Terror in the Tropics: Responding to Militant Islam (A)
Leslie TerebessyThe Warriors held a war room. They were preparing a blacklist of the “enemies” of Islam and gathering information about them, for example their addresses. I heard this from a person that actually attended the “war room.” What do they plan to do with this information? Should not these people be banned from Chathouse? Should they be reported to the authorities? For the time being, if a person threatens me, I threaten him or her back. There was a fellow who was assuring me that, “We Muslims are required to wage jihad al-talab against non-Muslims.” He underwent traditional Muslim education. I replied: “Brother, if you talk like that, you could be facing jail-time.” He never showed his face in any of the rooms I held afterwards. Another time, a different person on Chathouse warned me of “consequence” for people like me. “Brother, I’d go easy if I were you. There is a wonderful resort reserved for people just like you. Have you ever heard of Guantanamo Bay?” An eerie silence followed. “People like you can get all expenses vacations there,” I added. “I am not sure if they offer water skiing, but I heard they provide ‘water-boarding.’ Perhaps you would be interested in trying that?” That fellow also never returned to any of my rooms. Jabri obtained the particulars of the person he was to meet in Bangkok. This person would supply him with the explosives as well as a timing mechanism. Jabri walked along a dark lane, off Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok. He picked up the plastic explosives promised to him, and paid for them in cash. He returned to his hotel with his load. He walked past a road crew repairing s stretch of the road. It was hard work, with little pay. The sound of traffic was mixed with the smell of diesel and the rattling of a jackhammer used by the workers. It was a typical night in the city. The Boulevard is a restaurant and bar. It has yuppie clientele and plays trendy music. Upstairs there was an air-conditioned room where I would at times do my work. I reminisced about the past. Memories would take me back on the wings of the imagination to times long gone but not forgotten. What role does music play in my life? Traditional Muslims are taught that entertainment is forbidden. Traditional ulema taught that Muslims have the right to enter private residences and break the instruments used to play music. This is referred to as a part of hisba, commanding what is right and prohibiting what is wrong. I think a more suitable characterisation of breaking into a person’s home would be home invasion. It is vigilantism. This is a flagrant defiance of the ruling in chapter 49 of the Quran. “Do not enter houses other than your own, until you have asked permission.” To enter a dwelling requires greeting the persons inside and asking for permission to enter. To counsel otherwise is to flout the teaching of revelation. It is to practice extremism. Jabri went to the bar that evening with the explosives and a triggering fuse. Music was blasting from the speakers. At the sea, fireworks were in progress. “You will shortly experience bigger fireworks,” Jabri thought to himself as he arrived at the bar and restaurant. Families were strolling on the street. There were a few foreigners with Thai wives. Jabri was planning to put an end to all this. He planned to plant the explosives in the washroom and trigger them with a timer, to allow himself time to escape. However, as he was about to mount the stairs to the upper floor, he was jumped by three undercover agents lurking in the shadows. He was wrestled to the floor and handcuffed. Then he was handed to the Thai police, on standby nearby. They bundled Jabri into a pick-up truck and took him away.