The terrorist attacks in the US on 11 September 2001 led several western readers to write to the on-line edition of Inside Indonesia (www.insideindonesia.org). Some were anonymous, and some probably did not realise the magazine is produced in Australia! (Editor)

Don't like what I see

Since 11/9/01 there has emerged a new political will in America - one that has not existed here since World War II. Even average Americans like myself are evaluating the nations of the world from a completely different perspective. One important criterium is to reaffirm who are our friends and who are not our friends. Images of Indonesians carrying signs that say 'Die, America' will shape the view of Indonesia by many Americans for a long, long time. You at Inside Indonesia may want to convey this one-time-only message from an average American to the government and people there that from now on everything has changed, and at the start of this new era we don't like what we are seeing in Indonesia.
USA Desk (usdesk@hotmail.com), 6 October 2001

Nice people

American people are not as arrogant as our government appears on TV. My wife is from the Ungaran/ Semarang area (Central Java). The Indonesian people are nice people. So are Americans. It's the people in power on both sides that have been causing all the problems. Many of us also hate the capitalist and bureaucratic 'monster' that hides behind words like 'justice' and 'democracy'. The WTC attack should wake us up and examine why our government is hated so much. Peace to all...
Stan Plock, California (email stan@teraopticnetworks.com, web www.stanp2.50megs.com), 8 October 2001

Raging Alqaeda

What do the raging demonstrating Moslems want from America? Your jealousy of America is driving you crazy. Male impotency exposes itself in the characteristics you display.
maggie (maggie7@telusplanet.net), 11 October 2001

USA hypocrisy

I cannot recount a situation in recent history that the Americans have become involved in other than for selfish reasons. Recently America refused to sign a world wide anti-pollution document, which most countries signed. The reason they gave was that it would adversely affect employment. This is total hypocrisy. The average American consumes more resources than anyone from any other country. Americans must realise that they are not God's chosen and that other people in the world have (or should have) exactly the same rights as they expect.
Ken Wright, Scotland (ken@kenwright.plus.com), 28 October 2001.

America Number One

Most money and most guns. US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld is ready to go on a bombing blitz of every country that doesn't kiss his butt. Jakarta will likely be designated as a 'terrorist harbour' if you don't stop all those demonstrations.
Ernest Cox (ECox@keytronic.com), 5 November 2001.

Tolerance and peace

All true Muslims denounce terrorism of any kind, and share the sorrows of its victims. The word Islam has the same meaning as 'peace'. God invites all people to accept the moral teachings of the Qur'an as a model whereby mercy, compassion, tolerance, peace, joy, happiness, justice and security may be experienced in the world. jonny town (email jonnytown@yahoo.co.uk, web www.islamdenouncesterrorism.com), 29 October 2001