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| Southeast Asia |
| Indonesian Muslim Leaders Criticize Blair for His Role in Iraq |
| 2006-03-30 |
| Islamic leaders in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation, criticized U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair for joining the invasion of Iraq, saying the U.S.-led occupation has fueled terrorism. Blair, who is on a one-day visit to Indonesia, met five Muslim leaders including Din Syamsuddin, chairman of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second-largest Muslim organization in Jakarta today. Blair also visited an Islamic school in the Indonesian capital. ``We advise Britain to pull out troops in Iraq because the occupation in Iraq is fueling radicalism, extremism and new terrorists,'' Syamsuddin told reporters after meeting Blair. ``There's a misunderstanding between the West and the Muslim world. The West stereotypes Islam as a violent religion, terrorism and a threat, while the Muslim world hates the West Global terrorist attacks surged to 635 incidents in 2004 from 190 cases in 2003 and 198 attacks in 2002 according to U.S. State department data. The U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003. In Indonesia terrorist attacks killed 23 people including the three suicide bombers in the beach resort of Bali in October. Bali was also the site of an attack which killed 202 people in 2002, while 52 people were killed in attacks in London in July last year. Blair's policy in Iraq was also criticized by teenagers at the Darunnajah Islamic Boarding School in the capital. ``Did your Excellency ever ask your best friend George W. Bush to stop the war in Iraq?'' Rezar Risky, a student in the school asked Blair. ``America is completely wrong.'' ``We will not agree about Iraq,'' Blair said in response. ``There is a process now in Iraq for the people to vote a government in. When you are 18 you can go and vote for your government. That is a good thing.'' Another student who didn't give his name asked Blair how he would feel if he had lost his family in the war or lived in constant fear of his life. There's room in the article for this question, but none for Blair's response? Indonesia and the U.K. agreed to set up an Islamic Advisory Board to boost understanding between the West and the Islamic world, Blair said. The Islamic leaders Blair met ``are all moderate but critical,'' Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at a press conference with the prime minister. Blair today pledged 25 million pounds ($43.5 million) of aid mainly to improve health care in Indonesia. The Southeast Asian nation will also get easier access to military equipment and training and closer educational and police ties. Blair's spokesman Tom Kelly said before the visit that the prime minister hoped that by encouraging a ``moderate democratic Muslim country'' he would find ways of tackling the extremism that leads to terrorism. ``I hope he got more understanding about Islam because Islam is a part of our world,'' said Abdullah Gymnastiar, an Islamic preacher, who met with Blair today. ``I would like to say this was going better if the leader had a clean heart. Don't destroy other countries.'' |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #3 I look forward to the physics paper that explains how invading Iraq in 2003 caused the Bali bombings in 2002. |
| Posted by: Perfesser 2006-03-30 09:18 |
| #2 ``I hope he got more understanding about Islam because Islam is a part of our world,'' said Abdullah Gymnastiar, an Islamic preacher, Maybe not for long. |
| Posted by: SR-71 2006-03-30 08:18 |
| #1 ``I hope he got more understanding about Islam because Islam is a part of our world,'' said Abdullah Gymnastiar, an Islamic preacher, who met with Blair today. ``I would like to say this was going better if the leader had a clean heart. Don't destroy other countries.'' You mean like East Timor? |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2006-03-30 07:41 |