Bagus! Djoko Sasono – An Exemplary Bureaucrat in Jakarta!

Jakarta. The Transport Ministry’s director general for land transportation, Djoko Saksono, unexpectedly resigned on Saturday over his failure to prevent traffic chaos in the Greater Jakarta area at the start of the Christmas and New Year holiday season in the past week….

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…Djoko told a press conference that he had to take responsibility and that he would provide more details later.  http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/senior-transport-ministry-official-resigns-holiday-traffic-mayhem/

What a damn fine chap!

Though why the JG spells his name differently from that which he himself sports on his name-badge in the photo, I have no idea.

I did my best last week to avoid going into town except to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, as reported. My journeys were by busway, and that took me less time than usual, because a lot of people were out of town.

But their departure from town made the toll roads a nightmare prior to the actual holidays.

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this ain’t last week’s traffic – it’s a fairly typical scene

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From my busway seat on a short shopping trip to Permata Hijau, four or five days ago, I looked out as we passed over those ‘highways to heaven’ – the traffic congestion was hellish.

Trucks to Blame for Crippling Holiday Traffic: Police Chief

Jakarta Globe–24 Des 2015

The southbound toll road, connecting Jakarta with Bogor and the hilly resort area of Puncak, saw traffic backed up 17 kilometers….. At one point, police issued an advisory for Jakartans to just stay home.

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Don’t always agree with the cops, but I can see their point.

Never understood the attraction of Puncak – it’s got some nice tea-plantations but, heck, ya seen some tea-plants, ya seen ’em all. 

Jakarta is in many ways at its best during Idul Fitri and Christmas, population thinned out, far fewer crowds on the side-walks and shopping centres. This year, with Islamic New Year on the 24th and then Christmas and then the weekend, of course there was an intensification of the usual exodus.

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Everyone welcomes the long holiday, but to me it’s a grand opportunity to wander about streets that are not teeming with people, that can be crossed with a relative degree of confidence.

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 motorised morons

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Although motor-bike morons still use the side-walks with no regard for pedestrian rights!

On the other hand, if everyone shared my view, Jakarta would be perennially traffic-jammed!

Rightly or wrongly, people blamed ‘the government’ for this year’s traffic nightmare, and for once, or at least a very rare occasion, somebody bit the bullet and resigned.

Djoko Saksono!

How many other men ( or women) in positions of responsibility have presided over bungling, shilly-shallying or total failure, and chose to cling on to their well-paying jobs?

Djoko may or may not have made mistakes. His resignation is such a remarkable event that the Jakarta Post stirred speculation he might be quitting for other, unspecified, reasons.   http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/12/27/high-ranking-official-resigns-over-christmas-congestion.html

But he has set an admirable example and I wish him well in the New Year, that’s coming up later this week. 

Somalia's Intolerant Ingrates – Not A Penny More In Foreign Aid!

Attention all you UK, US and probably Aussie and Canadian tax-payers!

.Somalia To Receive $2.4 Billion In Aid From Global Donors

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Christmas or New Year’s celebrations “could damage the faith of the Muslim community,” Mohamed Khayrow, director general of Somalia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, said at a news conference, according to Somali news media. “All security forces are advised to halt or dissolve any gatherings. There should be no activity at all.’’   https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/12/23/somalia-banned-christmas-and-new-years-even-though-it-celebrates-neither-heres-why/

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“We [Islamic scholars] are warning against the celebration of such events, which are not relevant to the principles of our religion,” said Sheik Nur Barud Gurhan, deputy chairman of the Supreme Religious Council of Somalia.

Not relevant to HIS religion! What about other people’s?

These arrogant bigots are lousy hosts, devoid of gratitude to those who are there to help them.

 Although there are almost no native Christians in Somalia, the country hosts more than 22,000 peacekeepers as part of an African Union mission, and many of them are Christian..

Last year, savages murdered peace-keepers during Christmas celebrations in Somalia.

…gunmen belonging to the Somali terrorist group al-Shabab attacked a Christmas party at an African Union military base in Mogadishu, killing at least three peacekeepers and a civilian. One of the dead was retired American Delta Force member Brett Fredricks, who was in Mogadishu to train a unit of Ugandan troops.

This year that ignorant oaf Khayrow would do better to show up at celebrations, denounce sectarian hatred of religous liberty and declare that his country supports the right of anyone, citizen or honoured guest, to worship as they please.

Somalia To Receive $2.4 Billion In Aid From Global Donors

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In the absence of any commitment on the part of Somalia to adopt civilised values, the West should stop all further largesse reaching the greedily out-stretched hands of this ungrateful beggar-nation. 

Season’s Greetings…As IslamoNazis Threaten Festive Malls!

After making the effort to go shopping in Jakarta, I have to say that one of the benefits accruing from that expenditure of time and energy is the ubiquitous Christmas carol music that forms the background in most shopping centres.

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Indonesia is 90% Muslim, but there is little sectarian hostility among most normal people..

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…which is why I’m happy today  -yes, it’s a public holiday here today, as well as tomorrow! – to extend Islamic New Year greetings to my many Muslim readers, and of course to my Muslim friends with whom I spend much pleasant time.

However, there are a number of abnormal people around, worst perhaps being the IslamoNazi thug gang that calls itself the ‘Islam Defenders Front.’ (FPI).

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My own low opinion of these low-lifes is widely shared.  We recently covered a call by a leader of the N.U., the largest Muslim organisation here, for a ban on the gangster ‘front.’ 

A Festive Cheer For Muslim Sanity – Ban The IslamoNazis! 

‘Affront’ would be a better word, and today we see they’ve been out and about in Surabaya, the country’s second largest city, where tempo.com reports that dozens of the white-shirt bigots descended on various large malls to rail and whine about Christmas,

And New Year – the one that falls on January 1st!

The report says they were concerned about both big days, though no details are given of their objection to the latter – maybe it’s the same nasty nonsense we heard from Aceh last year!

Shariah Goons Roam Aceh, Stomping New Year Joy 

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East Java FPI Secretary Muhammad Khairul said the action was done so that the tenants in the mall management company do not coerce Muslim employees.

• He added that tolerance in Islam does not extend to celebrating Christmas or wearing such attributes.   http://nasional.tempo.co/read/news/2015/12/23/058730240/fpi-geruduk-mal-ini-tuntutan-mereka-soal-atribut-natal

This fanatic has some nerve posing as a champion of people’s rights.

It was only last year that he and his jihadist jerks were raging for innocent students to be prosecuted for a banner he didn’t like. “All responsible parties in this case should be severely punished. The reason, blasphemy like this is much more cruel than ISIS…”    https: //id.berita.yahoo.com/fpi-the-defamation-religious-071619057.html

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The banner was in fact a sardonic jibe at hypocrisy – you can read the whole story in our post from back then.  ‘Tuhan Membusuk’ Banner On Campus? ‘Worse Than ISIS!’ says FPI Fanatic

But back to Khairuddin!

“According to Hanafi such things are also banned because it can include apostasy. We want to save the Muslims from apostasy,” he said. (‘Hanafi is one of four “schools of law” and considered the oldest and most liberal school of law,‘ says one source Hanafi Islam – GlobalSecurity.org )

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There’s nothing wrong with apostasy, not in a free country. Anyone and everyone should have the right to convert into and/or out of any creed whatsoever.

That’s what freedom of religion is all about!

But the whole idea that donning a Santa hat might persuade some cute little sales-girls to ‘jump the dyke,’ as my Ulster kin would put it, is laughable.

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 Potential apostate?

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I have a very nice shirt here in the style known as ‘Baju Muslim’ (Muslim shirt) which I wore only last week, but I didn’t end up worshipping in a mosque last Friday!

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‘Baju Muslim’

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If Khairuddin really thinks that what one wears to work or play seriously poses such a ‘risk,’ he must have precious little confidence in the hold his religion has on its rank-and file.

But let’s focus on his protest, which was apparently coordinated with local police.

He’s at pains to stress it was a ‘polite’ demo, not like many FPI amok-runs.

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Cowardly IslamoNazis hide behind masks in another Indonesian city

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That would be fine, but then he goes back to IslamoNazi basics, with a threat that if there are any reports from malls not to his taste, he’ll be back with ‘a lot more’ of his hoodlum horde.

In other words, ‘do as you’re told or it’ll be the worse for you!’

And what will the police do then, we have to ask?

 

Brits On Wine-Trips? Take A Xmas Treat To Those Calais Cops!

Maybe it’s not such a popular Pre-Xmas activity, given the pestilence clouding Calais these days…

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…but in times past, I recall that lots of us would take a day-trip to Calais and stock up on vin rouge etc., for our festive fun. A glance at a recent Guardian tells me there’s still some enthusiasm among Brits… 

Vans full of vin: why the booze cruise is back

I’ve just been reading about nauseating leftists supplying provisions to the crimmigrant swarm there, so how about this idea, not only seasonally benevolent in itself…

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…but a timely gesture of solidarity between two nations facing a common savage foe?

If you go across the Channel, take a Christmas Hamper, or even just a small token gift, chocolates or a bottle…or something like this!

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…and check it in at the Calais Police HQ, with a note expressing your sympathy and support for their lads and lasses who have suffered both insult and injury at the hands of the Jungle scum?

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And So It Is Xmas, And Those Churches Still Sealed!

And so it is Christmas…and what have you done?

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• A good question to put to President Jokowi when dawn breaks over Jakarta on 25th December.
• The persecuted Christians of Indonesia will certainly be asking it, especially the good people of GKI Yasmin congregation and their HKBP friends from the equally oppressed church in Bekasi.

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• In all honesty, the answer from the State Palace will have to be a resounding silence, for NOTHING has been done to remedy the sectarian injustice suffered by these innocent Protestants.

I won’t go through all the misery, violence and disgusting treatment visited on these folk over recent years, merely offering you a few links to take you back over what’s gone on.

Jakarta’s Oppressed – Ascension Brass Band Worship! No Sewage, Urine This Year! 

  X-Rated Xmas – Foul-Mouths Bully Christians, As ‘Moderate’Mayor Denies They Exist! 

The last time I went into town to join them was their hundredth service there – they gather every second Sunday – and I’ll darned sure try to show up for at least one of the Christmas events reported in the Jakarta Post…

…Advent on December 20 at 1 p.m., while the Christmas service would be held on Dec. 25 at 2 p.m. All are set to take place in front of the State Palace.  http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/12/03/gki-yasmin-prepares-interfaith-christmas-celebration.html

I think I mentioned last time that there was a seat ( they have to bring along the little plastic stools, or just stand there in broiling heat or pouring rain) reserved – but empty, of course – for the President.

Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing if he decided to walk across the street from his stately home and put give meaning to his frequent words about Indonesia being a land of religious tolerance.

But he won’t. He’s scheduled to be far away on Christmas Day…but what’s he doing on the 20th?

Couldn’t he make their day by proving his oft-quoted commitment to pluralism? 

 

Pre-Christmas Greetings From RRA!

Ten? 

I’m sending this to ALL my hundreds of readers.

So far, the partying has been intense, and I have yet to have my tree’s formal switch-on ceremony!

No party tonight, but this week will see the start of the round of individual catch-ups with friends I’ve not seen for a while.

So pre-emptive apologies if the blog output is somewhat patchier than usual.

Battery re-charging a work in progress!

Christmas Events at Gajah Mada!

Clean Up The Commonwealth – Kick Benighted Brunei Out!

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I seem to recall that South Africa was forced out of the Commonwealth in 1961 because its apartheid policy was deemed an affront to ‘human rights.’ 

So how come Brunei’s still a member?

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I ask the question after learning that the rich but wretched sultan’s sectarian regime was so aggrieved by some of his subjects’ behaviour during the Festive Season that he has now banned public celebrations of Christmas for fear of Muslims being led astray…   Brunei puts stop to Christmas celebrations to protect Muslims, religious ministry says | World | Malay Mail Online. 

It’s maybe no surprise that this assault on religious liberty occurred, since we did report last year that the tiny state’s ruler had decreed a Dark Age, with the prospect of savage shariah punishments for offences which are not offences in civilised countries. 

Holy Brunei! No Booze, But You CAN Get Stoned! 

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 Already, you can’t be seen having a beer in public!

And as the Malay report to which we’ve linked has to observe, it looks like it’s going ever further backwards, with their strange sultan the driving force. 

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Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah

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Given what we know about the vile intolerance of Indonesia’s Aceh Province, where not only Christmas but also New Year celebrations have incurred the wrath of the primitives in power, the lame-brained reasoning behind the Brunei ban is entirely predictable.

‘Happy New Year? Don’t You Dare!’ – Aceh’s Islamist Bigots 

The diktat was issued as a strike against the act of publicly marking non-Islamic rituals or festivities “can be seen as propagations of religions other than Islam.”

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•  Who’s going to object to this?
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• Citing some NIGHTMARE scenes of Muslim children, teenagers and adults seen wearing hats or clothes that resemble Santa Claus…” –seriously, the bigots really came out with this stuff – a ministerial statement was quite unashamed in its declaration of war on human rights.

“Believers of other religions that live under the rule of an Islamic country — according to Islam — may practice their religion or celebrate their religious festivities among their community, with the condition that the celebrations are not disclosed or displayed publicly to Muslims!”

There you have it.

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Conditional freedom. Which is not freedom at all, but forces minorities to worship on sufferance – second-class citizenship.

In Britain, Canada, America, and all across the Western world, and much of the non-Western world too – we see Muslims free to celebrate Idul Fitri, Jews free to observe their Pass-Over, and Buddhists and Hindus equally entitled to worship and rejoice openly. 

But in Brunei, just as shamelessly as in the Saudi citadel of oppression, religious liberty may only exist behind closed doors. It’s also reported that notice was served on shops and other businesses that displayed Christmas decorations to knuckle down and bend the knee to the inquisition.

The businessmen, as did those menaced by Al Capone in America’s Prohibiton Era, of course gave in – full cooperation!  

Okay, your backward and bigoted regimes may not be subjected to outside interference in their internal affairs, according to rules of engagement between sovereign states (unless, for some reason, you happen to be Myanmar). 

But are there no basic conditions attached to membership of the Commonwealth, of which Her Majesty the Queen is Head?

Well, yes, and there always have been, witness South Africa’ departure over half-a-century ago.

I know many evil tyrants, like Mugabe, hold power in Commonwealth countries, but they usually pretend to believe in democracy and basic civil liberties.

Brunei brazenly derides them!

Kick that shoddy sultanate out of the Commonwealth.

IslamoNazi Christmas Warning – Don’t You Dare Disturb Us Bigots!

 A Jakarta Christmas scene

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After we reported the ‘Islam Defenders Front’ (FPI)’s abhorrence of decent Muslims who wish their Christian friends and neighbours a Merry Christmas, it seems the sectarian gangster group has warned that  celebrations of Christmas must not disturb other other faiths.

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Muchsin Alatas did not explain what he meant by Christmas disturbance. By coincidence, I’m typing this as the noise from the  local mosque echoes into my home, drowning out the tv news! 

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•  He also said FPI was at ease with certain groups who might raid Christmas attributes in the shopping centers – FPI would not interfere with the sweeping.

Sweeping is the sectarian gangster word for vicious vigilante raids, like that in the photo below. 

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– The FPI thugs are rotten, but fair- they are rotten to everyone!

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– that was taken in Makassar, the victims being decent Muslims at Ramadhan!

Certain groups is a fave expression here, weasel words from those who know exactly who they’re talking about but lack the candour to name them.

The report suggests a likely source of trouble, another bigot band called Jemaah Ansharusy Sharia, which aims to spread leaflets about the ban on use of Christmas  accessories by Muslims. In the leaflet, JAS forbids Muslims to help Christians who were preparing for Christmas.

What mean-spirited toe-rags!

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They also appealed to employers not to force Muslim employees to wear Christmas accessories.  http://www.harianindo.com/2014/12/19/34805/fpi-meminta-agar-perayaan-natal-tidak-menganggu-pemeluk-agama-lain/

Unfortunately, those many workers in shops and restos and bars here who don Santa gear do not usually go so far as that lass in the picture above. But neither do they look especially coerced, though some of the guys obliged to wear elf outfits do seem a tad self-conscious! 

As ever…

Muslim Leader of Largest Muslim Country – An Apostate? Ho-Ho-Ho! 

… I hasten to emphasise the truth – that a large majority of Indonesian Muslims have no problem with Christmas.

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I’ve heard it said that the practice of different creeds coming together to assist their respective            ” rivals’ ” decorations at Ramadhan and Christmas is no longer as routine a display of civility as once it was.

So the nasties do have more influence than once they did.

It remains to be seen if President Jokowi’s loud commitment to pluralism will turn that sorry tide.

West Java Christmas – Will Police Give Church The Gift of Freedom? 

If he shows leadership on the GKI Yasmin issue tomorrow, we can have higher hopes.  

West Java Christmas – Will Police Give Church The Gift of Freedom?

For the long-persecuted Protestants of West Java, it just might be that this year they’ll get the best-ever Christmas gift – from Indonesia’s National Police. 

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• Their sectarian persecutors have refused to comply with the country’s Supreme Court decree that the GKI Yasmin enjoy the right to worship in their church. It was sealed by the bigot Mayor Diani several years ago – his successor, the so-called ‘moderate’ Bima, just recently declared his own craven refusal to obey the law.
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But now, with a pro-tolerance president in power, these victims of jihadist bullying have made an official request to the National Police that their worship be protected just the same as every other church in Indonesia.

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•  Jayadi

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The GKI spokesman, Jayadi, said he hoped that this year’s Christmas and New Year festivities would be different and the worshippers would remain safe during their holy day. “We would like to conduct services on our own land. When can we stop conducting services outside the Presidential Palace?” he said. 

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• I’ve often been along to those open-air services, hot sweltering days and rainy ones too, a small but cheerfully determined congregation, singing hymns and praying for justice. Sometimes even some of the cops on duty join in the sacred songs. 

But will the senior police now do their duty and enforce the high court ruling?
Jayadi added that the police recommended that GKI Yasmin also send a letter to their local police precinct to remind them of their obligations to protect civilians. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/18/bogor-church-seeks-police-protection-christmas.html

West Java Police have never shown much interest in doing any more than umpiring between GARIS Islamist hoodlums and their intended prey.

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But National Police Chief Sutarman may take another view.

The Police will be on guard at every place of worship of Christians on Christmas night. One of them is the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) Yasmin located in Bogor, West Java. “Police will provide protection, because it is a task related to the security police,” said Police Chief Police General Sutarman in Central Park, West Jakarta, Friday (12/19/2014).

Sutarman did advise the GKI to approach Bogor re their certificates, but –

“No more intimidation and anarchy again,” he concluded.  http://metro.sindonews.com/read/93970431/polri-amankan-natal-di-gki-yasmin-1418990413

Fingers crossed!