Nasir Abbas

Nasir Abbas was once one of the most wanted Malaysian jihadists in South East Asia. He was a member of al-Qaeda's regional affiliate, Jemaah Islamiya (JI).

According to Indonesia's top anti-terrorist police officer, General Ansyaad Mbai, Abbas was a very dangerous man and one of the key figures in the JI.

In a BBC interview, Abbas explained his philosophy of jihad. Abbas stated that he believes it is acceptable to fight and kill foreign forces occupying Muslim countries. He gives as examples the Soviets in Afghanistan, the Americans in Iraq and the Philippine army occupying what he describes as ancestral Muslim lands in Mindanao. According to Abbas, the killing of innocent civilians - men, women and children - is forbidden.

Abbas uses his position to criticize the modern violent jihad philosophy, outlined by Palestinian Abdullah Azzam, acknowledged to be the "father" of modern violent jihad. He stated in his interview the 202 civilian deaths in the 2002 Bali bombings gave him pause. Abbas actively assisted the police in tracking down and arresting some of his former comrades. He explains that from that point on, he tried to persuade his former comrades that their interpretation of the Quran was wrong, and urged them to "return to the right path of Islamic teaching".