Diplomats fail to show to meeting seeking support to fight radicalism

Diplomats fail to show to meeting seeking support to fight radicalism

Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Prominent Muslim and Christian leaders held a meeting here on
Tuesday with foreign diplomats to solicit support for a national
moral campaign against radicalism in Indonesia.

"What we hope from the meeting is actually how to establish a
synergy between our moral movement and ambassadors, so as to make
it a success," Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) leader Solahuddin Wahid told
The Jakarta Post.

He said the meeting, held at the NU headquarters in Central
Jakarta, was expected to draw up an action plan for the moral
movement by gathering ideas from foreign diplomats.

Yet, the meeting gained little momentum as very few diplomats
were present.

Only Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Dato' Rastam Isa and
Deputy Chief of Mission at the British Embassy Anthony Godson
showed up at the meeting, while at least 15 ambassadors and
foreign diplomats had been invited to the forum.

In attendance were Solahuddin, NU chairman A. Hasyim Muzadi,
Muhammadiyah Chairman Ahmad Syafii Maarif and Muslim scholar
Nurcholish Madjid.

Also present were Arch Bishop Mgr. Julius Darmaatmadja,
representative from the Communion of Indonesian Churches (PGI)
Wismordi Wahono and Indonesian independence fighter Roeslan Abdul
Gani.

Another NU leader Cecep Syarifuddin said the discussions were
"very good" with the British and Malaysian diplomats giving full
weight to the movement.

Addressing the forum, Syafii Maarif said: "The so-called
Muslim radicalism mostly came from the countries located around
the Mediterranean Sea, whose people have lost confidence in
themselves".

As in Indonesia, modernity and moderation were generally the
basic characteristic of Muslims, he said.

"For the mainstream of Indonesian Islam, I can assure you that
all sorts of radicalism have no future in this county," Syafii
said.

Meanwhile, Nurcholish Madjid said the puritanism developed by
followers of Wahabi, an Islamic school of thought mostly adhered
to by Arabs, provided positive impacts on Islam in European and
Western counties.

Yet, he questioned a similar movement promoted by Indonesian
Muslims of Arab descent, which has mostly turned into radicalism
here.