Leaders told to meet, pacify demonstrators<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
As the domestic situation worsens over the Afghan crisis,
\ngovernment officials, legislators and Muslim leaders need to sit
\ntogether and reach a consensus in order to save Indonesia from
\nentering another crisis.<\/p>\n
To start the talks, each of them need to drop their own
\ninterests and adopt the national interests above all, according
\nto Mustofa Bisri, an influential ulema based in Rembang, Central
\nJava.<\/p>\n
\"All elements in the country, the executives, legislators,
\npolitical party leaders, religious leaders and other elements,
\nincluding those who are now desirous to go for jihad to
\nAfghanistan, need to return to our national interest,\" Mustofa
\ntold The Jakarta Post in a telephone interview on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"There must be a way out. It's time for them to sit together,
\nuse common sense and talk as brothers in a spirit of
\ntogetherness.\"<\/p>\n
Mustofa Bisri, popularly known as Gus Mus, called on all sides
\nin the country to repent for their inaction over the worsening
\ndomestic situation following the U.S. retaliation against the
\nTaliban.<\/p>\n
\"Let's repent and commit ourselves to de-emphasizing the
\ninterest of individuals or groups, equalize our vision and start
\nto rebuild the nation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the country's second largest Muslim
\norganization Muhammadiyah, Syafi'i Maarif, the Speaker of the
\nHouse of Representatives, Akbar Tandjung and the chairman of the
\nNational Awakening Party, Alwi Shihab, all agreed that they were
\nready to participate at any given time in such talks.<\/p>\n
Syafi'i supported the idea of convening such a meeting to
\nbuild mutual trust between Muslim groups, especially the hardline
\nones, and the government.<\/p>\n
\"There must be an effort to encourage mutual trust between the
\ngroups and the government. I think discussions of this sort would
\nbe good,\" Syafi'i told the Post after speaking at a seminar on
\nterrorism.<\/p>\n
He added that the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) could
\npossibly be called upon to facilitate such a meeting.<\/p>\n
Alwi, meanwhile, noted that such a meeting was necessary to
\nhelp improve trust in the government and reduce anti-American
\nsentiment among some Muslim groups.<\/p>\n
\"With a dialog, it is probable that misunderstanding between
\nthe government and the so-called radical groups can be resolved,
\nand therefore street rallies will be reduced,\" Alwi said.<\/p>\n
Since the U.S. and British military launched strikes in
\nAfghanistan on Sunday, there have been anti-U.S. protests on a
\ndaily basis in Jakarta in addition to a number of large cities
\nthroughout the archipelago.<\/p>\n
Analysts have expressed fear that such anti-U.S.
\ndemonstrations would only drive more expatriates out of
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Alwi said the government should understand Muslims'
\ndisappointment over the government's stance with regard to the
\nU.S. campaign against terrorism.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Catholic figure Frans Magnis Suseno suggested
\nthat all parties in the proposed discussions must, in good faith,
\nattempt to resolve problems.<\/p>\n
\"If certain groups begin with skepticism against the
\ngovernment's explanation, such a meeting will be useless,\" Magnis
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
But Magnis also said that such a meeting should be implemented
\ninformally, all figures attending such a meeting should represent
\nthemselves without claiming that they represent certain groups of
\npeople.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung hailed the proposal,
\nsaying that the dialog needed to be implemented without reducing
\npeople's rights to express their condemnation against the U.S.
\naction.<\/p>\n
The issues regarding the government's current stance will be
\ndiscussed at a meeting between President Megawati Soekarnoputri,
\nHouse leaders and faction leaders on Friday.<\/p>\n
PKB faction chairman in the House Ali Masykur Moesa told the
\nPost that the consultation meeting will be focused both on the
\nresolution of the Aceh problem as well as the government's
\nofficial position as it regards the U.S.-led war on terrorism.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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