Saint (Dr) Azahari the Pure

Over at Malaysiakini, probably Malaysia’s only independent news online, a reader under the name of Arbibi Ashoy wrote in to defend Dr Azahari.

According to Ashoy, poor Dr Azahari was ‘nauseous and upset’ by the US invasion of Iraq, where many innocent Iraqis were killed. To cut the story short, Ashoy explained that was the reason that Azahari went on the rampage to revenge those Iraqis. As Australia is a member of the Coalition of the Willing, Azahari targeted it and its citizens.

Like Malaysia's opposition Islamist party, PAS, Ashoy wants to have his cake and eat it as well. He defends Azahari, mind you, as a ‘jihadist’ and not a ‘terrorist’, while lamenting the late doctor had gone too far by killing innocent Aussies.

Then predictably, Ashoy concluded his letter by praising Azahari, killer of many innocent people including innocent Indonesians. Ashoy said:

“Thus, Azahari's intentions may have been pure but his methodology was not. Islam forbids ‘collateral damage’. We Muslims cannot kill the children of our enemies just because our enemies kill our children.”

“However, give Azahari his due. At least he did sacrifice his life with the hope of liberating the Iraqi people. The rest of us apathetic Muslims go on with life pretending that the sufferings of Iraqi Muslims are none of our business.”

Azahari’s intention pure? Give Azahari his due?

Now what did I say about Malaysian sympathisers of Azahari? Yet one reader didn’t believe me.

Related:
PAS does not believe Dr Azahari was a terrorist