Religious leaders say RI cannot do without the U.S.

Bambang Nurbianto and Juniartha I., Jakarta/Denpasar

Leaders of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, the country's two biggest Muslim organizations, said on Sunday that Indonesia had to maintain good relations with the United States and its allies to help resuscitate its economy.

Nevertheless, they also urged that the government explain its stance on the U.S. military operations in Afghanistan to both militant groups in Indonesia and the United States and its allies to avoid misunderstanding.

"If we cut our relations with the U.S., our country's economy would collapse in less than two weeks. Then who will be responsible?" said NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi after a meeting with the organization's executives in Denpasar, Bali, on Sunday.

Hasyim said that without the U.S. and other Western countries Indonesia could not implement its economic recovery programs.

But the government should also take into account the interests of domestic groups, especially those of Muslims.

"The government should explain to radical groups what it can do and cannot do in responding to the U.S. attacks based on the national interest," Hasyim said.

Muhammadiyah chairman Syafi'i Maarif concurred and urged the government to explain the difficult position it found itself in to the United States and other western countries.

"I think we have now many career diplomats, we hope that they will do their best to explain our position," he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

He acknowledged that the government was facing a dilemma in deciding how to respond to the U.S. attacks.

"On the one hand Indonesia needs aid from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and donor countries, but on the other hand, Indonesia cannot come to terms with the U.S. military operations in Afghanistan," he said.

NU is the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia with about 40 million members across the country while Muhammadiyah is the second largest with some 30 million members.

Hasyim said the government should balance maintaining good relations with the U.S. and its allies and the interests of Muslims.

"The government must tolerate demonstrations condemning the U.S. attacks as long as they do not create violence. It is all right to hold rallies, but clashes between protesters and police officers should be avoided," Hasyim said .

He admitted that the calls for jihad had affected NU grassroot members, but stressed that for the NU a jihad did not only mean holy war or joining in the combat.

"Sending used clothes to help refugees in Afghanistan is also a jihad," Hasyim said.

Separately, former foreign minister Alwi Shihab said Indonesia needed an intensive diplomatic campaign to explain its stance on the Afghanistan crisis not only to the U.S., but also to other countries that had special ties with the U.S., such as Canada, Britain, and Australia.

Alwi said Indonesia could not afford worsening relations with the U.S. and its close allies.

"I don't think we are ready to live any poorer than we are now. [Without their help] how many more people will lose their jobs?" said Alwi, chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB).

Nevertheless, both Alwi and Syafi'i expressed their optimism that the U.S. would not easily resort to imposing economic sanctions against Indonesia as the U.S. also did not want to see the Indonesian economy collapse.