Jakarta – Indonesia's top Islamic authority called Tuesday on all Muslims to wage a jihad (holy war) if the US launches an attack on Afghanistan and warned President Megawati Sukarnoputri not to support any such retaliation.
The Indonesian Council of Ulemas (Muslim scholars) said it "calls on all Muslims of the world to unite and mobilise their forces to fight in the path of Allah [jihad fi sabilillah] should the aggression of the United States and its allies against Afghanistan and the Islamic world take place."
Megawati, who met President George W. Bush in Washington last week, has condemned what she called the "brutal and indiscriminate" terrorist attacks in New York and Washington and said her country would join the global battle against terrorism.
But the council urged her government not to support any retaliatory strike. "We call on the government of the Republic of Indonesia not to fall to US persuasions to support plans for the said aggression in all forms, political or moral, including by not allowing Indonesian territory to be passed by the US armada or fighter planes," it said in a statement. The council's statement highlighted the contrasting pressures on Megawati in her response to the world's worst terrorist attack. The leader of the world's largest Muslim-populated nation desperately needs Western aid to rescue her economy – Bush promised her hundreds of millions of dollars in aid at their meeting. But there is also domestic opposition to any attack seen as targeting Muslims.
Militant groups have threatened forcibly to expel Americans and raid US facilities if the United States attacks Afghanistan. Several hardline groups on Sunday checked international hotels and the airport in the Central Java city of Solo in a fruitless search for Americans. There have also been daily small-scale protests outside the heavily guarded US embassy.
The ulema council strongly condemned the terrorist attacks in the US and also criticised the threats against some 10,000 Americans living in Indonesia. Defense Minister Matori Abdul Jalil described the groups making the threats as "insignificant" in number but added: "We cannot tolerate such actions. We have the obligation to protect foreigners, foreign assets and the diplomatic interests of foreign countries. We will take firm actions in accordance with existing laws," he said Tuesday.
Vice President Hamzah Haz, who leads the largest Muslim political party, also spoke out against the anti-American campaign. "We don't agree with that," Haz told reporters separately. "We should not harass foreigners. Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda, speaking in New York, said such "sweeps" for Americans "could worsen Indonesia's image abroad."
The US has singled out Osama bin Laden as the prime suspect in the attacks and made apparent preparations for an attack on his bases in Afghanistan.
Up to 100 protesters gathered outside the US embassy Tuesday, torching a mock coffin with pictures of Bush.
About 100 youths demonstrated in front of the Australian embassy, denouncing attacks on mosques in Queensland last Saturday. Another 300 staged a similar protest outside the US consulate in Surabaya.
The Jakarta police chief assured the British, Belgian and Dutch ambassadors that their citizens will be protected from any protests. Similar assurances were given last Friday to US ambassador Robert Gelbard. Indonesia has deployed hundreds of snipers and crack police to guard 17 key US facilities in the capital.