OIC to focus on Islam's image in West

JAKARTA (JP): The upcoming meetings of the Organization of Islamic Conferences (OIC) in Morocco next month will discuss ways of improving the image of Islam in the world, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said yesterday.

Alatas told reporters after meeting with President Soeharto at his residence that the head of state would not be able to attend the OIC summit, scheduled for Dec. 13-14, due to his heavy domestic agenda.

In his place, Alatas said he had been asked to head the Indonesian delegation to the summit. Alatas will also represent Indonesia at the OIC ministerial meeting on Dec. 10-11.

One of the subjects at the OIC conferences is the negative image of Islam in the West which Alatas said had been created by the negative writings about the religion and its followers.

Asked to elaborate, Alatas said: "Islam is often associated with terrorism and various violent actions. This is the negative image that is often portrayed of Islam. They're not based on facts."

"Terrorism and violence exist everywhere. It has nothing to do with religion, but more on the socio-political conditions in each country," he said.

Alatas said all OIC countries have strongly condemned terrorism.

"But we also have to differentiate between terrorism and struggles for independence. They're not the same."

Alatas said the OIC meetings will discuss a host of other subjects, including the Palestinian issue, the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Afghanistan. The meetings will also discuss the need for OIC countries to coordinate their steps in facing the rising trend of economic regionalism.

On a separate occasion, Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher yesterday reported to Soeharto on his discussions of religious harmony with Bill Clinton, when the American president was in Jakarta earlier this month.

Tarmizi said the discussions took place when he escorted Clinton on his visit to the grand Istiqlal Mosque.

"It appeared that Clinton had a deep knowledge about Moslems in Indonesia, the largest Islamic community in the world," Tarmizi told reporters after briefing Soeharto.

He said he explained to Clinton how Indonesia has managed to build harmonious relations between the various religions. "That's Indonesia. That's the Pancasila state," he said.

Tarmizi also reported to Soeharto on the preparations for the meeting of OIC's propagation organizations slated for the third week of next January.

The meeting, which Soeharto is expected to open, will be attended by representatives from 36 countries, he added. (emb)