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Indonesian Muslim party to raise funds for the Palestinians People and government
Indonesia's popular Muslim party will launch a fund raising campaign this weekend for the Palestinians, whose Hamas-led government is in financial dire straits after Western countries halted aid.The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) will organize a rally on Sunday in the capital Jakarta to kick off the campaign, said party official Muhammad Razikun and the rally is expected to draw 100,000 party supporters. "This campaign is to show our solidarity with the Palestinians, who have been punished for their democratic choice," Razikun said. PKS chairman Tifatul Sembiring said the campaign aimed to raise 10 million dollars in one month and called on Indonesians to give 10,000 rupiah (about one dollar) each to help the Palestinians. "To all PKS supporters in Indonesia, I appeal to you to pitch in to ease the burden of the Palestinian people," he was quoted as saying by the state Antara news agency. The PKS is popular especially among young urban Muslims. Although a newcomer in the 2004 parliamentary elections, it finished first in Jakarta with 24 percent of the vote. It has 45 seats in the 550-strong national parliament. Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian struggle for nationhood and has no diplomatic ties with Israel. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last week urged countries against halting aid to the Palestinian government led by the radical Islamist group Hamas. The Palestinian Authority has been facing a cash crisis since Hamas' election victory in January led the United States and European Union to freeze aid to the body. Hamas has acknowledged that the coffers are empty and that it is unable to pay government salaries. Posted by: ryuge 2006-05-06 |
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