"Martyrs' Trilogy," memoirs of Bali attackers exalted as heroes
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - The Indonesian Intelligence Agency is in a state of maximum alert for the publication of a book entitled "Martyrs' Trilogy." It contains writings and autobiographical notes by Amrozi, Ali Gufron, and Imam Samudra, killed by firing squad on November 9, 2008, because they were responsible for the massacre in Bali in 2002, in which more than 200 people died.
Sidney Jones, a terrorism expert and member of the International Crisis Group, warns that the book could constitute a serious threat to national security, because it is capable of influencing young Muslims to follow a "wrong" view of jihad, the holy war against the West and Christians.
The volume (see photo) is published by Ar Rammah Media, a small publishing house in Bekasi, a suburb 25 kilometers east of Jakarta. It is owned by Jibril Abdurrahman, son of Abu Jibril, an old exponent of Islamic extremism arrested in Malaysia for conspiracy aimed at creating "an Islamic state." According to Abdurrahman, the book has been reprinted because of the many requests received, even though it is sold through a "secret" distribution network at the price of 75 Indonesian rupees (about 6.5 U.S. dollars).
The first volume of the trilogy contains the writings of Imam Samudra - the most radical of the three terrorists - in which he explains that the massacre in Bali was "morally justified" and "spiritually just." The second part is dedicated to Amrozi, and is entitled "The Last Smile of the Mujadist." It is based on autobiographical accounts written in Lamongan, the terrorist's birthplace, in the province of East Java. The third and last part contains the memoirs of Amrozi's older brother, Ali Gufron, and recounts "The Holy Dreams behind the Bars," interpretations of his dreams according to his personal understanding of Islam.
Islamic extremism is on the rise in the country. One new up-and-coming figure is Aman Abdurrahman, also known as Abu Sulaiman, who constitutes a "possible challenge" because of his ability to recruit numerous followers. Recently Abdurrahman left Abu Bakar Baasyir, leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, and founded a new movement called Jemaah Ansharut Tauhid. Another important group is Darul Islam Akram. This has created an extensive network of relationships with Islamic extremist movements in southeast Asia.
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