Most Muslims in Indonesia love peace: Al-Nessafi

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.