Muslim leaders rap the U.S.

Muslim leaders rap the U.S.

SURABAYA: Leaders of Indonesia's two biggest Muslim
organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, rapped the
United States on Thursday for what they considered to be double
standards in its handling of the conflict between Israel and the
Palestinians.

At a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph L. Boyce
in Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday, the religious leaders made
it clear to the U.S. that they were against terrorism but
lamented civilian casualties in the U.S. antiterrorism campaign
in Afghanistan.

"We all agree on the need to fight against terrorism, but
violence should not be countered with violence. We asked (the
ambassador) if there were other measures that could have avoided
civilian casualties," said Nuruddin A. Rachman of Nahdlatul
Ulama, the biggest Muslim organization in Indonesia.

Boyce visited Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday, where he met
with leaders of both NU and Muhammadiyah.

Ambassador Boyce, on the other hand, told reporters after the
meeting that the United States could not accede to all the
suggestions made by Muslim leaders during the meeting. -- Antara