Wouldn't The World Be A Better Place If All Religious Fundamentalists Were Given A Small Island And The Unlimited Weapons They Demand?

I've been in Indonesia all month, vigorously relaxing, for the most part, but when I do take time out to ponder, I tend to ponder the nature of a culture that seems to have so seamlessly integrated the world of the dead into the world of the living. But that's Bali for you-- very different from the rest of Indonesia in so many ways that it's practically not even Indonesia at all. Officially over 90% of its 3.5 million people are Hindus. Under 5% are Muslims. Indonesia, on the other hand, has more Muslims than anyplace else in the world-- over 85% of its 240 million people adhering, more or less (mostly less), to that faith.

I ran into a German ex-pat the other day who's been living in Bali for a few years. He prefers the less developed islands to the east of Bali-- except for one thing: he's not too fond of Muslims. (That's about as non-incendiary an explanation as I care to offer.) Last week Indonesia re-elected a distinctly secular president following up on parliamentary elections that also pointedly rejected religionists. Most of Indonesia is less influenced by religionist extremists and violent fundamentalist imbeciles than the more backward and bigoted parts of Texas, Georgia or Tennessee. When the candidate thought to be ready to come in second started injecting religious symbolism-- even lightly, far less lightly than most Republicans in our own country use religion-- he fell to a distant third place.

On the other hand, there is a small, violent bunch of al-Qaeda related fanatics, Jemaah Islamiyah, who are as perpetually angry as the Balinese are perpetually happy. These are the kooks suspected of the bombings 2 days ago.

Noordin Mohammad Top [a Malaysian extremist, kind of like American rightists Catherine Crabill or Timothy McVeigh], regarded as the ideological leader of the most violent wing of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, drew almost immediate suspicion because of his presumed involvement in attacks from 2002 to 2005 in Indonesia, including bombings in Bali and Jakarta, as well as more recent militant activity, officials said.

The region's first significant attack in four years also generated suspicion about others in the sprawling network of militant cells known collectively as Jemaah Islamiyah, often referred to as JI. They include other top commanders and hard-liners recently released from Southeast Asian prisons, the officials said.

...A handful of Jemaah Islamiyah commanders-- particularly Top-- have managed to elude a dragnet by hiding among supporters. Top has used disguises, aliases and other measures to avoid detection, Dailey said.

Authorities consider Top one of the most charismatic of Islamist militants operating anywhere in the world, particularly because of his ability to persuade others to launch suicide bombings, including the attacks on Bali nightclubs in 2002 that killed 202 people.

"The ability to get people to blow themselves up requires a certain talent, and he has it," said Zachary Abuza, an expert on Jemaah Islamiyah who advises various governments on its tactics and structure.

Top is also considered one of Jemaah Islamiyah's most successful recruiters and strategists, and was given the nickname the Moneyman because he is thought to be an important fundraiser for the group, with direct ties to Al Qaeda in Pakistan, said Abuza, a professor at Simmons College in Boston who travels frequently to Southeast Asia.

The Balinese people I've spoken with yesterday and today are very freaked out. The island's economic prosperity is dependent on tourism and they know from the experience of bombings in the past by violent religionist fundamentalists that what follows is less tourists, particularly less American tourists. (An American tourist brings in between 5 and 10 times what an Australian, European or Asian tourist will spend, not just in Bali, but almost anywhere in the world.) No Americans were killed but 8 were among the 17 foreign nationals wounded. Manchester United was scheduled to check into the Ritz Carlton next week and play one match in Jakarta. The trip has been canceled. The most popular political figure in Indonesia is President Obama, and there has been a great deal of talk about a trip to the country this year. That's far less likely now. Many people here are worrying about how they're going to realize their plans and dreams in terms of everything from educating their children to fixing their roof to helping their elderly parents go on the Haj.