President told to confront 'anti-RI propaganda'

President told to confront 'anti-RI propaganda'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Ulemas cold-shouldered the government's move to involve them in
the U.S-led war on terrorism, telling President Megawati
Soekarnoputri instead to confront what they call the "evil
propaganda".

The Muslim figures spurned U.S. claims that Indonesia was a
hotbed of global terrorist cells.

"I do not believe that Indonesia is the center of terrorism.
Terrorism is here, that is true, but it has nothing to do with
American interests, nor does it have any links with al-Qaeda,"
Muhammadiyah chairman Ahmad Syafii Ma'arif told The
Jakarta Post on Wednesday in Yogyakarta.

He demanded that Megawati and her ministers speak up to
clarify the government's stance on terrorism in order to prevent
public faith in her administration from deteriorating.

"The government has very weak diplomacy. (Minister of Foreign
Affairs) Hassan Wirayudha keeps silent. We have forgiven the
President for her speechlessness, but her ministers have to talk
and give clear explanations on the matter," he said.

Syafii has accused the foreign media and the U.S. government
of "exaggerating" reports that Indonesia is a haven for
terrorists.

During a meeting on terrorism hosted by the President at her
residence on Tuesday evening, the government decided to consult
moderate ulemas before launching an antiterrorism crackdown.

Malik Madany, the leader of Nahdlatul Ulama's (NU) Yogyakarta
chapter, shared Syafii's view in criticizing the government's
weak stance against western countries, which have alleged that
Indonesia is harboring terrorists.

"I consider it as part of the process of our losing dignity.
Unless those accusers manage to provide clear, hard evidence, the
government should deny this kind of anti-Indonesia propaganda,"
he said.

East Java NU leader Ali Maschan Moesa also berated the U.S.
government for insisting that terrorist cells were operating in
Indonesia and said this clearly showed its political motives
behind "baseless" accusations.

"We have been invited several times to dialogs with the U.S.
Consulate in Surabaya and we tell them that Muslims here are
moderate and open, but they continue to create new ghosts to
frighten their own citizens," he added.

Maschan was referring to U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph L.
Boyce's remark on Tuesday that the al-Qaeda network had been
active in the world's most populous Muslim nation and urged the
government here to counter it.

Yet Boyce said his government had not yet linked any hard-line
groups here, such as Laskar Jihad, the Defenders of Islam (FPI)
and the Indonesian Mujahiddin Council (MMI), to international
terrorist organizations.

Earlier, NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi warned of an anti-U.S.
backlash if the country did not stop its "black propaganda".

Both Hasyim and Syafii were invited to Washington earlier this
year to brief U.S. government officials on Islam in Indonesia,
which is predominantly moderate.

East Java Muhammadiyah leader Fasichul Lisan warned the U.S.
that these exaggerated fears could be "counterproductive" as it
would harm bilateral ties with Indonesia.

"If there are terrorists in East Java, we would be the first
to arrest them. Let alone those using the name of Islam, because
it clearly contravenes the principles of Islam," he said.

Similarly, Muslim leaders in rebellious Aceh aired strong
objections to Washington's accusations, saying that Islam was
against violence and terror.

Imam Suja', chairman of the Aceh branch of the Muhammadiyah,
urged Megawati's government to bravely deny the western
accusations he considered to be illogical and unacceptable, and
to convince the U.S. that international terrorists were not
present in Indonesia.

Many other Muslim leaders here have told Washington to stop
spreading what they deem as black propaganda against Indonesia,
and warned the move could further encourage hatred and hostility
against Americans.

Also on Wednesday, dozens of Muslims leaders, including those
from extremist groups campaigning for sharia law, met in the
Central Java town of Surakarta to put pressure on the government
to resist U.S. accusations.

They also demanded the protection of Indonesians facing those
claims, including Indonesian Mujahiddin Council (MMI) leader Abu
Bakar Ba'asyir, who Singapore has accused of having links with a
regional terrorist network.

Ba'asyir was not present at the forum, but sent other senior
MMI executives there. Also attending were FPI leader Habib Rizieq
Shihab, Mudzakir of the Surakata Muslim Youth Front (FPSI), Ahmad
Slamet of the city's Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) and others
from East Java.

"If Megawati's government is not firm in responding to this
problem, it should dissolve itself. We need leaders with a clear
vision and a mission of nationhood," Rizieq said sternly.

In South Sulawesi, local ulemas Nasruddin Razak and Arifuddin
Cawidu said if Indonesia did not confront the accusations, the
image of Islam would be tarnished.

"They are only big lies. Where is the proof? We always come
down to the grass roots and find there is no terrorist network,"
Razak said in the provincial capital of Makassar.

Meanwhile, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar is
planning to hold a meeting with a number of Indonesian Muslim
clerics sometime next week to clarify reports that al-Qaeda
terrorist suspects have been operating in the country.

"The meeting will also be held to reach an agreement on
preventive security measures for the public, as well as for these
ulemas following mounting allegations that some of them (the
ulemas) have links to the international terrorist group al-
Qaeda," Da'i told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of a ceremony
marking the opening of a technology exhibition in Medan on
Wednesday.

Da'i also said the police had yet to come up with evidence
showing al-Qaeda's presence in Indonesia.