U.S. warned against forcing RI to crack down on hard-liners<\/p>\n
Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Noted Muslim leaders cautioned the United States on Wednesday
\nagainst forcing Indonesia to crack down on hardline religious
\ngroups in the country.<\/p>\n
While admitting that there were radical groups in the country,
\nMuhammadiyah chairman Syafi'i Ma'arif said the groups were not
\ninvolved in terrorism and had no link to any international
\nterrorism network.<\/p>\n
\"Radicalism here is more because of the absence of good
\ngovernance at the national and provincial levels, and the
\nparalyzed legal systems. It will lose its root if national
\nleaders, security officers and the legal system can function
\nsatisfactorily,\" Syafi'i told The Jakarta Post Wednesday.<\/p>\n
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell will arrive here Thursday
\nwith the purpose of helping President Megawati Soekarnoputri
\nfight suspected terrorist groups in the world's most populous
\nMuslim nation.<\/p>\n
Powell's agenda includes a meeting with leaders of mainstream
\nIslamic organizations here. Some small Muslim groups are planning
\nto hold street protests during his visit.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is considered a potential hotbed for international
\nterrorism. Two neighboring countries -- Singapore and Malaysia --
\nhave openly accused Indonesia of allowing terrorists to roam free
\nin the country, while the U.S. has suggested that members of
\nOsama bin Laden's terrorist network al Qaeda have entered
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Syafi'i, chairman of Indonesia's second largest Muslim
\norganization, said the country's commitment to fighting terrorism
\nwas something that could not be dictated by other countries.<\/p>\n
\"It's against our pride, our sovereignty. Besides, counter
\nterrorism is not relevant here. How can we have a war with
\nsomething that does not exist in the country?,\" he asked.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Hasyim Muzadi said
\nthat the U.S. should not worry about a number of hardline Muslim
\ngroups here because they had been set up to serve temporary
\ninterests.<\/p>\n
\"If the man behind the radicalism no longer needs these
\ngroups, I believe they will become powerless,\" Hasyim said,
\nadding that those hardliners were not capable of establishing an
\ninternational network.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) chairman Amidhan
\nsaid that the U.S. could not force its own perception of
\nterrorism on Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"We welcome any discussion on terrorism but we will refuse if
\nthe hardliners here are likened with those in the Middle East,\"
\nhe told the Post.<\/p>\n
Amidhan said that he did not agree with the classification of
\nMuslims into liberal, moderate, radical and fundamental groups
\nbecause it tended to disunite Muslims.<\/p>\n
\"If they can prove that the country's hardliners are involved
\nin the international terrorist network, then they can put legal
\nmeasures on them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Joko Susilo, legislator at the House of Representatives'
\nCommission I on defense and foreign affairs, said that the U.S.
\nhad failed to draw the sympathy of Indonesian Muslims with its
\nrecent policies, especially in the Palestine-Israel conflict.<\/p>\n
\"I am a bit skeptical about his visit, what hidden agenda will
\nhe will bring to this Muslim majority country? But I would like
\nto say that we agree with the fight against terrorism but not
\nagainst Islam,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Joko said that hardline groups only represented one percent of
\nthe whole Muslim population here and had no connection to global
\nterrorism although some of the leaders were graduates of
\nuniversities in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
\"Still, we do not have the right to limit their aspirations of
\nimplementing their principles faithfully as long as it is not
\nagainst the public interests,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Joko suggested Powell visit Muslims at the grassroots level in
\nvillages to see the bigger picture of Indonesian Muslims.<\/p>\n
\"Please come with friendship. Muslims here are very open and
\ntolerant. Hardliners are not the mainstream of religious groups
\nin Indonesia. They are the minority who shout more than they
\nact,\" he said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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