'There is no Heaven for terrorists'

'There is no Heaven for terrorists'

The horror of the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy in United States, when
terrorists flew commercial airplanes into the World Trade Center
(WTC) twin towers in New York and the Pentagon Defense
Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, killing thousands of
innocent lives, seems like it was just yesterday.

A string of terrorist attacks worldwide, including the Oct. 12,
2002 bombing of nightclubs on Bali and the Aug. 5 JW Marriott Hotel
blast in Jakarta, followed. Many people condemned the merciless acts and
consider terrorism a serious threat. Some people spoke to The
Jakarta Post about terrorism, recalling their reactions to the
tragedies.

Anton, 42, is a manager of a supermarket in West Jakarta and
lives in Tangerang with his wife and son:

The WTC tragedy a couple of years ago was a clear indicator of
the existence of international terrorist networks.

The Bali bombing and the recent JW Marriott hotel blasts also
provided hard evidence of that a terrorist network existed in
Indonesia.

So, why have we, particularly the government, always tried to
ignore them and doubted the existence of terrorism here?

I even believe that there are many more terrorist cells in the
country now, particularly after seeing how terrorist attacks have
sprouted in various places. I guess Indonesia is a haven and hot-
bed for terrorists.

Terrorists are evil, because their acts always take innocent
people lives.

I realize that we are living in a country that respects the
due process of the law, but for terrorist suspects, authorities
should impose the harshest punishment possible.

I mean that they deserve the maximum punishment, and they
should never be allowed to appeal. Otherwise, they have the
chance to have their sentences downgraded. This is ridiculous.

I think the Bali bombing trials are only a waste of time and
money. We should not allow the suspects to bide their time going
to the Higher Court and Supreme Court with an appeal. They'll
only provide a model for other terrorists to follow.

Anwar, 25, is a security officer at a busy shopping center in
West Jakarta, and lives with his family in Ciledug, Tangerang:

I personally condemn the WTC tragedy and other terror attacks
around the world.

Terrorists continue to terrify people in many ways, even in
this country. I believe they are still here.

As a moderate Muslim, I feel ashamed that the terrorist
suspects in the Bali tragedy -- and other attacks -- disrespect
the court in the name of God. It's really embarrassing and
shameful.

I don't think they will go to Heaven, despite their strong
desire for the death sentence and belief that they will die God's
martyrs. Never. Heaven is not for merciless and crafty people
like them.

I have to admit that I am worried about the possibility of
further terror acts. I'm afraid to inspect unattended cars in the
parking lot, but I have to. It's my job and I've no choice,
because I work in an area that might be a possible target.

I also feel uneasy whenever I have to conduct security checks
on shoppers. It's inconvenient for them, I'm sure, but they
understand that such checks are conducted for the security of
all.

Once, I heard a customer complain about the tight security,
but I could see that he was saying what he was, because he was
not a terrorist.

All the inconvenience resulting from security checks and
heightened vigilance is a small cost to pay for our common
security.

Ririn, 23, was shopping in Blok M, South Jakarta, when the
Post caught up with her. She lives with friends in a rented house
in Ciledug:

I hate seeing the terror acts, such as the ones that blew
apart the WTC twin towers and the others in Bali and Jakarta.

I fear that there are many more mindless people who volunteer
as terrorists here, because of the poverty and the unemployment
problems.

We have to face the fact that terrorist threats will remain
until the problems are solved. Even the terrorist cells continue
to expand.

It's not a matter of being afraid or not -- I see that the
government and security apparatus are always left behind by the
terrorists, and it doesn't seem that they're being professional
in taking anticipatory measures to crack down on terrorist cell
embryos.

It's usually the case that they become serious only after the
deadly attacks have already taken place.

The bomb blasts that claimed the innocent and scared everyone
into hiding are a good lesson for all sides, especially relevant
authorities, to take the necessary and harsh measures to fight
terrorism.

The government should not be afraid of any one or any group
who, in some way, may be potential terrorists. Otherwise, many
more innocent people will be killed.
-- Leo Wahyudi S.