'U.S. anti terrorist aid should help moderates not military'
Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Prominent Muslim scholars are urging the United States to shift its counter-terrorism aid from Indonesia's notorious military to moderate Muslim groups promoting human rights and democracy.
They also dismissed suggestions by foreign media that pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) and Islamic universities here were producing radical Muslims.
Azyumardi Azra, rector of Jakarta's State Islamic University (UIN) said that to fight terrorism the U.S. should invest in the moderation of Muslims rather than in empowerment of the military.
Many of the traditional Islamic boarding schools were teaching moderate Islam, Azyumardi said on Saturday.
He said the U.S. needed to assist moderate organizations in their research and training bodies to promote moderation.
Last week visiting U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell promised Indonesia US$50 million as part of its global campaign against terrorism.
Most of the money, which requires Congress approval, would go to upgrade the police's capability in meeting terrorism threats, with only a fraction going to the Indonesian Military (TNI).
Although praised by Powell, Indonesia is seen as slow in clamping down on suspected terrorists. Neighbors like Singapore now fear the vast archipelago has become a hiding ground for international terrorists.
Indonesia is the world's biggest Muslim nation, with a vast moderate population which has been a bulwark against radicalism.
Still, the minority of radicals with anti-U.S. beliefs are the most visible, which adds to the impression that Indonesia is a hotbed for terrorism.
Azyumardi said that if Washington wanted to help Indonesia, it should focus on empowering Indonesia's national education on democracy, human rights and religious tolerance.
Convincing the U.S. to extend aid that would end up funding Indonesia's Islamic boarding schools however may not come easy.
A large cache of fighters from the Afghanistan based Al-Qaeda group, whom the U.S. has blamed for the Sept. 11 terrorist strike, come from Islamic boarding schools in Pakistan.
"Pesantren and Islamic universities (in Indonesia) are in fact turning out Muslims with moderate thoughts and strong religious tolerance because they perceive Islam as a social phenomenon," Azyumardi said.
He said Muslim extremists here often emerged and spread in major science-oriented universities such as the University of Indonesia, the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) and the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).
Syafii Maarif, chairman of the country's second largest Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah, echoed Azyumardi's remarks, saying many Muslim students and graduates from science universities or institutes turned to extremism as they did not learn about Islam comprehensively.
"They perceive Islam merely as white and black. Actually, Islam should not be understood in such a way," Syafii said.
Both Azyumardi and Syafii were asked to comment on Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Hasyim Muzadi's call for the U.S. to support Indonesia's majority of moderate Muslims in countering extremism and terrorism by fostering progressive education and cultural- oriented programs.
Hasyim, speaking after meeting with Powell on Friday, said foreign aid was needed to strengthen the moderates in their efforts to counter radical groups.
"There are (people) who fund the radicals, but who is funding the moderates?" he asked, referring to widespread suspicions that certain elements within the Indonesian Military (TNI), or even perhaps from overseas, fund extremist groups such as the Laskar Jihad and the Islam Defenders Front (FPI).
Hasyim, Syafii, and Azyumardi, prominent Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid and popular preacher Abdullah Gymnastiar held a meeting with Powell here on Friday.
As the nation's two largest Muslim organizations, NU and Muhammadiyah -- representing a combined membership of some 70 million people -- are both known for their moderation. Muslim scholars have repeatedly urged them to take the lead in countering extremism.
Syafii said he agreed with the idea to redesign the national education system to promote moderate stances among students and enlighten them.