Susilo urges greater role for moderates in terror fight

Susilo urges greater role for moderates in terror fight

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Giving moderate Muslim leaders a greater role in society is
essential if the emerging threat of radicalism among their
followers is to be halted, a senior security minister said.

"The government needs to give these moderate Muslim leaders
more room to educate people... the society should not be hijacked
by small radical groups," Coordinating Minister for Political and
Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told a discussion with
dozens of foreign ambassadors here on Monday.

However, Susilo did not spell out the details of the plan, nor
the action the government would take to accommodate the ideas of
these moderate leaders.

Susilo underlined that aside from empowering the moderate
Muslim leaders, the government was trying harder to eradicate the
causes of radicalism.

"The state has to deal with the real condition of Muslims
(here), their poverty and lack of education... so that they no
longer feel sidelined," the minister said.

Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, has been
experiencing the emergence of small radical Muslim groups since
the reform movement in 1998.

The country was described as "fertile ground" for terrorism
following a series of bomb attacks since 2000, which were linked
to the Jamaah Islamiyah, a group listed by the United Nations as
a terrorist group due to its alleged ties with Al-Qaeda.

Dozens of people have been arrested and sentenced in
connection with the Bali blasts in October 2002 and the following
bomb attacks in Makassar, South Sulawesi, in December and Jakarta
in August this year.

The terrorist attacks in Indonesia and elsewhere have resulted
in the perception that the worldwide fight against terrorism has
tarnished the image of Islam.

In Bangkok, Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan
Wirayuda also said that empowering moderate Muslims would support
the fight against terrorism.

"Of course it is easy to condemn the radical extremists who
are behind such acts of terrorism but in the long term, the war
against terrorism will succeed only if you can deal with the root
causes of the problems," he said as quoted by Agence France-
Presse.

"There is growing agreement among countries that the moderates
need to be strengthened in order for them to be able to speak out
and to lead... and to present a new or different face of Islam,"
he continued.

Such an Islam would "not be grossly associated with
terrorism... with violence", he concluded, on the sidelines of
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit meeting.

Terrorism is among the crucial issues to be discussed at the
Summit meeting, which is also attended by Indonesian President
Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"I think it is timely that Islam, or Islamic communities,
present to the outside world an Islam that is inclusive, an Islam
that protects all, an Islam that is peace-loving and tolerant."

When asked whether the West could help in strengthening
moderate Islam, Wirayuda replied: "I think so... there are many
ways, education is one, economic assistance is another. So we can
be creative on that."

During the discussion in Jakarta on Monday, Susilo admitted
that the threat of terrorism in Indonesia was imminent as
documents obtained from terrorist suspects showed that certain
groups were planning to launch further attacks.

"The coming holiday season of Idul Fitri, Christmas and New
Year, as well as the elections next year, will be a vulnerable
period for Indonesian security," he said.

However, the government promises to maintain security during
those events, Susilo said.

Indonesia will hold the landmark direct elections of
legislative members and the president next year, a process which
will span from April to September.