Opening Remarks by Mr. Yatiman Yusof, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communications, and Arts

Opening Remarks by Mr. Yatiman Yusof , Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communications, and Arts, at ISEAS seminar on: Listening To The True Voice of Muslims In Indonesia, on Thursday, 8 December 2005 at Raffles Hotel at 9.45 AM

Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. Thank you for your kind invitation to make a few opening remarks at this interesting Seminar, entitled “Listening to the True Voice of Muslims in Indonesia ”.
2. At first glance, this might look just like one of the numerous ISEAS seminars and conferences on various worthy topics. But the real significance of this particular seminar is that it coincides with the turning of the tide of Muslim public opinion in many Islamic countries against the slaughter of innocent Muslims and non-Muslims by radical terrorism.
3. One recent and vivid incident was the bombing of three Jordanian hotels, the Radisson and Hyatt and Days Inn, in early November 2005, killing 56 and severely wounding 96 civilians. More than half of the victims were Jordanians. Other victims included Saudis, Chinese and Indonesians. The savage bomb attacks were claimed to be the work of the terrorist organization called Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, led by the Jordanian Abu Musa al-Zarqawi. After the attacks, ordinary Jordanians marched in the streets in angry protests. They carried banners declaring: No to cooperation with the forces of evil and fear. Some chanted: O terrorists, listen! We will not bow down to you! Others chanted: We are Christians, we are Muslims, we are One people.” This was the True Voice of the Jordanian People speaking!
4. One of the suicide bombers, a woman whose explosives had not detonated, later confessed on Jordanian television. The deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Marwan Muasher, said: This culture that is mingling in our society has no justification. We will do everything to defend ourselves.”
   Indonesia itself has suffered grievously at the hands of terrorists bombs, which have killed many innocent Indonesians in the two Bali bomb attacks and in the bombing of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta . Although there have been no public demonstrations against terrorist attacks like the ones in Jordan, many Indonesians surely must be questioning why innocent Indonesian Muslims have been killed by terrorist bombs. These innocent people who going about with their daily life are certainly not collaborators to those committing injustices whether in Palestine, Iraq or anywhere.
5. In Singapore, we have encouraged the Muslim community to speak out against terrorism. We recognized that it is a long and difficult battle against international terrorism. Second, that one of the most important battlefields is the hearts and minds of Muslims, in Singapore, in Southeast Asia, in the Umma.
6. Third, ordinary Muslims and the Government are looking to Muslim leaders, scholars and intellectuals for guidance on how to read the complex situations, how to adhere to the real nature of Islam and its core teachings, such as its tolerance, what the Holy Koran says about real Jihad, which is first and foremost a spiritual struggle against evil, and not to kill innocent civilians, not even the living things.
7. Indonesia is the largest country in ASEAN, with the biggest population, as well as being the largest Muslim country in the world. What happens in Indonesia is thus of great importance and interests to close neighbors like Malaysia , Brunei and Singapore, to all ASEAN members, to Muslims all over the world. When scholars and leaders such as the distinguished members of this Panel speak about this important topic, therefore their thoughts and words will resonate beyond this venue. Muslims in other Islamic countries will access their papers via Internet. We should not forget that the media, the non-Muslims and followers of Al Qaeda will also closely monitor this seminar in order to get a feel of the intellectual currents. They want to assess who is winning the battle for Muslim hearts and minds.
8. If we as Muslims do not speak up in public against this heinous hijacking of our beloved Islam by terrorists, then they will assume that our silence means support for their crimes. Secondly, if we as Muslims do not assume leadership of the long battle against international terrorism, by words and by deeds, then others will take over these efforts, and we may not like how they conduct their war against terrorism.
9. We should understand that one primary target of terrorism are the governments of various Islamic countries. Thirdly, this is a battle within Islam, between differing interpretations of Jihad and other concepts. If the vast majority does not speak up, a vocal, organized and extreme minority will succeed in intimidating many others and impose their will and version of Islam.
10. Thank you for your attention.