Ulemas campaign against possible ties with Israel
JAKARTA (JP): Over 50 respected ulemas yesterday pressured the House of Representatives into joining their campaign against what they saw as possible links with Israel.
Led by Abdul Rasyid A. Syafei, a well-known kyai (Moslem leader) here, the ulemas met with leaders of the United Development Party faction of the House, including Hamzah Haz and Zarkasih Nur.
They conveyed their concern to the legislators that Indonesia would possibly open diplomatic links with Israel.
Before the meeting, the ulemas assembled in the foyer of the House building and yelled Allahu Akbar (God is Great) and unfurled a banner which read "Establishing ties with Jews is haram (religiously forbidden) accompanied with a Koranic verse.
Reading out statements, the ulemas lashed out at practically everybody allegedly displaying a favorable stance on Israel, including a certain Moslem leader who "in full awareness wants to establish relations" with it.
The ulemas did not name names. However, it was understood that they were referring to Abdurrahman Wahid of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) who visited Israel recently and suggested that Indonesia prepare itself for the possible establishment of diplomatic ties.
"We call on Indonesian Moslems to beware of infiltration attempts by Jewish lobbyists into Indonesia," the ulemas said. "There is also the possibility that infiltrations occur also in Moslem organizations and influence their leaders."
Discourses
The ulemas also called on Indonesian Moslems not to be influenced by "issues and deceptions of the "Jewish lobby" in Indonesia", including those which took the form of discourses about the right to apostasy and the right to life for Jews.
They urged Moslem organizations to reprimand and take punitive actions against certain Moslem leaders who in full awareness established relations with leaders of Israel.
The ulemas also called on the Indonesian government to always reject establishing either diplomatic, trade or cultural ties with Israel. They made the same call on other Islamic countries, states with a Moslem majority, and Arab countries.
They charged that the participation of Israeli tourism officials during a conference in Bali last year, followed by a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, as "part of a systematic campaign to bring the predominantly Moslem Indonesia to some kind of ties" with Israel.
They even called on Moslem communities who have opened ties with Israel to review their decision and annul it.
The statements were signed by 86 ulemas and students, including leaders of the Indonesian Committee for Moslem World Solidarity who in the past several years had successfully rallied thousands of Moslems for various protests.
The group of ulemas had previously made similar visits and demands to the House of Representatives for other causes, including the abolition of the SDSB state-sponsored lottery.
The legislators promised the ulemas that they would heed their concerns.
Indonesia, the world's largest Moslem nation, has no diplomatic links with Israel.
The issue became heated after Abdurrahman Wahid of NU, the largest Moslem organization, visited Israel at the end of October and suggested Indonesia open diplomatic ties with the Jewish state. (swe)