Many Indonesian Muslim Refuse Obama Visit

Obama visit plan has caused controversy among the Indonesian Muslims although the plan is canceled now.  According to a polling of Detik.com,  a widely-read popular online news website, by today 23 March, more than 67% has shown refusal on the president visit.

The polling itself reads: “The US President Obama will visit Indonesia in the coming days.  PBNU asks all parties not to refuse Obama presence in Indonesia. If you agree not to refuse Obama,  choose Pro!”. Suprisingly although the polling seemed to show pro-obama visit, the reply from the audience was otherwise. Most replies indicate opposition to the visit. Not merely for Obama himself but also for the US foreign policy and its reputation in the Muslim World.

Those who comment on the contra side mainly think that Muslim should refuse Obama because he has shown a hypocritical foreign policy. While he campaigns for a better relation and strives for a better face in the Muslim world, facts has shown that US policy has not changed that is still hostile to the Muslim world. They use the facts like the sending-more troops to Afghanistan, the silence over the killings of 1400 Muslim Gaza during the outrageous Cast Lead operation of the terror state Israel, and the still operating Guantanamo and others.

However the cancellation of the visit due to the Healthcare bill vote in the States will seem not to change the stance of many Indonesian Muslims that is to refuse the visit and urge the resistance against the US unless it changes its hostile foreign policy in the Muslim world which is one of steps that can be taken is withdrawing troops off the Muslim world.  For Indonesian Muslims, specially those who subscribe to the ideological Islamic party of Hizb ut Tahrir Indonesia which is the branch of Hizb ut Tahrir International, the stance is stemmed from the laws and example of how the prophet Muhammad saw refused the hostile non-believer Quraish Leader Abu Sufyan who at that time was also performing hostile policy to the Muslim after he broke the Hudaibiyyah agreement. When Abu Sufyan came to negotiate for fixing the broken agreement, the prophet refused to meet and speak with him.

Overall, the poll result indicates a failure to win the campaign of winning hearts and minds of the Muslim world run by the US to fix and hide its real bloody face as the world’s most infamously aggressive capitalist state who yearns for more dominance.