In Reply to: some advise please posted by colourdin on Tuesday, 4. October 2005 at 22:44 Bali Time:
The second Bali bomb was as predictable as the first. When you have a judiciary who only gives 18 months to the boss of the first bombers even after intense US pressure you have to consider which side of the fence the Indonesians sit on.
Millions of Muslims throughout the world rioted and demoed (inc Indonesians) when the Koran was desocrated by US soldiers. No Muslims have rioted in protest at the Bali bombs.... does that put it in perspective for you?
They said "Bali aman" before Oct 12th and also after it... does that mean that Bali was only dangerous on Oct 12th and last week???
You have a 100% corrupt police force in Bali. Their incompetance is beyond boundaries. All the security measures are token and ineffective. The spreaders of hate in mosques (although a minority) are not stopped in Indonesia at all in fact such people can exists quite happily within the muslim community. Their is still a Mjuhadeen office in Surabaya that sends pilgrims to go and kill Christians in Molluku. This office is left unburned or disturbed by the muslim population who will riot at a moments notice against anything that disturbs them. So such an office does not disturb them?
Bali is was and will remain at a higher risk than most places because of the points above. On saying this to not go is to allow the terrorists to win.
Another valid point that has been made is that to not go might FORCE the Balinese to deal with the cancerous growth of the dangerous superstition that people call Islam. Religious tolerance is fine but preaching intolerance (as goes on in MANY mosques) is what causes these heinous acts.
PS: We stopped living in Bali 1 year before the Oct 12th bomb because like many we thought it would happen. We still have business in Bali but choose our visits carefully. Enjoying Bali to the full doesn't stop us from seeing the reality that exists there.