In Indonesia, America Must Learn From Past Mistakes

Because ofthe Soviet-Afghan war, millions of Afghanis sought refuge in Pakistan - many of whom became indoctrinated in the madrassas radical teachings. Pre-occupied with Soviet defeat, America paid no heed to this radicalization ... and soon after the Taliban was born.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Finger Lakes Times
By Sardar Atik Ahmad | August 19, 2011

In 1977 Pakistani dictator Zia-ul-Haq came to power and soon after established madrassas which promoted anti-Western and anti-Christian ideology. Because of the Soviet-Afghan war, millions of Afghanis sought refuge in Pakistan - many of whom became indoctrinated in the madrassas radical teachings. Pre-occupied with Soviet defeat, America paid no heed to this radicalization ... and soon after the Taliban was born.

We cannot allow the same mistake to occur in Indonesia. Earlier this year, more than 1000 Indonesian extremists attacked an Ahmadi Muslim mosque and killed three Ahmadi Muslims, and then brutalized the naked corpses.
Although video footage documents the attacks, only 12 men were arrested and today we learned that they were given a sentence of only three to six months in jail. Ahmadi Muslims promote secularism, champion women's rights and have never committed a single act of violence despite facing persecution for more than 100 years.

While it may sound alarmist, as the past tells us, America cannot ignore this dangerous trend in Indonesia.


Read original post here: In Indonesia, America Must Learn From Past Mistakes