Islamic parties not interested in Iraq crisis, says analyst

Islamic parties not interested in Iraq crisis, says analyst

Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It is a year from the 2004 general election, but Islamic
political parties have been watching the Iraq crisis unfolding
without protest, which one analyst attributed to their attempts
to keep a low profile amid terrorism scares.

Antiwar protests in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim
country, have been relatively small compared to those in major
cities around the world last week.

Unlike the Afghanistan war, Islamic parties have voiced little
criticism over the possibility of war in Iraq.

And yet never since the 1991 Gulf war, have the stakes been
higher than now. The U.S. walks on thin support into the Iraq
fray, and the upcoming general election is just a year away.

"Islamic parties don't see how they can capitalize on the Iraq
crisis," explained political analyst Fachry Ali on Wednesday.

When the U.S. attacked Afghanistan following the Sept. 11
terrorist strike, the reaction from Muslim groups here was prompt
and sharp.

No less than Vice President Hamzah Haz, who leads the United
Development Party (PPP), voiced criticism even though it
undermined President Megawati Soekarnoputri's position.

During her visit to Washington shortly after the attack, the
President had promised Indonesia's help in the fight against
terrorism.

While Hamzah leads an Islamic party, her's, the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), is a nationalistic
one.

The Afghanistan war also prompted widespread anti-American
protests. Calls surfaced to boycott U.S. products as well as
to sever diplomatic ties with the country.

The possibility of war in Iraq has drawn bigger demonstrations
but without the same pressure on the government.

Earlier this month, the Justice Party led tens of thousands of
Muslims in what has been the biggest antiwar demonstration so
far.

The protest might pass as a veiled campaign effort, Fachry
agreed, but he doubted it was aimed at dealing a blow to the
government.

Other Muslims groups staged similar protests, bringing forth
religious issues without centering criticism on the government.

Such demonstrations would likely intensify if war does break
out, still Fachry said Islamic parties would continue to refrain
from politicizing the Iraq crisis. "Protesters would draw more on
the religious issue."

Charges that Iraq is hoarding weapons of mass destruction and
concerns over its alleged links to terrorist groups, may have
given Islamic parties second thoughts about supporting Baghdad.

"The international perception (over the Iraq issue) affects
the behavior of political parties here," Fachry said.

He said that since the Bali bombing last year, politicians
were more careful about their statements, as otherwise they might
appear as though they tolerated terrorism.

Islamic parties, he added, knew that they had a "captive
market" of voters that was rather stagnant.

"So what they're doing now is trying to maintain their share,"
he said.