INDONESIA: DISCUSSIONS ON THE COMPLIMENTARY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002392 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR U/S DOBRIANSKY E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM ID SUBJECT: INDONESIA: DISCUSSIONS ON THE COMPLIMENTARY NATURE OF ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY REF: A. SECSTATE 116583 ¶B. JAKARTA 02146 Classified By: DCM John Heffern for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) In response to Reftel A, Mission offers the following list of current and former senior GOI officials who have spoken publicly in support of democracy and the complementary nature of Islam and democracy. (Note: Nearly all prominent Indonesian officials, including President Yudhoyono, fit this description.) We have listed a few who might be most suitable for the proposed sideline meeting at the Community of Democracies Conference in Mali: -- Indonesia's Presidential Envoy to the Middle East, Alwi Shihab, a pious Muslim of Arab descent, is an outspoken supporter of democracy and pluralism. He is a former Foreign Minister (1999-2001) and previously taught at Harvard's Divinity School and Temple University. He has routinely spoken out against violence in the name of Islam. -- Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda, who is also involved in Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second-largest mass Muslim organization, has also been a strong voice for those who believe Islam and democracy are compatible. A graduate of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, he has routinely condemned violence in the name of Islam. -- Former President Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) is Indonesia,s most outspoken, pro-pluralism religious leader. While suffering from poor health, he has been active in organizing interfaith dialogue conferences and almost certainly would leap at the opportunity to promote the message that democracy and Islam are wholly complementary. As a former leader of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)-- the world's largest Muslim organization -- Gus Dur still wields strong influence over tens of millions of Indonesians, though his personal views on Islam are probably more liberal than most of his followers. His like-minded daughter, Yenny, who is currently Secretary General of a political party linked to NU, might also be convinced to play a role. -- Hidayat Nur Wahid, speaker of the joint session of Indonesia's national legislature (MPR) and former president of the Islamist Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). The pro-sharia PKS party is a success story for Islam and democracy. It grew from one percent of the vote in 1999 to over seven percent in 2004. It has run strong but ultimately unsuccessful campaigns in a variety of gubernatorial races. While more conservative than the other government officials we list, Nur Wahid, who spent 12 years studying in Saudi Arabia, is a strong proponent of democracy. He often takes political positions contrary to U.S. policy and interests, including his claims that Jemaah Islamiya Emir Abu Bakar Bashir is the target of unjust prosecution. Nevertheless, we still believe the popular Nur Wahid fits the profile for this conference because he consistently condemns violence in the name of Islam. -- Nasruddin Umar, Director General for Islamic Community Guidance in Indonesia's Ministry of Religion, is an academic who from 2003-05 worked on interfaith issues in the United States before being invited back to Indonesia by President JAKARTA 00002392 002 OF 002 Yudhoyono to help mediate between Indonesia's mass-Muslim organizations. He is probably the least-well known of the individuals we list. ¶3. (C) Mission has also compiled a list of prominent religious figures and academics who have published legal Islamic frameworks that support the concept that democracy is compatible with Islam and the Prophet Muhammed's support for democratic principles (Please see Reftel B for a separate list of think tanks and NGOs that are working on these initiatives): -- Hasyim Muzadi, current head of NU. -- Din Syamsuddin, current head of Muhammadiyah -- Syafi Ma'arif, former head of Muhammadiyah -- Azyumardi Azra, noted Islamic scholar and frequent contributor of op-ed pieces on Islam and democracy to Indonesian and international newspapers. -- Komarrudin Hidayat, Rector of the State Islamic University Hidayatullah -- Siti Musdah Mulia, outspoken feminist who proposed changes to the GOI Islamic Family Law code. She received the Secretary's Woman of Courage Award in 2006. SIPDIS -- Lily Munir, prominent activist in the women's wing of NU, currently heads the Center for Pesantren and Democracy Studies. -- Kyai Husein Muhammad, Founder and Leader of The Fahmina Institute, was Trafficking in Persons Hero in 2006. He has published books on application of Islamic law to protect women's rights, training hundreds of Islamic judges in this application. ¶4. (C) The Foreign Ministry is still deliberating at a senior level its participation in the Community of Democracies ministerial in Mali but has promised to get back to us soon. We note that Indonesia participated in the 2005 ministerial in Santiago, but the Foreign Ministry website does not list this meeting or any other Community of Democracies meetings. Foreign Ministry officials from several directorates -- North American, Multilateral and Human Rights -- could not confirm who participated in past ministerials but are checking. HUME