ISLAMIC LEADER DESIRES CLOSE TIES WITH U.S.;

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002348 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP, EAP/MLS, INR/EAP E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV KISL ID TH RP SUBJECT: ISLAMIC LEADER DESIRES CLOSE TIES WITH U.S.; DISCUSSES REGIONAL ROLES REF: A. A: JAKARTA 02264 ¶B. B: JAKARTA 02202 Classified By: Classified by Ambassador Cameron R. Hume for reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Ambassador Hume on August 24 paid a courtesy call on Din Syamsuddin, chairman of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second-largest mass-Muslim organization. Syamsuddin emphasized his desire for continued dialogue with the USG and outlined his preferred "inclusive8 approach for dealing with radical fringe groups. He reviewed his group's efforts re southern Thailand and the Philippines. The Ambassador noted the many interests the USG shares with Muhammadiyah. End Summary. ================================ Meeting with Muhammadiyah Leader ================================ ¶2. (C) Syamsuddin, who heads Indonesia's second-largest mass-Muslim organization with an estimated 30 million members, told the Ambassador on August 24 that he seeks to establish "sincere, open, and frank dialogue" with the USG in order to address the widely-held Indonesian view that U.S. policy is anti-Muslim. He noted the differences among what he termed as "established" Islamic groups (including Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama),the "newly-emerged" Islamic groups which took hold in Indonesia in the 1980s, and the "so-called radical" groups focused on "rooting out immorality." He told the Ambassador that he views the latter two groups not as threats but "challenges," and asked for U.S. support to bring them back into the fold. ¶3. (C) Syamsuddin painted his recent attendance at a pro-"Caliphate" Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) rally (Reftel B) and his previous protests against U.S. foreign policy as pre-emptive means to forestall these groups from taking matters into their own hands. He said hardliners "misuse religion," but Muhammadiyah lacks the ability or desire to confront them, so instead tries to engage them. ¶4. (C) Ambassador Hume praised Muhammadiyah's long history of educating Indonesian youth both here and overseas, commenting that President Yudhoyono also views exposure to foreign cultures as an important element in developing mutual understanding. The Ambassador noted the U.S. and Muhammadiyah share an interest in reducing threats and violence by Indonesian hardliners, and he hoped that the U.S. and Muhammadiyah could find additional ways to cooperate towards this goal. ================ Regional Efforts ================ ¶5. (C) In response to the Ambassador's query on Muhammadiyah's role in southern Thailand (Reftel A), Syamsuddin said that he had recently visited Thailand and met with King Bumibol, various military officials, and "500 Muslim leaders." As a result, Muhammadiyah had agreed to help teach "progressive Islam" to Thai Muslims in cooperation with the Thai government. Seventy Thai religious teachers recently visited Muhammadiyah schools in Yogyakarta in central Java, and Syamsuddin plans to address a gathering of Thai students studying in Indonesia. ¶6. (C) Separately, Syamsuddin mentioned that during a recent trip to Manila he was visited by five Filipino "Moro" Muslim leaders from Mindanao. He promised them that Muhammadiyah wants to play a "mediating role" between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the GOP. Representatives from both sides will come to Jakarta in the near future, Syamsuddin said. ===== Media ===== JAKARTA 00002348 002 OF 002 ¶7. (U) Syamsudin and the Ambassador both made brief press statements following the event. A number of media outlets covered their remarks. Republika, an Islamic-leaning daily, reported that Syamsudin blamed radicalism on unfair treatment meted out by major world powers, including the U.S., towards the Muslim world, whereas national television station TVRI highlighted its view that the USG needs to enhance its understanding of Indonesian Islam. ================== Playing both sides ================== ¶8. (C) Syamsuddin, one of Indonesia's most visible civil society leaders, is involved in dozens of organizations and NGOs, cutting across the spectrum of Indonesian Islam and politics. While he publicly denies it, he is probably positioning himself as a potential vice-presidential candidate in the 2009 election, leading him to opportunistically court both moderates and hardliners. His participation in the HTI rally was unfortunate, but his group seems to want to play an ameliorating role in southern Thailand and the Philippines. HUME