Muslim figures convey RI's Iraq view to Howard

Muslim figures convey RI's Iraq view to Howard

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Muslim intellectuals conveyed on Saturday to visiting Australian
Prime Minister John Howard the Indonesian people's strong
rejection of the planned use of military force to disarm Iraq.

During their meeting with Howard here on Saturday, the Muslim
intellectuals warned that Australian support for the United
States and Britain to attack Iraq would strain bilateral ties
between the two countries.

"Our stance is clear that we oppose the possible war on Iraq
because it will certainly bring a major humanitarian tragedy to
the Iraqi people. We believe there is a peaceful solution to end
the Iraq crisis," Andi Djamaro of the largest Muslim organization
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) said.

Australia has deployed some 2,000 military personnel to
support the U.S. force to make preparations for their attack on
Baghdad.

Azyumardi Azra, rector of Syarif Hidayatullah State Academy of
Islamic Studies (IAIN) in Ciputat, South Jakarta, said that there
would be further consequences to the two countries' bilateral
ties following the antiwar rallies that were also staged in
protest of Australia's participation in the war on Iraq.

Hundreds of health workers staged an antiwar demonstration in
front of the Australian Embassy in Kuningan, South Jakarta to
greet Howard. The demonstration was also held to join the global
move on Friday to oppose the U.S.' planned attack on Iraq.

Jakarta has seen a wave of rallies over the last three weeks,
opposing the United States' possible attack on Iraq.

Religious leaders shunned the scheduled meeting with Howard
and instead brought the Indonesian people's aspirations to the
Australian people. An Indonesian delegation led by NU Chairman
Hasyim Muzadi is currently in Australia to convey their
opposition directly to the Australian people. On Monday,
Nurcholish Madjid will lead another religious delegation to bring
the same mission to the European Union.

Nurcholish and Solahuddin Wahid, the deputy chairman of NU,
were in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra, to attend a dialog
with the province's local figures on the nation's future while
Syafi'i Maarif was in Yogyakarta.

Former foreign minister Alwi Shihab suggested that France,
Germany and Russia which are opposed to the planned attack on
Iraq bring a diplomatic mission to Iraq to persuade Iraqi
President Saddam Hussein to step down and appoint his successor
after disarmament by the UN inspection team.

"They could ask Saddam to pick a new leader for Iraq and leave
the presidential seat as a hero to avert war for the sake of
humanity," Alwi said.

Howard met with the Muslim intellectuals after holding
official talks with President Megawati Soekarnoputri at the State
Palace. During the meeting the two heads of state also discussed
the Iraq crisis and Megawati also conveyed the Indonesian
people's opposition to war on Iraq to her Australian counterpart.

Playing down the conflicting stance of the two countries,
Megawati said in a joint press conference after the meeting that
both countries hoped for a peaceful solution for Iraq through the
United Nations.

Howard, however, defended his government's stance on the Iraq
crisis, warning that Saddam, who was closely linked to global
terrorism, could give weapons of mass destruction to terrorist
groups.

"I explained Australia's concern about the spread of chemical,
biological and nuclear weapons and my real concern that these
weapons might find their way into the hands of terrorists," he
said in the joint press conference.

"Our concern about Iraq is a concern based on Iraq's behavior
as an individual nation and those who seek to depict our approach
as in any way anti-Islamic are not telling the truth," he said.

Indonesia has repeatedly expressed its objection to the
planned attack to Washington, London and Canberra. It has said
that it would support any actions to disarm Iraq with UN
approval.

At the press conference Howard also thanked the Indonesian
government and people for their great cooperation in the
investigation into the Bali bombing.

"I came here to personally thank Madam President, the national
police and other officials for a clearly impressive, professional
and effective investigation that has been carried out," he said.

Howard also announced that the Australian government would
provide US$6.2 million in financial aid for Sanglah Hospital in
Bali. The hospital treated most of those injured in the blast on
Oct. 12.

Howard made his seventh visit here as part of his Washington
and London journey on the Iraq issue, expressing the Australian
government's good intentions to avoid possible strained ties
should war break out in Iraq.