[The Indonesian Government is refusing to act on requests from Singapore, Malaysia and the US for one of its leading Islamic clerics to be arrrested because of his alleged links to the al Qaeda terrorist network. Abu Bakar Ba'asyir who commands the radical Indonesian Mujahidin Council has been accused of having links to international terrorists who planned to truck bomb western embassies in Singapore. But Indonesian police say they have no evidence against him.]
Transcript:
Fitzgerald: Down in the back laneways of Solo, islamic fundamentalists like cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir are running boarding schools, known as pesantens to train young boys in a hard-line interpretation of the Koran.
The rundown Al Muk Min Ngruki School's courtyard and surrounding laneways are plastered with posters claiming that Osma bin Laden is innocent, and accusing Jews of being the real terrorists. The school attracts young boys from far flung parts of Indonesia. Wahid, a teacher here says both poor and rich families send their children to the school, some of them remain here until they graduate at around 17 years of age.
Mohammed Nur Serwan a civil servant from northern Sumatra, is just one of the parents waiting in the school's tiny office to enrol his son. He says he's travelled for days by bus and ferry to bring his teenage son to this school because it's well known throughout Indonesia as a center of islamic learning, and the children here will get to travel to other islamic countries like Egypt and Syria from the school.
The school promotes anti-Jewish sentiments in posters and slogans, but the children learn curriculum subjects. I caught them here practicing a quite ferocious form of martial arts. And this 13-year old student from nearby Jogya says his favourite topic is the study of the Koran.
Despite the backwater atmosphere of this school, it has a reputation as being the central hub of a network of Indonesian islamic militants. Every Indonesian militant accused of having ties with the international Al Qaeda terrorist group is somehow linked to this school, and the school's headmaster is islamic cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir.
His influence spreads well outside his schoolyard. He heads the conservative Indonesian Mujahidin Council, which includes islamic warrior groups and has been accused by Singapore, Malaysia and the US of being a member of the outlawed Jemaah Islamiyah group which was supposedly planning bomb attacks in Singapore.
I spoke to him in his inner sanctuary at the school where he denied he was encouraging extremist views.
Ba'asyir: "There is no such thing as fundamentalists. There is only one islam. Islam is comforting and loving for faithful believers but it is labelled as hard by nonbelievers."
"It is only secular non believers who accuse me of being a fundamentalist. God himself is warning us to be careful if others want us to be soft on islamic principles. Muslims who claim to be muslims but are secular ... their islam is impaired."
"But for real muslims islam is merciful. Islam teaches that you should not compromise on our religious practices, on Sharia law, but for everyday life we are allowed to compromise and co-operate with other religions. So there is no hardline islam, the idea has just been perpetuated by unbelievers, especially the jews."
Fitzgerald: Abu Bakar Ba'asyir and his supporters draw inspiration from Darul Islam, a militant islamic movement set up during Indonesia's war against the Dutch.
The Darul Islam continued to fight for a separate islamic state after the Indonesian republic was formed, refusing to recognise the Indonesian flag and civilian law.
In the mid-eighties members of the movement were persecuted by former President Suharto. Under his rule Abu Bakar Ba'asyir was arrested and sentenced to nine years in prison.
He fled to Malaysia along with other militant muslims, and only returned to Indonesia after Suharto was toppled four years ago. From Malaysia he allegedly forged ties with terrorrist groups in the middle east, an allegation he claims is untrue.
Ba'asyir: "The accusation that I am a terrorist is part of that fight against Islam but they have no proof. The allegation comes because I am an active Muslim and involved in Suunah groups and the Mujahadeen Council."
Fitzgerald: The 65-year old Abu Bakar Ba'asyir says he has never met Osama bin Laden but supports his fight to create an international islamic state.
Ba'asyir: "Physically I don't have any association with Al Qaeda but I regard Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda as upholding islam, as well as the Taliban ... so as a person of faith it is my obligation to praise them and sympathise with them. There is little I can do other than through my words and prayers. But I will always defend them because they are trying to establsih an islamic state."
"I hate the American Government but not the American people because they are being manipulated by jews to fight against islam. It is the duty of muslims to hate America because they are launching an anti-muslim crusade right now, this has been announced by President Bush himself."
Fitzgerald: Abu Bakar Ba'asyir hatred of the American Government also extends to governments supporting the US like Pakistan and Australia.
He preaches that Indonesian muslims should push for the creation of an islamic state ruled by Shariya Law and says they need to fight a jihad or holy war to protect islam from attacks by jews and non believers.
But his outspoken views and his central position in the militant islamic network in Indonesia don't make him a terrorist and it's unclear if he is part of any international islamic terrorist network.
The Indonesian Government has now dropped a plan to re-open old legal charges against him, but that hasn't stopped him from openly criticising the rule of the Indonesian president.
Ba'asyir: "I very much hate the attitude of Megawati's Government because it is a secular government, the secular category includes jews and non believers. The president is closer to jews and non-believers than she is to islam. Although she is outwardly a muslim she is stupid and does not understand islam properly. So Megawati's attitude and her acceptance of anti-terrorism aid from the United States is a great disaster for muslims."
Fitzgerald: The challenge for President Megawati will be to check the growing activities of Abu Bakar Ba-asyir and his supporters without returning to the human rights abuses of the Suharto era.
History shows the reputation of islamic leaders like Abu Bakar Ba'asyir grew after they were arrested by Suharto – and moderate muslims in Indonesia could start to view them as heroes if President Megawati tries to crackdown on them now."