TMCnet News
Blair fails to charm pupils(Daily Post (Liverpool) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)TONY Blair yesterday pledged to work more closely with the world's largest Muslim country in the fight against terrorism. But Indonesian Muslim leaders told the visiting Prime Minister that his policies were breeding extremism. Mr Blair spoke out after a meeting in Jakarta with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. He said the two nations would "work closely" on ways to combat international terror, while Mr Yudhoyono said they agreed to "increase the efficiency in our efforts". The Prime Minister also met moderate Islamic leaders who urged him to withdraw British troops from Iraq and talk to the recently-elected Hamas government in Palestine. Din Syamsudin, leader of the country's second largest Muslim group Muhammadiah, said: "We told him to withdraw his troops from Iraq because the occupation is only promoting more radicalism and new acts of terrorism." Mr Blair, accompanied by wife Cherie, was on the last leg of a marathon seven-day diplomatic mission. Indonesia has a long tradition of moderation and secular rule, and is battling al Qaida-linked militants blamed for several bombings in recent years, including two sets of attacks on the resort island of Bali. A small group of Islamic protesters demonstrated ahead of the visit. Mr Blair got a taste of the task ahead as he was tackled by students at an Islamic boarding school on the war in Iraq and the Middle East peace process. After his talks with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono he visited the Pondok Pesantren Darunnajah, an Islamic boarding school twinned with the Holy Family School in Keighley, West Yorkshire. Britain hopes to forge 1,000 such links between schools in Indonesia and the UK. During a question and answer session with students he came face to face with their concerns over their "brothers and sisters" in Iraq and Palestine. The Prime Minister told them: "I want to say, as someone from the Christian faith, that I believe that people of different faiths can live together in harmony and peace." Another student then asked if he would persuade his "friend" President George Bush to stop the war in Iraq. The Prime Minister replied: "I think we will not agree about Iraq and the decision to remove the government there but there is a process now for the people to vote their government in. "In Iraq today they have got the right to vote, and in Afghanistan, and whatever we thought about the original decision to remove Saddam, today we should work with the United Nations and other countries to make sure people have the same rights as the people in the UK and you have here. "One of the most important things if we are to have this understanding between us is that people try to understand the other point of view." |