KEY MUSLIM LEADER DENOUNCES EXTREMIST VIOLENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001105

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL/AWH, DRL/IRF
NSC FOR E. PHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KIRF KISL ID
SUBJECT: KEY MUSLIM LEADER DENOUNCES EXTREMIST VIOLENCE

REF: A. JAKARTA 1076

B. JAKARTA 888

C. JAKARTA 939

JAKARTA 00001105 001.6 OF 002


Classified By: Charge d'Affaires John Heffern, reasons 1.4(b+d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: On June 2, Charge met Din Syamsuddin, Chair
of Muhammadiyah, the country's second largest Muslim
organization. They discussed repercussions of the recent
attack by extremist groups on a pro-pluralism demonstration.
Syamsuddin denounced the violence. They also discussed the
climate for religious freedom, the recent rise of an Islamic
political party and prospects for Indonesia's future. CDA
urged Syamsuddin to speak out for religious freedom. END
SUMMARY

EXTREMIST ATTACK


2. (C) Syamsuddin denounced the June 1 attack on a peaceful
rally by members of the Islamic Defender's Front (FPI) (ref
A). He said Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second largest Muslim
organization with about 30 million members, is always willing
to extend a hand to any Islamic group until that point when
it engages in violence. He went on to call for the banning
of the FPI. Syamsuddin called President Yudhoyono's public
statement made earlier that day "weak," and said condemning
lack of action by police and the actions taken by
perpetrators was not enough. (Note: Per reftels, the GOI is
looking into whether to ban the group. Police arrested
roughly 100 members of the group on June 4.)


3. (C) "Violence against innocent people, particularly women
and children, goes against the teachings of Islam," he added.
He called on Muslim groups to work together to pressure the
GOI to take positive action to ensure the right of free
expression.

BANNING AN ISLAMIC SECT?


4. (C) Syamsuddin told CDA that he did not support a ban on
the Ahmadiyah sect. He added this caveat: the GOI had some
responsibility to issue restrictions on certain "social
aspects" of the group. He said the recommendation by the
Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI),the country's highest
authority on Islam, to ban the Islamic sect Ahmadiyah, was
likely contributing to the escalating violence. He added
that the current political climate and rise of hardline
extremist groups was putting pressure on Yudhoyono to act.
(Note: Presidential Advisor Adnan Buyung Nasution told CDA
on May 28 that the GOI would not ban the sect, but would
issue some sort of decree containing guidelines on how to
steer the sect to "the correct path" of Islam. He also said
Yudhoyono was very concerned about his public image and
feared the GOI would "lose face" with the Indonesian public
if the GOI backed off completely from issuing a decree on
Ahmadiyah.)

ISLAMIC PARTY ON THE RISE


5. (C) Syamsuddin said he had a very close relationship with
the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS),a fast emerging Islamic
party which recently won two key gubernatorial elections. He
related that he gave a toast at Hidayat Nur Wahid's recent
wedding, which is a special honor. (Note: Nur Wahid is the
former head of PKS and current Chair of the People's
Consultative Assembly. He is considered a viable vice
presidential candidate in the 2009 elections.)


6. (C) Syamsuddin did not think the party's momentum would
continue. He said the PKS is limited in its capability and
experience, particularly as most of its leaders are very
young--PKS members tend to be aged 20-40. It is an exclusive
party (i.e. strictly Islamic) which has gained support by
campaigning as a young and clean party. (ref C). He said he
saw its success more as a failure of the other major parties
and as a no-confidence vote for the status quo. "They are at
their peak and will not exceed 10 percent of the vote" in

JAKARTA 00001105 002.5 OF 002


2009's national legislative elections, he asserted.

ON INDONESIA


7. (C) The future of Indonesia lies in uniting the country's
moderate Islamic parties to counter the rise of extremism, he
said. Syamsuddin was very critical of the U.S.'s "war on
terror" saying it was "anti-Islamic," mired in
generalizations, and had stigmatized the entire Muslim world.
He also said Indonesia's prospects for success were hampered
by an inherent inferiority complex, coupled with rising
poverty and weak infrastructure. Fighting against the "war
on terror" was a self-defense mechanism. However, Indonesia
needed a strategy for the future--a strategy of cooperation.


8. (C) CDA reiterated the U.S. commitment to continue working
closely with the GOI and other Muslim-majority countries. He
encouraged Syamsuddin to take a more forceful public stance
against groups attempting to suppress freedom of religion.

HEFFERN