Religious leaders urge govt to cut ties with U.S.

Religious leaders urge govt to cut ties with U.S.

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) and leaders of Muslim
groups condemned the U.S. attacks in Afghanistan on Monday, and
demanded that Jakarta freeze diplomatic ties with Washington.

MUI, which groups various Muslim organizations, demanded that
the Megawati administration freeze diplomatic ties until the U.S.
and its allies stop attacking Afghanistan.

"We strongly condemn the attacks in Afghanistan by the U.S.
and its allies because it goes against the Indonesian
Constitution which promotes everlasting peace and the elimination
of colonization," MUI said in a statement read out by its
secretary Dien Syamsuddin.

Separately, moderate leaders of the Nahdlatul Ulama and
Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's largest Muslim organizations, called on
the masses to refrain from venting anger at expatriates.

The American-led assault on Afghanistan also received
criticism from Mgr. Ignatius Suharyo, the bishop of Semarang
Diocese, who is also an executive of the Indonesian Bishops'
Conference.

He said it was unfair for the U.S. to attack a poor country
like Afghanistan as the victims would be mostly innocent.

MUI called for Muslims all over the world to unite and make
concrete actions to pressure the U.S. and its allies to stop the
attacks in Afghanistan.

It also called on Muslims, especially those in Indonesia, to
offer humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.

MUI urged the UN to make a prompt resolution to stop the
attacks in Afghanistan.

MUI chairman Umar Shihab said the statement was made based on
syariah (Islamic law) and solidarity among Muslims.

Separately, NU chairman Hazim Muzadi also condemned the U.S.
attacks in Afghanistan on the pretext of hunting down Osama bin
Laden.

NU called on America to stop its aggression because Washington
had yet to convincingly prove that bin Laden was guilty of
masterminding the Sept. 11 attacks on U.S. landmarks.

"The lack of convincing evidence has sparked speculation that
the U.S. had another agenda other than terrorism. This is where
the problem lies. People think the U.S. attacks had religious
motives."

Condemnation has also come from Salahuddin Wahid, an NU
executive, and Muhammadiyah chief Syafi'i Maarif, but they called
on local Muslims not to overreact to the U.S.-led attack by
attacking foreigners and their interests.

Salahuddin said, "I think the attacks do not only cause
concern in the Islamic world, but also other religious
communities. I hope that they will end as soon as possible,"
Salahuddin told The Jakarta Post.

Syafi'i said the U.S. and Britain should immediately end their
strikes against Afghanistan before the situation worsens.

Syafi'i said the attacks on Afghanistan would have a global
impact as Muslims around the world would not accept the attacks.

"The U.S. should stop playing cowboy as there will be a lot of
victims among the innocent. Moreover, there is not enough
evidence of Osama bin Laden's involvement in the attacks on
America," Syafi'i told the Post on Monday.

"I am not a supporter of the Taliban. I don't think it is a
good government. My concern is for the Afghan people who have
been suffering from poverty. The strikes by the U.S. and British
military will aggravate their misery," he added.

Syafi'i said the U.S. could still be diplomatic in resolving
the problems and learn from its mistakes in the Vietnam war.

Syafi'i said any overreaction by Indonesian Muslims might
jeopardize efforts to speed up an economic recovery as many
western investors may decide to leave the country.

"We are concerned about the attacks, but we should not
overreact by breaking the law as it would cause more problems if
all the investors left," said Syafi'i, a lecturer at Yogyakarta
University.

Bishop Suharyo called for calm among the masses. He stressed
that terrorism had nothing to do with religion and therefore
religion should not dominate the U.S.-Afghan issue in Indonesia.

"The U.S.-Afghan conflict may be politically and economically
motivated, but not religiously," he said.