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Indonesian Muslim leader Abu Bakar Baasyir
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By
Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia Correspondent
JAKARTA,
September 24 (IslamOnline) - The United States can expect severe
backlash in Indonesia if it keeps painting the country with black
propaganda, leaders of religious and youth groups said Monday, September
23, 2002, reported news agencies.
The
United States has been urged to stop spreading unfounded rumors about
Indonesia, warning that such propaganda will only create widespread
resentment against Washington in the majority Muslim nation.
However
many other observers dismissed these threats, calling them mere threats
but insisting that no action will ever be taken by the majority of the
people to really “shake” the U.S.
Echoing
the call by Vice President Hamza Haz who lambasted the U.S. last week,
the religious and youth leaders also demanded that the U.S. provide
clear, solid proof of its recent claims that terrorist cells were
operating in Indonesia.
They
also asked the U.S. to support claims that these terror groups were
threatening the lives of foreigners in the country, in particular those
of American citizens.
Hasyim
Muzadi, the chairman of the country's largest Muslim organization, the
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), was quoted by Antara as saying that “resentment
against the U.S.” will prevail if the latter country insisted on a
crackdown on suspected terror cells.
Muzadi
said a recent report from the CIA, which was published by Time magazine,
and included allegations of a plan plot against President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, was propaganda aimed at tarnishing the image of the
country's Muslim community.
The
Jakarta Post said eight other social groupings expressed similar
sentiment Sunday, September 22, saying that the U.S. allegation made
Indonesia look like a terrorist haven.
Political
organizations said the US allegation that Indonesia was a terror hot bed
made the country look like a center of terrorist activities.
In
the wake of the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 tragedy, the U.S.
government alerted its citizens twice regarding possible threats against
Americans living in Indonesia.
It
also decided to close its embassy in Jakarta and consulate general in
Surabaya, East Java, because of what it called "specific terrorist
threats".
Jakarta
has been steeping up its efforts to curb alleged terrorist cells in the
country, including the recent arrest of Omar al-Faruq and a German
citizen of Arab-descent.
However,
security officers have so far found no strong indications that terrorist
cells are a threat to foreigners living in Indonesia.
Separately,
Vice President Hamzah Haz said that if the U.S. government could provide
legal proof against these Muslim groups, he would be the first person to
put them in jail.
"I
will order the arrest of these Muslim clerics if there is any proof of
the allegations," he remarked during a visit to Central Java on
Sunday.
