UIN Students attack U.S. envoy over foreign policies<\/p>\n
Ati Nurbaiti
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Karen P. Hughes, a leading U.S. image builder and deputy to U.S.
\nsecretary of state Condoleeza Rice, told students here on Friday
\nthat she hoped to get to know their hopes for their country, and
\nabout how Indonesian-U.S. ties could be improved. But hardly
\nanyone was interested.<\/p>\n
Instead they took up her other offer; that she would try to
\nanswer any questions that they might have. The under secretary
\nfor public diplomacy and public affairs was then bombarded with
\ncritical questions that she has probably become accustomed to
\nanswering since she assumed the office a few months ago -- such
\nas why America was so unfair, why it continues to police the
\nworld, why it associates anything Islamic with terrorists, and so
\non.<\/p>\n
\"What kind of democracy is America if after Hurricane Katrina
\nthe government discriminates against African Americans?\" the
\nfirst student asked. Hughes gave an assurance that the
\nshortcomings in the handling of the New Orleans disaster were
\n\"not because of race.\"<\/p>\n
\"Why do you expect Iraq to become a democracy in only (a few)
\nyears? It's unfair. Let them decide for themselves,\" another
\nsaid. \"Stop the war in Iraq,\" yet another said.<\/p>\n
Hughes, president George W. Bush's former communications
\ndirector for both his gubernatorial and presidential campaigns,
\nresponded to each and every query and comment throughout the one-
\nhour discussion with a dozen students at the State Islamic
\nUniversity (UIN) in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
About 10 other students protested outside, demanding that UIN
\nrefuse such visits from U.S. officials, with the U.S. being
\nportrayed as \"the world's most terrifying superpower.\"<\/p>\n
One student, Said Rizki, said that even if the time was short,
\n\"at least (Hughes) got feedback\" on the issues that concerned
\nstudents here, such as Iraq, which he said was a very emotional
\nissue.<\/p>\n
Hughes also thanked the students for the \"honest and frank\"
\nexchange, which she said had led to an understanding of their
\nrespective views, though not necessarily agreement.<\/p>\n
In response to a question as to why Bush could possibly have
\nbeen elected twice, she had said it was largely due to public
\nsupport for the war on terror caused by the \"shock and horror\" of
\nthe attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.<\/p>\n
On the war in Iraq, she said \"we would like nothing better
\nthan to bring our boys and girls home\", but she said that even
\nIraqis still wanted American troops to stay on in order to help
\nmake the country stable.<\/p>\n
She appealed to the students to make a distinction between
\nMuslims in general, and those with \"very dangerous\" views who set
\nout to kill not only Americans, but also Muslims who disagreed
\nwith them.<\/p>\n
A postgraduate student, Zaki Nuraeni, said she had wanted more
\ntime to express her concerns about U.S. stigmatization of Islam
\nand its institutions, like boarding schools or pesantren, \"as if
\nthey all bred terrorists just because of people like Amrozi\", the
\nconvicted Bali bomber who attended a pesantren in Ngruki, Central
\nJava, along with a number of other convicted terrorists.<\/p>\n
\"I graduated from Ngruki\", Zaki told The Jakarta Post, \"and I
\nnever experienced any teachings of jihad like that (terrorism).
\nSince the Bali bomb attacks it has become like I have to be
\ncareful about disclosing my identity as a Ngruki graduate.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/uin-students-attack-us-envoy-over-foreign-policies-1447893297",
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