Indonesia's stand against terror is firm

Indonesia's stand against terror is firm

SINGAPORE: Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri's assurance to her U.S. counterpart, George W. Bush, that her Muslim nation will join the world community to fight terrorism, underscores the fact that terrorist acts also threaten Indonesia's democracy and security.

The meeting of minds between the two leaders was apparent in a joint statement issued by the White House, which said that President Megawati had joined President Bush in "underlining the importance of differentiating between the religion of Islam and the acts of violent extremists".

"Emphasizing that Islam is a religion of peace that neither teaches hatred nor condones violence, Megawati encouraged Bush in his stated purpose of building a broad coalition across religious lines and cultures to deal with these new and dangerous threats," the statement added.

Her stand is a welcome one which reinforces Indonesia's image as a moderate Muslim nation. In desperate times such as these, populous Indonesia's support in the fight against terrorism is critical not only because of the weight of numbers but also because of the influence of values.

Indonesia's religious moderation is a working and workable alternative to the model of violent extremism held up by terrorists and their supporters. President Megawati's stand reiterates the fact that, far from being opposed to the effort to protect civilization, Muslims are very much a part of it. Also, in joining the world community to fight terrorism, Indonesia is protecting itself, in turn, because the scourge that threatens other countries threatens it as well.

Megawati's stand will cause her problems at home, however. Several Muslim groups there oppose any Indonesian move to help the United States. The head of one such group has threatened to raid U.S. facilities and expel Americans if Washington attacks Afghanistan.

The head of another association has said that Muslims in Indonesia should prepare themselves for a "holy war". Commenting on organizations that had carried out anti-U.S. demonstrations in Jakarta, a senior Indonesian journalist pointed out in a radio interview that such organizations were vocal but they did not represent the Indonesian population.

The majority of Indonesians, whether they were Muslims or not, supported both their President's statement condemning the terrorist attacks and her offer to cooperate with the United States, the observer added.

That is true, but apart from the law-and-order problems which demonstrations can cause if they get out of hand, there is the issue of religious sentiments being exploited for political ends. Megawati will have to tread carefully, both in her public pronouncements and in her actions, so that her political detractors do not succeed in tarring her with the anti-Islamic brush in charged times such as these.

Two factors work in her favor as she takes on possible opposition. The first, implicit in the joint statement, is that she emphasized the importance of taking into account the views of the Muslim world as the United States leads an "appropriate" response to the attack on it.

During their meeting, Bush explained that the war against terrorism was not a war against Muslims, nor was it a war against Arabs. These distinctions are extremely important. The other is that America's economic support for Indonesia, evident during the visit to the United States, is crucial for its recovery. Her stand on helping the U.S. confront terrorism recognizes a national imperative that is certainly larger than the programs of groups that want to drive a wedge between the two countries.

-- The Straits Times/Asia News Network