The thanks we get, Pt. 2

In this post and this post, I noted the ingratitude of the U.N. and Sri Lanka with respect to offers of tsunami relief aid from, respectively, America and Israel.

Now some Indonesians have added themselves to the list of those who need a good lesson on how to graciously accept the generosity of others.

Al Jazeera reports that "American navy helicopters and transport planes have begun ferrying aid supplies" to Banda Aceh, Indonesia, one of the areas most heavily hit by last week's devastating tsunami.

But not everyone is happy about it.

"The Americans have to understand our culture here," said Hilmy Bakar Almascaty, vice-chairman of the Jakarta-based Islamic Defenders Front, which is mobilising relief efforts of its own.

The Islamic Defenders Front is a violent group notorious for "trashing bars and making threats against Westerners", and calling for a jihad against American forces in Iraq. And if the U.S. won't play by its rules, it says, there's gonna be trouble:

"If they are not sensitive to local issues then there will be problems. If American women come to Aceh, they must wear dilbab for example. There is Sharia law in Aceh and that is what is dictated."

Instead of demanding that American relief workers subject themselves to the repressive dictates of Sharia law, perhaps Indonesians would be better served by emulating the customs of America, the country rich enough to come to its aid.