Indonesia must rein in radicals
Indonesia must rein in radicals
The Strait Times, Singapore
Indonesia's Ulemas Council, the country's top Islamic authority, struck a discordant note when it called for jihad (holy war) against America. It grated against President Megawati Soekarnoputri's support for Washington's fight against terrorism.
The ulemas' call is ill-conceived, as Indonesia is about to ratify several United Nations conventions to combat terrorism. It came amid the clamor of anti-American protests in Indonesia, when radical groups were signing up volunteers to fight with the Taliban in Afghanistan, when militants combed the hotels in central Java to look for Americans and threatened violence against them.
The U.S. State Department, fearing that "extremist elements may be planning to target U.S. interests in Indonesia", has allowed its staff to leave the country. All this sends out an ominous, and wrong, message that harms Indonesia's international image. It certainly does not help Megawati as she tries to convince the world that Indonesia, under her leadership, is back in business after months of political turmoil.
Regrettably, the Indonesian police did not deem it necessary to act against the militants who openly threatened violence. It will be too late when things turn nasty. Every investor, not just Americans, will be adversely affected, and they are all at risk if the anti-U.S. protests run riot.
Like Indonesians, all foreigners should be given adequate protection. U.S. President George W. Bush, who sought Megawati's support to build an international anti-terrorist coalition when she visited Washington last week, had promised her US$400 million (S$707 million) to promote trade and investment in Indonesia. Unrestrained attacks on American interests would jeopardize this. Megawati's fledgling government is dependent on the Islamic parties, but, like it or not, she has to be firm to rein in the militants.
Defense Minister Matori Abdul Jalil has promised to act against those who harass foreigners. He has to make sure that the anti-American protests, if they cannot be prevented, do not turn violent. It is dangerous for Indonesia's Islamic parties to seize on any American action against Afghanistan as a pretext to promote their domestic political agenda. This will destabilize Megawati's government. It will not serve Indonesia's cause as violence can only undermine its economic recovery.
The Americans know that they will get different levels of support from different countries in the proposed anti-terrorist coalition. They are also aware of the Islamic sensitivities about an attack on Afghanistan's Taliban regime, the host of Osama bin Laden, chief suspect in the recent terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.
The Bush administration has said that this was not an anti- Islam crusade. But like everyone else, Islamic countries want the Americans to produce concrete evidence that Osama and his Al- Qaeda organization were responsible for planning the attacks against America. The sooner the U.S. does this, the better, to convince the doubters.
Despite the anti-American sentiments in the Islamic countries, the U.S. needs their support to build an effective global alliance against terrorism. The participation of Indonesia, the world's largest Islamic country, is important because it represents a tolerant and moderate voice in the Muslim world.
Megawati has pledged that Indonesia will stand with the rest of humanity to combat terrorism. She will face pressure from the radicals, but she must not let them change her stand.