Muslim leaders call for calm over int'l rhetoric on terror<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro and Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Mainstream Islamic leaders have called on the country's Muslims
\nnot to be became angered over U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul
\nWolfowitz's statements on the presence of suspected al-Qaeda
\ncells in the country, saying that all such allegations had yet to
\nbe backed up by concrete evidence.<\/p>\n
Hasyim Muzadi, chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU),
\nIndonesia's largest Muslim organization, said on Sunday that
\nInterpol, and the intelligence forces of the United States and
\nIndonesia, needed to build a \"strong working relationship\" in
\norder to gather solid evidence on the presence of al-Qaeda cells
\nin Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"The job of the leaders of Muslim organizations in Indonesia
\nis to ensure that their organizations' followers are not easily
\nprovoked or involve themselves in violence,\" Hasyim told The
\nJakarta Post on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The secretary general of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI),
\nDien Syamsuddin, said on Sunday that the U.S. could not accuse
\nIndonesia of harboring international terrorists or single it out
\nas a haven for terrorist groups based on subjective perceptions.<\/p>\n
\"Unless the US has strong evidence to show that Indonesia is
\nindeed harboring international terrorists, the US must not point
\nthe finger at Indonesia,\" Dien told the Post.<\/p>\n
Wolfowitz had earlier said that the presence of suspected al-
\nQaeda cells in Indonesia had led to a situation that created
\n\"much more of a law enforcement challenge.\" He also said that he
\ndid not rule out the possibility of joint military training for
\ncounterterrorist operations involving Indonesian and U.S. forces.<\/p>\n
Muslim leaders here fear that Wolfowitz's statements could
\nprovoke a major backlash against U.S. interests in Indonesia, the
\nworld's largest Muslim country, as many world Muslim leaders warn
\nthat the harsh measures taken by the U.S. military in Afghanistan
\ncould shift to a war against Islam.<\/p>\n
Hasyim asserted on Sunday that military intervention by the
\nU.S. or \"baseless\" arrests of Muslim leaders in Indonesia without
\nadequate evidence would not be tolerated by the Muslim community
\nhere.<\/p>\n
\"Any accusations or charges made by the U.S. regarding the
\npresence of terrorist groups in Indonesia must be proved first
\nbefore any action is taken,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia won't tolerate foreign intervention. That would
\nunnecessarily force moderate Muslims in Indonesia to take
\nradical measures.\"<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah Chairman Sjafii Ma'arief warned the U.S. on
\nSaturday to be prudent when dealing with Indonesia, and cautioned
\nthe government against sacrificing the nation's sovereignty in
\nresponse to the worldwide antiterrorism drive, as certain other
\ncountries had done in Sjafii's opinion.<\/p>\n
He also said that the U.S. had failed to prove that its
\npersistent attacks on Taliban fighters and al-Qaeda members in
\nAfghanistan were effective in eliminating the terrorist network
\nled by Saudi Arabian businessman Osama bin Laden.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has come under the spotlight in the war against
\nterrorism after a number of its citizens were arrested overseas
\nfor alleged links to al-Qaeda.<\/p>\n
Neighboring countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore and the
\nPhilippines, have piled the pressure on Indonesia, accusing it of
\nnot doing enough in the global antiterrorism drive by leaving
\nterrorists at liberty to pursue their ends.<\/p>\n
Sjafii said that \"none of these citizens have links to
\ninternational terrorist groups\".<\/p>\n
The image of Islam has worsened following the accusations by
\nthe U.S. and other governments that Indonesian hard-liners, like
\nHambali and Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI) Chief Abu Bakar
\nBa'asyir, have facilitated the international terrorists who
\nattacked the U.S. on Sept. 11 last year.<\/p>\n
\"I also firmly believe that such hard-line groups here do not
\nhave any connection with al-Qaeda,\" Sjafii said, referring to the
\nMMI and Laskar Jihad, led by Jafar Umar Thalib.<\/p>\n
\"These groups exist due to the government's uncertain policies
\non the economy, politics, security and justice. If the government
\nmanages to deal with these problems and maintain stability, I
\nbelieve that these groups will no longer be relevant,\" Sjafii
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In its efforts to promote an understanding of the role of
\nIslam in the development of a peaceful world, Muhammadiyah, the
\nsecond largest Muslim organization in Indonesia after the NU,
\nwill hold a debate on 'Islam and the West' at its headquarters on
\nTuesday.<\/p>",
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