'We should give the U.S. conditional support'<\/p>\n
Interview, Nurcholish Madjid, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The United States has asserted that it's war on terrorism is
\nnot against Islam, yet protests against the U.S. continue. The
\nJakarta Post contributor Rikza Abdullah talked to Nurcholish
\nMadjid, founder of the Paramadina Foundation in Jakarta by
\ntelephone while he was on a recent two-week visit to Washington.<\/p>\n
Question: We've condemned the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But
\nsome Muslims still fear a possible military attack on Afghanistan
\nby the U.S. What are your comments?<\/p>\n
Answer: Based on what I see from developments (in the U.S.) it
\nseems that the possibility of a military attack on Afghanistan is
\nstill at the rhetorical stage. They (the Americans) are
\napparently looking for a clearer definition of terrorism and who
\nthe terrorists are. After the attacks, world leaders, including
\nU.S. President George W. Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair,
\nstated for the first time that there must be a clear distinction
\nmade between terrorists and Muslim society. They are apparently
\naware that it is impossible to brand all the one billion Muslims
\nin the world as terrorists.<\/p>\n
Q: You see the developments as positive?<\/p>\n
A: Very positive. Because they had never made such a statement
\nbefore the New York and Pentagon incidents. There is even a new
\ntendency among American politicians, including senators, to
\nprotect Muslims. We must welcome such new developments.<\/p>\n
Q: Is it true that many Muslims have experienced harassment in
\nthe U.S. after the tragedy?<\/p>\n
A: There have been some cases of harassment but their numbers are
\nvery small. Americans feel bound to laws, so there is no hunt for
\nMuslims here.<\/p>\n
Q: Now that President Megawati Soekarnoputri has signed the
\nInternational Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of
\nTerrorism, should Indonesia support the U.S. if it attacks
\nAfghanistan?<\/p>\n
A: No. Americans themselves actually want to pinpoint and nab the
\nsuspected terrorists without having to cause trouble in
\nAfghanistan. They are now facing difficulties in finding hard
\nproof to show that people like Osama bin Laden are the real
\nperpetrators of the terrorist attacks. If they can find hard
\nevidence, they will still have to show it in their meeting with
\nother members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).<\/p>\n
If they do it properly, we should give them moral support in
\nfighting terrorism. Terrorism is contradictory to Islam.
\nAccording to Islam, even when Muslim troops are engaged in war,
\nthey are not allowed to kill women, children, old people or
\nanimals. They are not allowed to cut trees or destroy buildings.<\/p>\n
Q: The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI), besides condemning the
\nterrorist attacks, called on Muslims for a jihad should the U.S.
\nand its allies attack Afghanistan. What are your comments?<\/p>\n
A: Such a popular reaction is just a reflection of an uninformed
\nsolidarity. Muslims, deemed by Allah as just according to the
\nKoran, should be fair. We must realize that not only non-Muslims
\nhave become the victims of terrorist attacks. Muslim leaders,
\nsuch as former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, have also become
\nvictims of such attacks.<\/p>\n
Q: So what should the reaction of Muslims be?<\/p>\n
A: We must uphold the teachings of the Koran. It says that a
\ncriminal act should be punished accordingly but patience is
\nrecommended in the search for a more peaceful solution. We should
\nnot be influenced by personal, social or historical experiences.<\/p>\n
Muslims must be able to transcend themselves above personal
\nsentiments, meaning that we must leave our personal, social and
\nhistorical experiences behind and then try to implement the
\nteachings of the Koran and Prophet Muhammad.<\/p>\n
Q: How do you view the protests against the planned U.S. attacks
\non Afghanistan?<\/p>\n
A: They could be counterproductive. It is also against the
\nteachings of the Koran, which says: Do not exceed the
\nrestrictions of your religion. That is only possible if they are
\ncareful in following the Koran ...<\/p>\n
Q: Acts of terrorism have also occurred here. Can we learn from
\nAmerica's experience?<\/p>\n
A: Indonesia should ... uphold justice. Terrorism in stems from
\nthe injustice introduced by the Soeharto regime ... Indonesians,
\noverwhelmed with corruption cases, have become morally bankrupt.
\nWe can therefore see that during this economic crisis, when tens
\nof millions of people are living under the poverty line,
\nexhibitors have been able to sell a large number of luxury cars.<\/p>\n
We must hold up justice, which is equivalent to peace.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/we-should-give-the-us-conditional-support-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }