Thursday, June 26, 2003
U.S. scared of Islamic law, says Ba'asyir
An Indonesian Muslim cleric accused of leading a terror network accused the United States Thursday of orchestrating his treason trial to stop him fighting for the establishment of Islamic law.
"This is indeed a conspiracy. This is an orchestrated project aimed at stopping (the struggle to uphold) Islamic law, of which America is afraid," Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, 64, told Elshinta radio in an interview before the latest trial session.
"I'm not a criminal. I just want to uphold the law," he said. "I say what is right is right. What is wrong is wrong."
Ba'asyir heads the Indonesian Mujahideen Council (MMI), which is campaigning for Islamic law in the country.
Prosecutors say Ba'asyir also heads the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) regional extremist group and that he tried to overthrow the Indonesian government through terrorism and to establish an Islamic state.
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