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