Leaders told to meet, pacify demonstrators

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As the domestic situation worsens over the Afghan crisis, government officials, legislators and Muslim leaders need to sit together and reach a consensus in order to save Indonesia from entering another crisis.

To start the talks, each of them need to drop their own interests and adopt the national interests above all, according to Mustofa Bisri, an influential ulema based in Rembang, Central Java.

"All elements in the country, the executives, legislators, political party leaders, religious leaders and other elements, including those who are now desirous to go for jihad to Afghanistan, need to return to our national interest," Mustofa told The Jakarta Post in a telephone interview on Thursday.

"There must be a way out. It's time for them to sit together, use common sense and talk as brothers in a spirit of togetherness."

Mustofa Bisri, popularly known as Gus Mus, called on all sides in the country to repent for their inaction over the worsening domestic situation following the U.S. retaliation against the Taliban.

"Let's repent and commit ourselves to de-emphasizing the interest of individuals or groups, equalize our vision and start to rebuild the nation," he said.

The chairman of the country's second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, Syafi'i Maarif, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Akbar Tandjung and the chairman of the National Awakening Party, Alwi Shihab, all agreed that they were ready to participate at any given time in such talks.

Syafi'i supported the idea of convening such a meeting to build mutual trust between Muslim groups, especially the hardline ones, and the government.

"There must be an effort to encourage mutual trust between the groups and the government. I think discussions of this sort would be good," Syafi'i told the Post after speaking at a seminar on terrorism.

He added that the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) could possibly be called upon to facilitate such a meeting.

Alwi, meanwhile, noted that such a meeting was necessary to help improve trust in the government and reduce anti-American sentiment among some Muslim groups.

"With a dialog, it is probable that misunderstanding between the government and the so-called radical groups can be resolved, and therefore street rallies will be reduced," Alwi said.

Since the U.S. and British military launched strikes in Afghanistan on Sunday, there have been anti-U.S. protests on a daily basis in Jakarta in addition to a number of large cities throughout the archipelago.

Analysts have expressed fear that such anti-U.S. demonstrations would only drive more expatriates out of Indonesia.

Alwi said the government should understand Muslims' disappointment over the government's stance with regard to the U.S. campaign against terrorism.

Nevertheless, Catholic figure Frans Magnis Suseno suggested that all parties in the proposed discussions must, in good faith, attempt to resolve problems.

"If certain groups begin with skepticism against the government's explanation, such a meeting will be useless," Magnis said.

But Magnis also said that such a meeting should be implemented informally, all figures attending such a meeting should represent themselves without claiming that they represent certain groups of people.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung hailed the proposal, saying that the dialog needed to be implemented without reducing people's rights to express their condemnation against the U.S. action.

The issues regarding the government's current stance will be discussed at a meeting between President Megawati Soekarnoputri, House leaders and faction leaders on Friday.

PKB faction chairman in the House Ali Masykur Moesa told the Post that the consultation meeting will be focused both on the resolution of the Aceh problem as well as the government's official position as it regards the U.S.-led war on terrorism.