wahid Institute, which promotes a moderate and tolerant view of Islam.
But now, a small, intolerant group has seized the moral authority to decide who is a real Muslim and who isn't, she said, "and we, the nation, are paying a big price for that."
And they do it through the Qur'an and hadiths of Muhammad, the "al-insan al-kamil" or perfect man who's behavior is to be emulated for all time by all Muslims.
Four mail bombs have been sent this week, one exploding and injuring four as it was being detonated by police.
All arrived in hollowed-out, thick books that said "Militant Jew" or "They should be killed for their sins against Islam and the Muslims."
The first packet was addressed to Ulil Abshar Abdalla, an outspoken critic of extremism and founder of the U.S.-funded Islamic Liberal Network.
Others were sent to Lt. Gen. Gories Mere, former chief of the police anti-terror squad, and to Yapto Suryosumarno, a politician suspected of having ties to Jakarta's underworld.
The latest package was delivered to the home of Ahmad Dhani, a well-known singer who has butted heads with Islamic extremists, most recently over topless pictures of an actress.
With rumours swirling that many other parcels have been posted, talk about the bombings lit up social network sites like Facebook and Twitter on Thursday.
"Celebrities. Politicians. Who's next?" some wrote.
We all are.
Read it all
All have been targeted by parcel bombs sent by suspected Muslim extremists, leaving many in the Indonesian capital asking, "Who's next?"
Indonesia, a secular country of 237 million people, most of them Muslims, has a long history of religious tolerance. But a hard-line fringe has grown louder, and more violent, in recent years.
Critics say the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono — which relies on the support of Islamic parties in Parliament — is partly to blame.
Keep appeasing the Islamists and eventually they will eat you.
By remaining largely silent, even when mobs attacked Christians and members of Ahmadiyah, a minority Muslim sect, with knives, sticks and rocks, extremists have become emboldened.
"Had the government pushed back from the beginning, it probably wouldn't have gotten to this stage," said Yenny Wahid, executive director of the Wahid Institute, which promotes a moderate and tolerant view of Islam.
But now, a small, intolerant group has seized the moral authority to decide who is a real Muslim and who isn't, she said, "and we, the nation, are paying a big price for that."
And they do it through the Qur'an and hadiths of Muhammad, the "al-insan al-kamil" or perfect man who's behavior is to be emulated for all time by all Muslims.
Four mail bombs have been sent this week, one exploding and injuring four as it was being detonated by police.
All arrived in hollowed-out, thick books that said "Militant Jew" or "They should be killed for their sins against Islam and the Muslims."
The first packet was addressed to Ulil Abshar Abdalla, an outspoken critic of extremism and founder of the U.S.-funded Islamic Liberal Network.
Others were sent to Lt. Gen. Gories Mere, former chief of the police anti-terror squad, and to Yapto Suryosumarno, a politician suspected of having ties to Jakarta's underworld.
The latest package was delivered to the home of Ahmad Dhani, a well-known singer who has butted heads with Islamic extremists, most recently over topless pictures of an actress.
With rumours swirling that many other parcels have been posted, talk about the bombings lit up social network sites like Facebook and Twitter on Thursday.
"Celebrities. Politicians. Who's next?" some wrote.
We all are.
Read it all
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