An Indonesian Muslim woman holds a candle during an anti-war rally in Jakarta

Kazi Mahmood, IOL Correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR, February 15 (IslamOnline) - Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) boycotted Australian Prime Minister John Howard who is on a two-day visit to Indonesia to garner support for war against Iraq, while the country has finally joined the hue and cry against the possible aggression on Baghdad.

"After considering Australian policy on the U.S.'s planned military aggression against Iraq, I decided to shun the discussion (with the PM)," Ahmad Bagdja, a chairman of the executive board of the NU said Friday, February 14, 2003.

Ahmad Bagdja rejected the invitation from the Australian government to discuss tourism with Howard.

The Australian prime minister was scheduled to conduct an informal meeting with a number of Islamic leaders on Saturday, February 15.

"It would be useless to discuss terrorism with Howard because of his country's support for the U.S. plan to attack Iraq," Antara news agency quoted Ahmed as saying.

Australia's plan to dispatch its military personnel and war equipment to Iraq is opposed by the people and the government of Indonesia, he stressed.

"Howard's policy to send troops to Iraq really hurts the feelings of the Indonesian Islamic communities," the NU Chairman said, adding that Australia should have understood the aspiration of Islamic communities and the policy of Indonesian government.

On the other hand, the Indonesian government has finally taken the courage to close ranks with peace backers France, Germany and Russia over demands to resolve the Iraq crisis peacefully.

Observers in Jakarta said despite being slow and late in this matter, Indonesia undeniably sent yet another message to the United States to drop its war plans.

They add that the 100,000 protestors on the streets of Jakarta a week ago in the anti-war rally organized by a Muslim-led political party has shattered the silence of President Megawati Sukarnoputri’s regime.

In a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, the government said it "fully shares and supports the idea of strengthening the U.N. inspection team as suggested in the new initiative".

France, Germany and Russia suggested bringing more weapons inspectors and equipment into Iraq to make sure it met resolution 1441 on the disarmament of its weapons of mass destruction.

Foreign affairs spokesman Marty M. Natalegawa said the measure "would send a powerful signal of the international community's common sense of purpose in urgently addressing the question of Iraq in an effective yet peaceful way."

Indonesia, says Natalegawa, has consistently stressed the need to maximize the use of all diplomatic means to find a peaceful and lasting solution to the Iraq crisis.

On Friday evening, dozens of women from the Women's Alliance Against War staged a protest at Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, holding up candles and distributing flyers to motorists.