Indonesia’s top militant cleric: fight America “until it is destroyed”

GlobalPost

One of the best-known militant Islamic cleric in Indonesia has fresh orders for his disciples.

According to the Agence France Press outlet, 83-year-old Abu Bakar Bashir has called on his followers to "fight the U.S. until it is destroyed."

"America," he told reporters, "is the enemy of Islam."

Why is the imprisoned cleric so salty?

Because the U.S. State Department recently deemed his network, Jemaah Anshorut Tauhid or JAT, a "foreign terrorist organization."

According to the State Department, Bashir's group is accused of bombing churches, bank robberies, nurturing an underground terror cell in Aceh province and seeking to "establish an Islamic caliphate in Indonesia."

Will you support The World today?

The story you just read is available for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

Make a gift today, and you’ll get us one step closer to our goal of raising $25,000 by June 14. We need your help now more than ever!