SBY praised for joining Arafat's funeral<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Scholars hailed President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's attendance
\nof Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's funeral service in Cairo,
\nEgypt, on Friday, but lamented that he brought only Muslim
\nleaders in his entourage.<\/p>\n
Azyumardi Azra of the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic
\nUniversity said that the exclusion of non-Muslim leaders from the
\ndelegation sent out a wrong signal that the conflict in Palestine
\nwas only the concern of Muslims.<\/p>\n
Susilo left for Cairo on Thursday night on a special flight to
\nattend the funeral of Arafat. Susilo was accompanied by, among
\nothers, Minister for Religious Affairs M. Maftuh Basyuni, House
\nof Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono, People's Consultative
\nAssembly Speaker Hidayat Nur Wahid, Nahdlatul Ulama chairman
\nHasyim Muzadi, deputy Muhammadiyah chairman Amin Abdullah and
\nIndonesian Ulema Council secretary-general Din Syamsuddin.<\/p>\n
\"The President has sent a wrong signal, as if the conflict in
\nPalestine is between Muslims and non-Muslims and Muslims in the
\ncountry don't show enough solidarity,\" he said, adding that the
\nPresident should have asked leaders of the Indonesian Bishops
\nConference (KWI) and the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI)
\nto join.<\/p>\n
Azyumardi said that Palestine's liberation movement was
\nnationalistic in nature and was supported both by Muslims and
\nChristians who lived in the occupied territory.<\/p>\n
He said that Muslim-based groups such as Hamas were but one
\ncomponent that made up the resistance movement.<\/p>\n
\"Susilo may have gotten the wrong advice about the whole
\nPalestinian liberation movement before he made the decision to
\nleave for Cairo,\" he told The Jakarta Post<\/p>\n
Separately, Middle Eastern political analyst of the Indonesian
\nInstitute of Sciences (LIPI) Riza Sihbudi said that the visit was
\nthe realization of Susilo's pledge to one of the political
\nparties that brought him to power, which demanded a strong
\ncommitment toward the Palestinian cause.<\/p>\n
\"Susilo must fulfill his commitment he made to parties like
\nthe Prosperous Justice Party which staunchly supports the
\nPalestine Liberation Movement,\" Riza told the Post.<\/p>\n
Azyumardi said Susilo's visit to Cairo to pay his respects to
\nArafat constituted the highest expression of the country's
\nsupport for the Palestinians' struggle against the Israeli
\noccupation.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia has supported the Palestinian struggle all along
\nand the visit to Cairo for Yasser Arafat's funeral is an
\nimportant symbol of that support,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that relations between Indonesia and Palestine were
\nquite close as indicated by Arafat's four visits to the country
\nand Indonesia's unswerving support for Palestine's independence.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sby-praised-for-joining-arafats-funeral-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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