Islam does not condone terrorism: Megawati

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In an attempt to reach out to the Muslim community, President Megawati Soekarnoputri emphasized the non-violent nature that Muslims should always strive for, saying that Islam never encouraged terrorism.

Speaking during a celebration on the revelation of the Koran at Istiqlal Grand Mosque on Thursday, Megawati said the Koran teaches Muslims to fight for their principles in a peaceful manner.

"With that teaching, we are expected to put away all these thoughts that justify terrorism or other violent acts," Megawati said in her speech before thousands of Muslims at the mosque.

"The Koran gives us the strength to achieve our goals through peace and in a harmonious way," the President emphasized.

The president has been making attempts to reach out to Muslim leaders in the midst of the ongoing war on terrorism and the hunt for the Bali terror suspects, some of whom were reportedly being given safe haven in pesantren or Islamic boarding schools, despite police pleas.

The ongoing probe into the Bali bombing and the government's war on terror have provoked anxiety among Muslims, fearing that the investigation would focus on Muslims and that the deterrence of terrorism would also target Muslims.

To some Muslim leaders, the current war on terrorism remind them of former Soeharto's crackdown against hardline Muslim groups and their leaders, prompting some of them to flee the country, including detained suspect Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, who went to Malaysia in the 1980s.

Fundamentalist Muslims have accused the government of taking orders from the United States in clamping down against them.

As if answering the accusation, Megawati called on the people to respect differences among everyone, in a bid to strengthen the country's national unity.

"I call on the people to stay together and help each other to pass through all these troubles plaguing our country," the President said.

In her speech, Megawati also acknowledged, without mentioning a specific country, that there was "a superpower that forced the rest of the world to go along with it," but underlined that Indonesia should see this as a challenge.

"We see how ambition to conquer other nations has led to a situation where there is no more peace unless the whole world is complying with the will of the one with power and strength. International organizations seem to be helpless in upholding the principles of truth and justice.

"All these things should serve as a challenge for us and for the rest of the civilized nations," Megawati said, apparently referring to the U.S. and its position on Iraq.

Indonesia has expressed its opposition against any unilateral action against Iraq, which has been accused by the United States and some of its allies of developing weapons of mass destruction.