Terrorism and introspection

Terrorism and introspection

A week after the Sept. 2 terrorist attack on a school in the
Russian town of Beslan, in which over 300 people -- mostly school
children -- were killed and hundreds wounded, it happened again
on Sept. 9, on our own soil, Jakarta.

These two separate incidents have similarities, namely, that
they were senseless and brutal acts and committed without
conscience. All civilized nations condemn such acts when innocent
children, women and the elderly are targets.

Moreover, when terrorists act under the name of a religion --
Islam -- they pretend (not to know) or deliberately do not heed
the prophet's teachings: That children, women, elderly or even
their property, cattle, trees or plants must be spared in war.
They are indeed waging war on their enemies, but using terrorism
to do so.

Their acts are contrary to the true teachings of Islam. Also,
countries that have been targeted by terrorists and their people
should exercise introspection as proposed by many Indonesian
religious leaders (The Jakarta Post, Sept. 10).
Why have Americans, the British, Israelis, Australians and
Russians become regular targets? Leaders of these countries
should determine the real reason why they have become targets.

There is, I think, one key to the above problem: That problems
in conflict areas derive from the unfair treatment of those who
live there. Including, in this case, the unfair treatment of the
Acehnese and Papuans, whose natural resources were "plundered" by
the Indonesian New Order regime over the past three decades.

This very unfair treatment has prompted them to take action.
Likewise, suppression in other countries results in violence or
acts of rebellion.

In order to overcome these problems, the United Nations should
take the lead by urging countries that are targeted by terrorists
to strive for equality and put an end to terrorism.

M. RUSDI
Jakarta