Heru Andriyanto – Hard-line cleric Abu Bakar Bashir was a different man during a hearing at the South Jakarta District Court on Thursday.
Unlike at a previous hearing, when he had stormed out of court accusing prosecutors of producing bogus video confessions from witnesses, Bashir instead chose to stay and question trial witnesses himself.
Bashir is charged with multiple counts of terrorism related to the funding of a paramilitary training camp in Aceh that was raided by police last February.
He asked suspected militant Joko Sulistyo and convicted terrorist Sofyan Tsauri, both presented as trial witnesses by prosecutors, whether or not the camp had actually sparked terror among local residents in Aceh.
"Nearby villagers didn't see us as a threat. Sometimes they even delivered food to us," Joko said. Sofyan added that the camp was too far from the nearest village to cause any disturbance.
However, Joko also informed Thursday's hearing that the paramilitary training activities in Aceh were inspired in part by the movements of the Al Qaeda in war-torn Iraq.
Joko confirmed prosecutors' statements at the hearing that the Al Qaeda flag had been erected in the middle of the paramilitary camp, located in the mountainous region of Jalin Jantho in Aceh.
Under police questioning, Joko said the flag had been raised within the camp grounds to encourage the motivational spirit of participants training at the camp, "In order to follow in the steps of Al Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden – to whom we pay our highest respects."
Sofyan, a former policeman serving 10 years in jail for selling weapons to the camp, said the paramilitary training intended to prepare fighters for waging jihad in Palestine.
"Muslims are brothers around the world. The misery endured by Muslims in Afghanistan, Chechnya and Palestine is the misery of Muslims in Indonesia," Sofyan told the court.
He said he had sold at least 24 firearms and almost 20,000 rounds of ammunition to the Aceh camp for Rp 350 million ($40,250).
"I got the weapons from Ahmad Sutrisno, a member of Brimob [National Police's Mobile Brigade]," Sofyan said. "I left my unit in the middle of 2008 and was fired in June 2009." When prosecutors asked why he was fired, Sofyan replied: "Because I waged jihad according to Allah's way."
Before the hearing on Thursday, Bashir denied his involvement in an alleged coup attempt on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, as reported by Al Jazeera, and dismissed rumors that he had been included as an adviser in the Islamic Revolutionary Council. But Bashir said he would support any movement to uphold Islamic law.
"The ruling government is comprised of infidels who fight against Islam," Bashir said.
"Muslims should not live in a country that is not an Islamic country. This is an issue of faith. This country is secular, not governed by Islamic law. Muslims must do something about this. They must reserve the right to establish an Islamic state.
"I'm not against [President Yudhoyono]. It's the system that I oppose," he added. "SBY may rule this country as long as he wants, as long as the country is based on Islamic law."
He also rejected the term "hard-liner" widely attributed to him and his followers. "The term 'hard-liner' is introduced by infidels. The appropriate term is faithful Muslims," he said.
"There are also those who are termed moderate Muslims. These Muslims do not consistently observe [the rules of] Islam, yet they are widely praised, while consistent Muslims are called 'hard-liners,' " Bashir added.