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Hadi wrong to support suicide bombings but this can be no justification for any police or ISA action as proposed by the Terengganu UMNO Media Conference Statement (2) - at the launch of the  DAP’s 46th National Day Celebrations/Defend Secular Malaysia campaign Sungai Chua new village by Lim Kit Siang (Kajang,  Tuesday): Terengganu UMNO  yesterday  called on the Police  to investigate the implications of a statement by PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang that Islam permits suicide bombings in the fight against oppression. Terengganu Umno information head Mohamad Nasir Ibrahim Fikri said the state Umno feared that the statement would be construed as an edict which could result in chaos. (New Straits Times) Hadi’s support for suicide bombings in the Palestinian struggle against Israeli oppression killing school-children and innocent lives  had highlighted the incompatibility of the Political Islam advocated by PAS and its concept of an Islamic State with democracy and pluralism as well as totally contrary  to the noble goals of peace, justice and  non-violence taught by all the great religions which have found a home in Malaysia – including Islam. What is worse, such support for   suicide bombings coming on the second anniversary of the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington which killed some 3,000 innocent lives from over 60 different nations, including Malaysians, and  bearing in mind the  Bali bombings in October last year which killed over 200 innocent lives and the Hotel Marriott bomb blasts in Jakarta in August this year which killed over a dozen people and injured over a hundred others,  is utterly insensitive in plural Malaysia – heedless  about the sanctity of human lives and its adverse effect on  foreign investments. Two years ago, PAS made world headlines but created consternation at home when it called for a jihad after the United States launched its war  against  the Talibans in Afghanistan as a consequence of the September 11 terrorist  attacks. Hadi was wrong in extolling suicide bombing, especially when there are many PAS leaders and activists who regard Jemaah Islamiah masterminds of the Bali bomb blasts, Amrozi and Imam Samudra, as model Islamic fighters as evident at the 49th  PAS Muktamar debate last weekend.  Although a PAS Youth delegate was severely criticized for idolizing Amrozi and Imam Samudra as role models in the Islamic struggle, the question is whether these  criticisms were because of the political blunder in publicly  articulating such sentiments or because of the error in holding such views. Hadi is wrong in supporting suicide bombings in Palestine although he tried to make a distinction with the suicide bombings by Jemaah Islamiah in Indonesia –a distinction which  lacks credibility and not convincing at all. However, it is also wrong for UMNO to demand police action against Hadi, which will only make Hadi a political martyr, considering the atrocious   Barisan Nasional record to stifle and oppress opposition and dissent. Hadi  should be lambasted for his stand and he and the PAS leadership should be asked to retract the support for suicide bombings, but this can be no  excuse for any  police or Internal Security Act action as suggested by Terengganu UMNO. (16/9/2003) * Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman