'Bali meet may help improve Islam's image'<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Playing down protests from Muslim groups, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)
\nchairman Hasyim Muzadi said he considered the meeting with United
\nStates President George W. Bush crucial to correct his perception
\nof Islam.<\/p>\n
NU deputy chairman Masduki Baidlawi said on Tuesday Hasyim was
\nunder pressure to turn down the offer to meet Bush in Denpasar.<\/p>\n
"But Pak Hasyim insisted that communication is a must as the
\nonly way to convey the true face of Islam, which has been
\ntarnished since the U.S.-led war against terrorism. We will never
\nbe able to change it unless we establish good communication."
\nMasduki told a press conference at NU Headquarters on Jl. Kramat
\nRaya, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Masduki said the Bali talks would enable Hasyim to clarify
\naccusations directed at Islam in connection with terrorism
\nissues.<\/p>\n
Hasyim sprang a surprise recently when he said he doubted that
\nJamaah Islamiyah, an Al-Qaeda network-affiliated organization
\nblamed for a string of attacks in Indonesia and Southeast Asia,
\nhad a presence in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
During the conference, an NU youth wing held a noisy protest
\noutside the room, demanding that Hasyim shun the meeting on the
\ngrounds that the occasion was a mere public relations exercise
\nfor the U.S.<\/p>\n
Bush is slated to make a three-hour stopover in Bali on
\nWednesday en route to Australia. The U.S. President attended the
\nAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Bangkok, which
\nended on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
During his brief visit, Bush is scheduled to hold bilateral
\ntalks with President Megawati Soekarnoputri before meeting Hasyim
\nand three other Muslim leaders.<\/p>\n
Sympathy for the U.S. in the wake of the Sept. 11 2001
\nterrorist attacks turned to anger after it invaded Iraq to oust
\nits leader Saddam Hussein in spite of not receiving support from
\nthe United Nations and most countries in the world.<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah chairman Syafii Maarif and Muslim scholar
\nAzyumardi Azra have accepted the offer to meet Bush in Bali, but
\nnoted preacher Abdullah Gymnastiar decided to skip the meeting as
\nhe will be on pilgrimage to Mecca.<\/p>\n
The U.S. government invited Hasyim and Syafii to Washington
\nafter the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack in the U.S. to show the
\nworld the war against terrorism was not targeting Islam.<\/p>\n
A staff member from the office of President Megawati disclosed
\nthat each meeting would last 20 minutes, with each Muslim leader
\nbeing given about five minutes to talk to Bush.<\/p>\n
Syafii, a strong critic of U.S. policies in the Middle East,
\nhe earlier said he would ask Bush to change his foreign policies,
\nespecially those dealing with terrorism and the Israel-Palestine
\nconflict.<\/p>\n
However, Syafii admitted he had little hope of a positive
\nresult from the meeting, but stressed that it was worth a try
\nrather than "just throwing a fist (at him) from behind a
\nmountain", he explained metaphorically.<\/p>\n
Azyumardi, also rector of the Syarif Hidayatullah State
\nIslamic University in Jakarta, expressed optimism that President
\nBush would change his attitude toward Islam.<\/p>\n
"We should have a positive outlook that the man (Bush) may
\nchange his attitude toward Islam," Azyumardi said as quoted by
\nAntara.<\/p>\n
"I will try to convince the U.S. President that he need not
\nworry about Indonesian Muslims because we are actually moderate.
\nRadicalism which is promoted by certain Muslim groups does not
\nrepresent the true face of Islam here," he added.<\/p>\n
Azyumardi, Syafii and Hasyim left for Bali on Tuesday
\nafternoon.<\/p>\n
Commenting on claims that the meeting would bear no fruit,
\nAzyumardi said Indonesian Muslims should be open-minded and
\nmaintain dialog with all parties, rather than losing hope.<\/p>\n
"We should not be disheartened and say the meeting would be
\nuseless. It is a good opportunity to convey our aspirations to
\nBush because if we refuse to meet him it would only perpetuate
\nthe problems," Azyumardi said.<\/p>",
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