By Aisyah Llewellyn
Published On 11 Nov 2023
11 Nov 2023

Imam Samudra said that they wanted revenge for the occupation of Palestine and the attack on Jenin [by Israeli forces in 2002 which killed more than 50 Palestinians as well as 23 Israeli soldiers], so they wanted to bomb Westerners in nightclubs in Bali. 

He ushered me into one of the rooms in the house where all the ingredients to make the bombs had been prepared.

I told them, if we wanted to get revenge for the atrocities committed against Muslims in Palestine, we should go to Palestine and not kill Westerners in Indonesia. I asked them, “What is the relationship between these people who will be victims and your motive of revenge for Muslims in Palestine?”

I told them that if they wanted to kill Westerners in large numbers using a one-tonne bomb, it would not just kill the people in front of it. It would explode everywhere. I told them that it would kill lots of other people who were not their target.

I said that a bomb would also likely cause Muslim casualties. I asked them, “Who will take responsibility in the next world [paradise] if there are Muslim victims because of this bomb?”

Imam Samudra said that, on the day of judgement, everyone would be judged individually for their actions based on their intentions.

I felt that there was no way I could refuse. Imam Samudra had locked the front door of the house so that no one could leave.

So I did it, and made the last 50kg [110lbs] of the bomb.
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