October 2, 2005: Islamic terrorists struck again in the tourist areas of Bali, Indonesia. Three years ago, a large car bomb killed over 200 people in Bali, most of them Australian tourists. This time, the death toll was much lower (under 30), but the intent was the same; to shut down tourism in an Islamic nation. Recently, Islamic terrorists have made attacks on tourist resorts in Egypt that hosted a largely Egyptian clientele. In nations where Islamic terrorists are popular, the Islamic radicals that back the terrorism also encourage hostility to infidels (non-Moslems) and "un-Islamic" lifestyles. That includes tourism. The only kind of overseas travel encouraged by the Islamic radicals is the religious pilgrimage (the Hadj) to the Moslem holy places in Saudi Arabia. It's a basic tenet of Islam that every Moslem try to make the Hadj. But aside from that, except for business trips, you are expected to stay home and behave.
Like any kind of religious conservatism, Islamic radicals are hostile to those who do not believe as they do. Not just in terms of religious matters, but how one lives ones life as well. Having fun is bad, so movies, music, booze, drugs, sex, fashionable clothing and free-expression in general are forbidden. If the Islamic radicals gain enough control over a society (as they did in 1990s Afghanistan), people who disobey the rules can be put to death.
Going after tourism destroys the local economy, which Islamic radicals see as "dirty money" and a source of revenue for a Godless government that will only use it to oppress true Moslems. Destroying tourism keeps out un-Islamic tourists and their dangerous ideas.
There's also a problem with a major difference between Islam and the other world religions. While Christianity has as a basic tenet that "God loves you," (and a separation of church and state) and Hinduism (and its offshoot Buddhism) are very tolerant of other faiths, Islam demands strict obedience (Islam means "submission" in Arabic) and encourages militant attempts to convert others. Moreover, any attempts by others to convert Moslems is to be met with deadly force. This is the law in Saudi Arabia, for example, where openly practicing any other religion is forbidden, and Moslems who convert to another faith face death. While the government of Saudi Arabia realizes that it has to get along with a largely non-Islamic world, the many Saudis who are Islamic radicals, don't give a damn about that. So it's no wonder that 15 or the 19 911 attackers were from Saudi Arabia. And it's no surprise that any tourist operation in a nation with a Moslem majority (or large minority) has to worry about Islamic zealots trying to put them out of business. It's God's Will, you understand.
