By Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia Correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 (IslamOnline.net) - Indonesia is bracing for massive rallies this week end in protest against the U.S. planned aggression against Iraq. Two cities, Jakarta and Surabaya are prepared to see a wave of people going down the streets to support Indonesia’s strong opposition to the war.

The largest Muslim organization Nadhlatul Ulama (NU) said that around one million Muslims would perform a mass prayer for world peace in Surabaya, East Java, Monday, March 10.

The NU has a membership base of 40 million and is believed to be the largest Islamic organization in the most populous Muslim nation on earth. Indonesia has a population of 212 million, 89% of which are Muslims.

NU Chairman Hasyim Muzadi said his organization could easily bring one million people on the streets to protest against the U.S. planned aggression, as reported by Suara, Indonesian news agency.

Thousands of Muslims will also hit the streets of Jakarta Sunday, March 9, to voice their opposition to the U.S. planned war.

Influential Muslim preacher A.A. Gymnastiar will lead the Muslims to the streets as reported by the Jakarta Post Saturday, March 8.

"The event is set to show that thousands of Muslims will join in a mass rally to protest any military solution to the Iraq crisis, and that the rally will go on peacefully," Aa Gym reportedly said.

He expects around 100,000 Muslims to join the mass rally which would start at Istiqlal Grand Mosque and travel down along Jalan Thamrin to Monas in Jakarta. That would be the second largest rally in Jakarta in a month’s time since the successful rally organized by the Justice Party (PK) in last February.

All rally participants would perform a mass prayer for world peace at the grand mosque before marching to Monas, which is the short form for the National Monument in Jakarta.

"We will read out a letter calling for the U.S. to avert a war against Iraq, and then I will go alone to deliver the letter to the U.S. Embassy," said the Muslim popular cleric.

Legislators from Indonesia’s parliament and legislative assembly said a week ago that they believe the U.S. and Britain will be in breach of International laws if they attacked Iraq without a UN mandate.

They agreed with Australian legal experts who also said the two western nations could face the War Tribunal if they attacked Iraq without UN support. The Australians also said the Iraqi government was currently in the right if it counter attacked the US troops in the Middle East.

No New UN Resolution

The Indonesian government bent under public pressure and renewed it's stance on the Iraq crisis, saying it was unnecessary for the UN Security Council to issue a second resolution to end the crisis, because Iraq was quite cooperative with UN inspectors in dismantling its (alleged) weapons of mass destruction.

Indonesia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said Friday that the UN weapons inspection team should be given more time and that there was still a chance to solve the crisis peacefully.

"We are against the second resolution on Iraq proposed by the U.S., as the draft implies that Iraq has failed to cooperate with the inspection team.

"Indonesia's position remains firm, that we would like to see more time given to the inspection team to finish their tasks," he remarked according to Antara News Agency.