Most Muslims in Indonesia love peace: Al-Nessafi
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Middle East is one of the main destinations for Indonesian migrant workers, among them Kuwait. Shortly before ending his term in Indonesia, Kuwaiti Ambassador Jamal M.A. Al-Nessafi, 39, at the Kuwaiti Embassy in Jakarta, spoke to The Jakarta Post on this issue and others affecting both countries. Excerpts follow:
Question: Could you share your impressions at the end of your assignment in Indonesia?
Answer: I'm very impressed with Indonesia after being here nearly four years. I am almost finished with a "roll of film" of exciting and successful stories before moving to my new assignment in Germany by the end of this year.
Thank God that I have had a some success in building civilized ties between Kuwait and Indonesia in numerous fields and it's my strong hope that my successor will do even more in the future to enhance the two nations' good ties.
First, Indonesia is really my home country now, because I got married and had a couple of children during my assignment in Indonesia. I've visited almost all remote provinces, including the ones ridden by conflict. It's not rare that I'm dubbed the Indonesian ambassador-at-large because of my frequent visits to conflict-torn provinces such as Aceh, Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan, Madura in East Java, Papua, Ambon in Maluku, Poso in Central Sulawesi and Nunukan in East Kalimantan.
Kuwait is quite concerned with the conflicts that have rocked the restive provinces and that is why my country has dispatched relief aid to help refugees, both Muslim and Christian.
Kuwait is a small country but it has its own strength. Despite its own different political system and race, the Kuwaiti people have their own solidarity with the Indonesian people, especially those displaced by the conflicts.
The two nations' good ties were recently challenged with the problem of hundreds of thousands of illegal workers in Nunukan, East Kalimantan. We were called in to work hand-in-hand with the Indonesian government to build a representative hospital to help immigrants stranded in the small town.
Q: What did you do in the labor field?
A: Kuwait is now employing around 35,000 Indonesian workers and most of them work in the informal sector. In cooperation with the Indonesian manpower and transmigration ministry, we are trying to improve Indonesian workers' skills to be employed in the formal sector such as mines, hotels and hospitals.
Q: What is your contribution to help Indonesian workers employed in Kuwait?
A: Frankly speaking, we are committed to improving the quality of Indonesian workers employed in Kuwait. We want them to work in certain sectors giving more remittance to Indonesia and to their families.
First, the labor law in Kuwait protects not only Kuwaitis, but also foreigners working there. We have only one policy in the remuneration system both for our own people and for foreigners.
Second, the Kuwaiti Embassy in Indonesia has developed an on- line system with the Indonesian government in the recruitment of Indonesian workers to avoid troubled workers and labor extortion. So far, with the new system, there are no troubled workers in Kuwait.
The online system was established following the conspiracy between our embassy's staff with certain labor exporting bosses to supply workers to Kuwait and circumventing official procedures.
Several labor exporters have tried to offer me US$100 for every worker they send to Kuwait but I turned it down because the money would be taken from the workers.
I'm very concerned with the rampant extortion of Indonesian workers overseas and this is why I have opposed the cutting of workers' salaries. I came from a poor family and my parents are illiterate.
Q: What could you do to help improve both nations' economic ties?
A: Kuwait has so far invested $250 million in mining industries in Seram and Natuna Islands. It will in the near future send a delegation to discuss further cooperation in the upstream field.
We have also invested $280 million in toll-road development projects in North Sumatra and Bandung, West Java. Besides, we have been committed to investing $50 million in such development projects in other provinces.
Q: What is your comment on increasing accusations that Indonesia is protecting terrorists?
A: Despite the action of some Muslims, Indonesia is a moderate country. We know this from figures such as former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, People's Consultative Assembly Chairman Amien Rais, Muhammadiyah Chairman Syafii Maarif, and the scholars Nurcholish Madjid and Azyumardi Azra.
Most Muslims in Indonesia love peace and there is no history that the people know terrorism.
Of course, there are certain minority Muslim groups who want to represent the majority of Muslims and they are trying to damage Islam's image in Indonesia. A similar thing is happening in other countries. But we know and recognize the existence of largest Muslim organizations Nadhlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah.
Indonesia coexists with other Muslim countries and is entering globalization. The government should not let the minority groups represent Indonesia because they will certainly cut off Indonesia's ties with other countries.
Islam means peace. Prophet Muhammad has never hated non- Muslims. He even got married with a Christian and a Jewish woman.
As a Muslim adherent, I oppose those who have abused what is called jihad in Islam. There are certain reservations and principles requiring Muslims to launch jihad. And terrorism is different from jihad.
Q: What is your comments on the U.S.' planned strike on Iraq, a country that once occupied Kuwait?
A: No countries want a war to erupt anywhere in the world. Kuwait adopts the stance of the Arab league that U.S. could launch an attack on Iraq only with UN Security Council's approval.
But Iraq should be honest about its arsenals and it should comply with UN resolutions to avoid any possible aggression from other countries. The Iraqi regime's honesty is crucial for the sake of not only Iraqi people, but also other countries in the region.