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Monday, March 6, 2006 Muslims vent anger at US foreign policy AMY CHEW in Jakarta More than 5,000 Indonesian Muslims, including a deputy speaker of Parliament, demonstrated outside the American embassy yesterday calling for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and the introduction of worldwide Islamic rule. Waving banners saying "Now is the time for the caliphate to rule the world with sharia", and "Crush the Zionist America and Israel", the protesters rallied for four hours. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Zaenal Ma'arif told the crowd that America had slaughtered millions of Muslims. "Therefore, strengthen your heart, strengthen your will, because there will come a time where we will have to fight America physically," said Mr Zaenal to shouts of "Allahu akbar" or "God is great". "We will go to war, we will not allow America to wage a guerilla war." Mr Zaenal is a member of the Reform Star Party, an Islamist party aligned to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The protesters' mention of the caliphate refers to the caliph system of rule by an Islamic leader regarded as Allah's representative on Earth. Organisers said the protest was to commemorate the fall of the Turkish caliphate on March 3, 1924. The protest - in which men and women were separated by a dividing line - was organised by Hizbut Tahrir, a Muslim organisation fighting for the establishment of an Islamic state based on sharia law. The rally prompted the American embassy to post a warning to its citizens to avoid the area, keep a low profile and to "exercise caution if caught in the vicinity of any demonstrations". Two weeks ago, a small rally outside the embassy ended in a melee when the radical Islamic Defender Front attacked the mission and damaged its security post. The protesters yesterday were kept well away from the American mission, which is ringed by two concrete walls and barbed wire. About 2,000 police stood watch and two water cannons stood by, but the rally ended peacefully. "We should crush the system of capitalism. Democracy, human rights, liberalism - these are the values of the infidels," said Mohammad Rahmat Kurnia, a cleric from Hizbut Tahrir. "This rally is to commemorate 82 years since the fall of the caliphate, which resulted in colonialism ... and the cause of all of this is America," said Hizbut Tharir's spokesman, Muhammad Ismail Yusanto. "The fight to establish sharia Islam in this country should be the top agenda," Mr Yusanto said. "We call upon the the government and the people of Indonesia to immediately stop secularism as a way of life in society." Abu Bakar Bashir, the jailed spiritual leader of the Jemaah Islamiah terrorist group, expressed his support for the rally in a letter read out to the protesters. Protesters also carried placards condemning Israel and a US mining company - New Orleans-based Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold - which is accused of large-scale environmental damage at the site of its biggest mine in Papua province. US embassy spokesman Max Kwak thanked Indonesian police for helping to maintain order during the protest. Mr Kwak said he respected the right of Indonesians to freedom of speech and assembly, which were "two of the pillars of democracy". Additional reporting by Associated Press ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SCMP.com is the premier information resource on Greater China. With a click, you will be able to access information on Business, Markets, Technology and Property in the territory. Bookmark SCMP.com for more insightful and timely updates on Hong Kong, China, Asia and the World. Voted the Best Online newspaper outside the US and brought to you by the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong's premier English language news source. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Published in the South China Morning Post. Copyright (C) 2006. All rights reserved. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/aYWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Milis Wanita Muslimah Membangun citra wanita muslimah dalam diri, keluarga, maupun masyarakat. 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