US govt, people not enemies of Islam, ambassador says

Blontank Poer, The Jakarta Post, Surakarta | Sat, 05/14/2011

The US government and people are not enemies of Islam, but instead seeking dialogue for better mutual understanding, US Ambassador to Indonesia Scot A. Marciel said.

“We always like having dialogue with anyone except those who are for violence,” Marciel told students and teachers at the Al Muayyad Islamic boarding school in Surakarta, Central Java, on Thursday.

Responding to a question from a student regarding the assassination of Osama bin Laden, Marciel said the US was forced to kill Bin Laden as he refused to surrender.

On the issue of dumping his body into the sea, Marciel said his government had consulted so with a number of Muslim clerics.

“If we were to bury him, we would have to wait for permission from a particular country while at the same time we have to respect the body the way Islamic teaching does,” Marciel said.

Al Muayyad headmaster Abdul Rozaq Shofawi said what US troops had done in disposing of Osama’s body into the sea adhered to sharia law.

“In the past, haj pilgrims who died at sea were also buried at sea,” Rozaq said.

He added that if Osama’s body was buried on land it could create new problems for both his supporters and opponents. “Minimizing the risk is acceptable,” he said.

Rozaq expressed gratitude that his pesantren (Islamic boarding school) was the first place visited by the US ambassador on an official visit to Surakarta.

“I consider this an acknowledgement by the US government that the quality of our education here is high and contributes to global cooperation,” he said.

Rozaq said the visit would also signal to the world that pesantren in Indonesia were important educational institutions, not breeding grounds for terrorists.

“In general, the visit can serve as an important message that Surakarta is peaceful and cool, and not a center of Muslim radicalism as has been portrayed so far,” he said.

Apart from the pesantren, Marciel also visited a traditional market in Gading and the Danar Hadi batik museum as well as meeting with Surakarta Mayor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at his official residence.

Speaking to The Jakarta Post after the meeting, Jokowi expressed happiness and honor that his city was visited by the US ambassador.

“The smooth visit proves to the world that the people of Surakarta are well-mannered, love peace and make friends with anyone irrespective of their political stance, religions or culture,” he said.

Marciel, he added, was not the first US ambassador to visit the city. His predecessor, Cameron Hume, once stayed in Surakarta on a three-day visit.

“I took ambassador Hume on a sightseeing tour around the city without security guards. He enjoyed the beauty of the city. This is very important for the people that have struggled to promote Surakarta as a tourist city known for its culture,” he said.