Umar Patek Asks Muslims "If you want to do jihad, do it in another country where Islamic people need help" Not to Commit Acts of Terrorism in Indonesia

Indonesian terror suspect Umar Patek, center, speaks to journalists after his trial at the West Jakarta court in Jakarta on Thursday. Umar Patek's verdict will be held on June 21 over his role in the 2002 Bali bombings. (AFP Photo/Oscar Siagian)

Jakarta: Indonesian terror suspect Umar Patek on Thursday called on all Muslim activists not to commit acts of terrorism in Indonesia.

“I want to advise all Muslim activists not to commit acts of terrorism in Indonesia,” Umar said on Thursday at the West Jakarta court. “I know a lot about jihad based on my own experience. As [publicly] known, I never agreed to the Bali bombing from the beginning [of the plan] until now.”

Umar said he made the statement of his own volition and was not forced by anyone.

“I beg [you], don’t commit terrorism in this country,” he said. “I said this not upon the request of Densus 88 (the police’s counterterrorism unit) or the judges, this is purely from me.”

While advising people not to commit acts of terror in Indonesia, Umar said people should go to Palestine to commit jihad.

“If you want to do jihad, do it in another country such as Palestine, where Islamic people need help,” he said.

“I hope we can learn from what has happened to me. I was on the police search list with my photo spread everywhere, [police] offering a bounty on me. But I dared to go out of this nation, because I had the good intention to commit jihad abroad.”

He said for those who do not know how to commit jihad, they should understand that there are several ways of committing jihad.

“This is not the Stone Age,” he said. “This is the Internet era, there is Facebook, Twitter and others.”