A Silverlining amidst threat of terrorism

The reaction of the Indonesian people decrying act of terrorism categorically is a silverlining in the thick cloud of terrorism, threatening the tranquility and peace in the world. The Indonesian island of Bali has observed 2002 bomb anniversary. The anniversary comes less than two weeks since a second attack on Bali which killed 23 people, including three suicide bombers. A small crowd of mourners gathered at Bali’s Ground Zero to remember – some dressed in beach shorts, others in business suits. They stood in front of the marble memorial to those who died to observe 202 seconds of silence, one for each of the victims of Bali’s first bomb attack. Wreaths were laid at the foot of the memorial. The flags of the 22 nations affected by the bombings fluttered above. This commemoration was planned long before the second attack on Bali, but this month’s suicide bombings have added another layer of poignancy and grief to the occasion. About 500 protestors gatecrashed an Indonesian prison, just hours after the sombre ceremony, where many suspected bombers behind the 2002 explosions are incarcerated. The violent protesters were demanding immediate execution of three persons – Samudra, Amrozi and his brother Mukhlas alias Ali Gufron – on death row.