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Megawati asks Australia "not go overboard" with its anti-terror campaign
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JAKARTA,
November 6 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Indonesian President
Megawati Sukarnoputri has called on Australia not to over-react in its
campaign against terrorism in the aftermath of the Bali bomb attack.
Megawati
did not specifically mention recent raids against Indonesians living in
Australia in comments to Indonesian reporters Tuesday, November 5, at
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Phnom Penh.
But
she said that Canberra should not be too excessive in its anti-terror
campaign, Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted the state Antara news agency
as saying Wednesday, November 6.
"Let's
not go overboard. We Indonesians always treat foreigners
proportionally," Megawati said.
Heavily-armed
Australian agents raided homes of Indonesian Muslims last week in a
nationwide hunt for suspected members of terrorist groups following the
October 12 bombing on Indonesia's resort island of Bali, which killed
more than 190 people.
In
apparent support of Megawati's criticism, Malaysian Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohammad said Tuesday, that "Australia is just as unsafe
as ASEAN countries."
"In
fact at the moment, Australia is particularly unsafe for Muslims because
they are likely to have their houses raided and I see pictures of doors
being broken which I don't think is essential, so people are today
exposed to danger wherever they may be," Mahathir said.
The
Indonesian foreign ministry has described the raids as
"heavy-handed" and "reckless."
Jakarta
has warned that the way Australia treats Indonesians suspected of links
to terrorism could threaten cooperation in the fight against the crime.
Indonesia
and Australia agreed to set up a joint intelligence and investigation
team to catch the Bali bombers and the Australian Security Intelligence
Organization will soon set up a liaison office in Jakarta.
Meanwhile,
Australia mainstream Muslim community lashed out Wednesday at extremists
Islamic militants, saying they are hurting the people they claim to
represent.
In
an open statement issued at the start of Ramadan to extremists of the
world, major Islamic groups from around Australia condemned their
actions as contrary to the message of God.
"We
have felt the hurt of your ways and we want you to understand that what
you have done was never in our name, or the name of any religion or
God," said the statement.
It
was written by the Islamic Council of Victoria and endorsed by other
groups, including the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils and
Islamic councils from New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and
the Northern Territory.
The
statement has been widely distributed amid reports of Muslims
increasingly complaining they are being abused and vilified in the
aftermath of the Bali bombings in which more than 190 people died, half
of them Australian, on October 12.
Australia's
anti-terror crackdown, in which the homes of a number of Indonesian
Muslims have been raided by the Australian intelligence agency, has also
focused renewed unwelcome attention on the country's Islamic community.
"Never
in our name or in the name of any religion or God, can you ever be
aggressive, unjust or hurt innocent people," the statement said.
"There
is no political, religious, racial, ethnic or ideological position that
can justify victimizing the innocent and the defenseless.
"Tragically,
the very communities you claim to represent have also been further
victimized because of backlashes by those that have been hurt and
angered as a result of your aggressive and criminal actions."
It
acknowledged everyone had a right to self-defense, justice, security and
peace, but said self-defense never justified aggression or the random
killing of unarmed and innocent people.
"These
methods are against every religious teaching in spite of what you may
believe," the letter said.
"These
methods will only promote repulsion towards you and your cause and
encourage good people to gather against you.
"We
appeal to the common sense and hearts of all the leaders of the world
and ask that they do all that is in their power to ensure that justice
and peace prevail and that injustice, oppression and human rights abuses
are eradicated."
The
letter urged other peace-loving people to speak out against terrorism.
"There
are no bystanders," it added.
"Silence
is perceived as a form of consent. So let those people who seek peace
and justice further amplify the message and express it repeatedly in
different ways and languages."
