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.