Antiterror war conceals global injustices<\/p>\n
Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesian religious leaders marked Saturday's International Day
\nof Peace by calling for a war on global injustices as a
\nprerequisite to fighting worldwide terrorism and violence across
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
They also told the United States and other Western countries
\nto cease their arrogance deemed to have led to feelings of
\nenmity, hatred and hostility in the developing world.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) leader Andreas A.
\nYewangoe said developed countries, especially the U.S., should
\nuse the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy as momentum to reflect on whether
\ntheir global economic and political systems were just.<\/p>\n
\"It is not impossible that war on terror and terrorism will
\nencourage new terror if the core of the problem, namely global
\ninjustice, is not addressed.<\/p>\n
\"Churches have really been aware that violence will not end
\nwith violence. It will lead to renewed outbreaks of more intense
\nviolence.\"<\/p>\n
If only the outbreaks of violence were addressed, without
\ndealing with the core problem, the cycle of violence would
\ncontinue, Yewangoe said at a ceremony to observe the UN's first
\nannual International Day of Peace.<\/p>\n
Other guests at the ceremony, hosted by the UN Information
\nCenter (UNIC) Jakarta, was UNIC director Abdullah Saleh Mbamba,
\nMinister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra and
\nIslamic, Christian, Hindu and Buddhist leaders who all delivered
\nmessages of peace.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister of People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla and
\nMinister of Religious Affairs Said Agil Husin Al-Munawwar were
\nnot present but sent senior officials to represent them.<\/p>\n
The International Day of Peace was declared under a UN General
\nAssembly resolution dated on Sept. 7 last year, six days before
\nthe terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. It is observed
\nworldwide on every Sept. 21 beginning from 2002.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) secretary general Din
\nSyamsuddin shared Yewangoe's view, saying the U.S.-led
\ninternational campaign against terrorism would fail should global
\njustice not be taken into serious account, or if the world
\nsuperpower continued with its double standards in the Middle East
\nconflict.<\/p>\n
\"The war on terrorism will not be successful and will even
\nspark new terrorism, if the U.S. and other Western states
\ncontinue with their arrogant power,\" he told journalists after
\nhis speech.<\/p>\n
The U.S. has been repeatedly berated by many Muslim states and
\nothers for their \"double-standards\" in the Mideast in favor of
\nIsrael.<\/p>\n
Criticism escalated as the world superpower signaled its
\nintention to attack Iraq as part of the global anti-terrorism
\ncampaign.<\/p>\n
M.J. Notoseputro, an executive secretary of the Bishops'
\nConference of Indonesia (KWI), said Western nations had gone too
\nfar in the war on terrorism as it had breached the principles of
\nhuman rights.<\/p>\n
\"The campaign is politicized by the U.S., so the target and
\npurpose are unclear,\" he told The Jakarta Post after Saturday's
\nceremony, citing as an example the Israel-Palestinian conflict
\nand the plan to hit Iraq.<\/p>\n
He said that in order to be \"fair\" there should have been
\nintense dialog to deal with terrorism across the globe.<\/p>\n
\"What is happening now is arrogance and hatred.\"<\/p>\n
Abdullah Mbamba concurred with the Indonesian religious
\nleaders' calls for the world to eradicate global injustices to
\nmake the war on terrorism a success.<\/p>\n
\"It is true,\" he told the Post when asked about the global
\ninjustices blamed on the U.S. and other Western nations, which
\nhave encouraged terrorism.<\/p>\n
Apart from the anti-terrorism fever, Saturday's observation
\ncame amid religious, ethnic and separatist fighting that has been
\nplaguing several parts of the world's largest Muslim country. The
\nfighting has killed thousands of people in Maluku, Poso in
\nCentral Sulawesi, Aceh and Papua.<\/p>\n
Other cases of violence, ranging from murders and rapes to
\nrobbery, were reported in major cities across the country of more
\nthan 200 million people.<\/p>\n
All of the speakers called for an end to the violence to
\nachieve long-lasting peace in the country.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/antiterror-war-conceals-global-injustices-1447893297",
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