WEB
POSTED OCTOBER 1
Taipei's Grand Mosque (台北清真寺) yesterday voiced its complete and utter
surprise over the ROC National Security Bureau's (NSB, 國家安全局)
''claim'' that it was investigating ''incidents'' of a radical Muslim
organization recruiting members in Taiwan. In Taiwan? Could it be? No
way.
The NSB claimed yesterday that a radical Muslim organization had sent
people recruited in Taiwan to a ''Middle Eastern country'' for
training in terrorist attacks, adding that the organization had also
promised the recruits that they would be financially and richly
reimbursed upon their return to Taiwan.
According to a Chinese-language United Evening News newspaper report,
the NSB received information from international channels, most likely
the FBI or CIA, no? The report went on to say that the bureau has a
very complete and detailed record of the Taiwanese recruits' travels;
BUT so far, the Taiwanese recruits have not committed any acts of
terrorism or killed any ''imperialist Zionists''.
Given that Taiwan is likely to join the U.S.' visa-waiver program by
October, these reports come at a very sensitive time. People are
worried. Home-grown terrorists in Taiwan? Quiet, peaceful,
Buddhist/Taoist Taiwan?
Taipei Grand Mosque Executive Secretary Ismail Wang (王夢龍) -- a
Taiwanese national -- of course ''denied'' the ''claims'' of a local
terrorist recruitment drive and said that the NSB was just worrying
too much. ''Don't worry so much,'' NSB, he said. "You guys worry too
much."
Wang went on to say that radical groups could try to recruit Taiwanese
poor people who usually live in the rural parts of the country. He
added that in a society as stable as Taiwan, people are not likely to
be recruited by radicals. Then again, what does Wang know? And is he
telling everything he knows?
According to Wang, there have only been two or three Muslims in Taiwan
who received money from Libya and Kuwait, but the money was given by
public sector groups and not religious ones. Those who received funds
from the Middle Eastern countries are always just scholars and
businesspeople who help promote Islam, Wang said, adding that such
funding has been commonplace for years.
This report followed by about a week another news story in Taiwan
about a "Flag-stomping rally staged near grounds of Taipei mosque" in
which
Muslims in Taiwan from several nations, including Taiwan nationals and
people from Iran and Indonesia, gathered to decry a recent film which
satirizes Mohammed. Some protesters brought a home-made US flag and a
French flag for demonstrators to step on.
Following more than a week of Islamic global protests, dozens of
Muslims in Taiwan rallied outside the Taipei Grand Mosque yesterday,
protesting the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims as well as
publications of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed in the French
satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Holding up signs saying “Freedom of speech is not the freedom to
insult” and “We love Mohammed” — among others — Muslims from dozens of
countries including Taiwan, Pakistan, India, Indonesia and Iran
gathered outside Taipei Grand Mosque following the Jumah prayer
session yesterday.
They chanted slogans praising Allah and the Prophet Mohammed while
urging a cease to the insults poured on the religious prophet.
The film Innocence of Muslims, produced by California-based Sam
Bencile, depicts Mohammed as a womanizer, a homosexual and a child
abuser and described a donkey in the film as “the first Muslim.”
It was later reported that the real name of the film’s writer and
producer is Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, an Egyptian-American Coptic
Christian.
“We are here to voice our opposition to the insults of Islam by anyone
or any country, especially when such insults are made based on false
information,” a Taiwanese Muslim, Shen Tai-fu (沈台福), said.
“Any educated person should know to look at the facts before saying
anything,” he added.
“Any Muslim would feel humiliated by the film and the cartoons,” said
Nadeen Ahmed, an Indian Muslim. “How can they do this?”
A Pakistani Muslim, Shuiab Ahmed Qureshi, said that all human beings
and all religions deserve respect.
“Everyone should enjoy freedom of speech, but that doesn’t mean they
have the freedom to insult,” Qureshi said. “We Muslims respect Jesus
as a prophet — Christians should show the same respect too.”
Some protesters brought a home-made US flag and a French flag for
demonstrators to step on.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Muslim Association issued a statement of
protest and urged the US government to stop the film’s producer,
Bacile, from continuing to carry out an act that upsets world peace
while requesting that YouTube remove the film from its Web site.
“How could a country that promotes democracy and freedom gain the
trust of the international community if its laws allow injuries to be
made to the core values of a religion and the values of fairness and
justice upon which the country is founded?” the statement said.
The statement called on Muslims to refrain from conducting any acts of
revenge or harm to the innocent which could otherwise become an excuse
for others to smear the image of Islam.
No comments:
Post a Comment