We must fight to eliminate Islamophobia

H/T Will

What's Iman Rauf doing in Jakarta Indonesia,preparing the presidents visit or speech? Indonesian President Urged to Help Islam Engage With the West.With just a few days to go until Barack Obama arrives in Indonesia, a prominent American Islamic scholar has called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to show the Western world the true face of Islam." The real battleground is between the moderates of all religions against the radicals of all

religions," Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, founder and chief executive of the American Society for Muslim Advancement and leader of the Al-Farah mosque in New York, said at the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Friday.Feisal said Muslims should be responsible to help change negative attitudes toward Islam by intensifying interfaith dialogue and fighting radicalism. " I am convinced that with the right behavior, the right ethics, we will change the hearts and minds of people in America toward Islam," he said. Hmmm...Iman Rauf the Ground Zero Mosque founder laying the groundwork for the U.S. President his Indonesia visit? Read the full story here.

Indonesian President Urged to Help Islam Engage With the West

Camelia Pasandaran | November 06, 2010

Indonesian students displaying a banner critical of Barack Obama as they protest the US president's upcoming visit outside the US Embassy in Jakarta on Friday. Obama is scheduled to visit the country, where he spent part of his childhood, on Tuesday and Wednesday. (JG Photo/Yudhi Sukma Wijaya)

Jakarta. With just a few days to go until Barack Obama arrives in Indonesia, a prominent American Islamic scholar has called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to show the Western world the true face of Islam.

"The real battleground is between the moderates of all religions against the radicals of all religions," Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, founder and chief executive of the American Society for Muslim Advancement and leader of the Al-Farah mosque in New York, said at the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Friday.

Feisal was giving a lecture to Yudhoyono and his cabinet as part of the series of presidential lectures held regularly at the palace.

During the talk, Feisal said the president's meeting with Obama next week presented an opportunity to promote cooperation and change negative perceptions of Islam.

"By working together, we can help break the cycle of fear, of misunderstanding and of violence that threatens the stability of the world," he said.

"You will have the opportunity to discuss with my president in the next few days - how we can work together and cooperate together to create this kind of momentum - global momentum."

Feisal said Muslims should be responsible to help change negative attitudes toward Islam by intensifying interfaith dialogue and fighting radicalism.

Radicalism, he said, was now one of the top three issues threatening world security, alongside weapons of mass destruction and global warming.

"I am convinced that with the right behavior, the right ethics, we will change the hearts and minds of people in America toward Islam," he said.

"We will be an architect of a global movement of peace, bridge what divides us as human beings."

Feisal said trust and mutual understanding was needed to create harmony.

Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, although its long-held reputation as a tolerant country has in recent years been eroded by increasing religious fundamentalism and violence against religious minorities, including attacks on churches and minority Muslim sects.

Speaking after the lecture, Yudhoyono said the country was working hard to maintain harmony and promote tolerance.

"I have to admit that maintaining harmony, brotherhood and togetherness is not to be taken for granted," he said.

"There's always challenges, there's always problems, especially in this era of globalization where there is a network of radicalism that spans the globe."

Yudhoyono said Islam was one of the most misunderstood religions, among Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and it was important to spread the true teachings of Islam.

"We must fight to eliminate Islamophobia and other current sources of humiliation for Muslims," he said.

"It is a matter of emotion, it is a matter of psychology."

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Roland 12:13pm Nov 6, 2010

@mauriceg - sadly all too true in its core! In the last decade a very twisted opinion emerged in the hard-line Muslim world and spreads now with rapid speed. Their forceful propaganda against anything other than their very own distorted beliefs, especially within Islam - claiming that their, humanity completely disregarding interpretations are the only 'true' ones. It serves their hidden agendas (or actually not even hidden) in the meantime all too well, their 'messages' are in every media and their actual power is the fear in all to be the victims of the ultimate havoc they are producing around the world. Interesting to read your comment...

maurice 11:21am Nov 6, 2010

Why do you use the word 'fight'? Surely the religion of peace and love doesn't need to hurt people to get that message across? Humiliation? You're so blind. You import Wahabi extremist clerics to educate your kids in Indonesia. You have brought humiliation on yourselves, if that is the way you choose to see it. Buddhism is not so much a religion, more a philosophy, but it is the 'doing', seeing and feeling the world in the way it truly is, not through fairy stories designed to delude and cause enmity towards others. There is no sense of humiliation in Buddhism (even that term is a 19th century neologism).

When a religion falls in love with its symbols, and is willing to kill for them, you know something is wrong.

Where do you see Muslims fighting for the rights of those of other faiths? But Christians have fought for the rights of Muslims to have a 'cultural centre' near Ground Zero in New York, did not burn Korans.

NATO soldiers are fighting in Afghanistan to remove the most ghastly, horrific, primitive, bloodthirsty brand of Islamists from wreaking havoc and destroying that country and destabilising Pakistan. These NATO soldiers are doing a dangerous heroic job against Muslims who use women and children as human shields, ban music, ban education for women, games, laughter, and destroy anything seen as non-Islamic.

THAT is humiliation. Done by your co-religionists. Please stop telling lies about Islamophobia. You brought it on yourselves.

BilboBaggins 10:21am Nov 6, 2010

"We must fight to eliminate Islamophobia and other current sources of humiliation for Muslims," he said.

I think Christianphobia and Ahmadiyaphobia is more of a problem in Indonesia,

"It is a matter of emotion, it is a matter of psychology."

No, it's a matter of action.

The Minister of Religion is not even tolerant so what chance is there?

The government can't even talk the talk let alone walk the walk.

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