U.S. warned against forcing RI to crack down on hard-liners

U.S. warned against forcing RI to crack down on hard-liners

Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Noted Muslim leaders cautioned the United States on Wednesday
against forcing Indonesia to crack down on hardline religious
groups in the country.

While admitting that there were radical groups in the country,
Muhammadiyah chairman Syafi'i Ma'arif said the groups were not
involved in terrorism and had no link to any international
terrorism network.

"Radicalism here is more because of the absence of good
governance at the national and provincial levels, and the
paralyzed legal systems. It will lose its root if national
leaders, security officers and the legal system can function
satisfactorily," Syafi'i told The Jakarta Post Wednesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell will arrive here Thursday
with the purpose of helping President Megawati Soekarnoputri
fight suspected terrorist groups in the world's most populous
Muslim nation.

Powell's agenda includes a meeting with leaders of mainstream
Islamic organizations here. Some small Muslim groups are planning
to hold street protests during his visit.

Indonesia is considered a potential hotbed for international
terrorism. Two neighboring countries -- Singapore and Malaysia --
have openly accused Indonesia of allowing terrorists to roam free
in the country, while the U.S. has suggested that members of
Osama bin Laden's terrorist network al Qaeda have entered
Indonesia.

Syafi'i, chairman of Indonesia's second largest Muslim
organization, said the country's commitment to fighting terrorism
was something that could not be dictated by other countries.

"It's against our pride, our sovereignty. Besides, counter
terrorism is not relevant here. How can we have a war with
something that does not exist in the country?," he asked.

On Tuesday, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Hasyim Muzadi said
that the U.S. should not worry about a number of hardline Muslim
groups here because they had been set up to serve temporary
interests.

"If the man behind the radicalism no longer needs these
groups, I believe they will become powerless," Hasyim said,
adding that those hardliners were not capable of establishing an
international network.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) chairman Amidhan
said that the U.S. could not force its own perception of
terrorism on Indonesia.

"We welcome any discussion on terrorism but we will refuse if
the hardliners here are likened with those in the Middle East,"
he told the Post.

Amidhan said that he did not agree with the classification of
Muslims into liberal, moderate, radical and fundamental groups
because it tended to disunite Muslims.

"If they can prove that the country's hardliners are involved
in the international terrorist network, then they can put legal
measures on them," he said.

Joko Susilo, legislator at the House of Representatives'
Commission I on defense and foreign affairs, said that the U.S.
had failed to draw the sympathy of Indonesian Muslims with its
recent policies, especially in the Palestine-Israel conflict.

"I am a bit skeptical about his visit, what hidden agenda will
he will bring to this Muslim majority country? But I would like
to say that we agree with the fight against terrorism but not
against Islam," he said.

Joko said that hardline groups only represented one percent of
the whole Muslim population here and had no connection to global
terrorism although some of the leaders were graduates of
universities in the Middle East.

"Still, we do not have the right to limit their aspirations of
implementing their principles faithfully as long as it is not
against the public interests," he said.

Joko suggested Powell visit Muslims at the grassroots level in
villages to see the bigger picture of Indonesian Muslims.

"Please come with friendship. Muslims here are very open and
tolerant. Hardliners are not the mainstream of religious groups
in Indonesia. They are the minority who shout more than they
act," he said.