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.