The Indonesian Islamic militant and alleged leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, Abu Bakar Bashir, deserves bad press. But neither he nor anyone else deserves the lynch-mob journalism that has characterized much foreign reporting of the result of his recent trial in Jakarta on terrorism and treason charges. Two years after Sept. 11, this is just adding to perceptions that the West, consumed with self-pity, wants to strike out blindly against Islamists generally rather than seek justice for those who carry out terrorist acts.
**Bashir was found guilty of treason for advocating the overthrow of the secular Indonesian state in favor of a strictly Islamic entity encompassing the Muslims of southeast Asia. He was acquitted of the terror charges for want of evidence. **
Bashir’s guilt was taken for granted, often referring to the claims of nameless Western sources rather than to the facts presented. The integrity of the prosecution and judges was widely impugned. Coverage also often suggested that Indonesian authorities are lax toward terror on their own soil, even though isolated acts, mostly aimed at Indonesians not foreigners, have been taking place sporadically for years.
The fact is there was too little in the evidence presented to convict Bashir. Perhaps there would have been had the United States allowed detainees it is holding incommunicado to give evidence against him. They were not. That naturally raises the question: If Bashir really is the head of Southeast Asia’s terror network, why has cooperation to put him away been so minimal?
Arrogant and ignorant foreign derision of Indonesia’s courts and newly democratic political system is offensive to secular Indonesian nationalists. It makes more enemies for the West and further gains for the Islamists.
Evidence seems to be a big problem for the west. Lack of evidence but plenty of hot air anyone seen or found any Weapons of mass destructions lately!