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DE RUEHJA #0970/01 1561052
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051052Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2488
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000970 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS; EAP/RSP; NSC FOR EPHU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KIRF KISL ID
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT OBAMA'S CAIRO SPEECH EVOKES POSITIVE 
REACTIONS IN INDONESIA 
 
¶1.  (U) This message was coordinated with Consulates Surabaya 
and Medan. 
 
¶2.  (U) SUMMARY:  Prominent Indonesians of different faiths 
praised President Obama's "soothing" speech to Muslim world 
communities on June 4.  One of his advisors told Pol/C that 
President Yudhoyono was "highly impressed" with the speech. 
Indonesians we spoke to appreciated President Obama's message 
of mutual respect and broad outreach to Muslims.  The U.S. 
Embassy and Consulates held public diplomacy events to engage 
audiences immediately following the speech, which got blanket 
coverage in national print and electronic media.  Still, 
audiences viewed aspects of the speech focusing on the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a dose of skepticism.  Over 
all, the speech was a big hit in this, the world's largest 
Muslim nation by population.  END SUMMARY. 
 
WATCHING AND DISCUSSING THE SPEECH 
 
¶3.  (U) Embassy Jakarta and Consulates Surabaya and Medan 
organized screenings of President Obama's speech to the 
Muslim world on June 4, gathering together youth and 
prominent Muslim leaders--as well as those of other 
faiths--to discuss the speech and gauge reaction.  In 
Jakarta, the chair of the nation's second largest Islamic 
organization, Muhammadiyah (30 million members), Din 
Syamsuddin, co-hosted a live screening with the U.S. Embassy 
at the Center for Dialogue and Cooperation Among 
Civilizations (CDCC). 
 
¶4.  (U) The Jakarta program included a panel of respected 
religious leaders and scholars plus emboffs.  The audience 
included 150 youth, national religious leaders, politicians, 
journalists and diplomats (including the ambassadors of Egypt 
and Turkey among others).  In Surabaya, East Java, 60 youth 
and regional leaders, including representatives from both of 
the nation's largest Muslim organizations, attended an event 
at the Consul General's Residence.  In Medan, hundreds viewed 
the speech on screens in a courtyard of Sumatra's most 
prestigious university. 
 
PROMINENT MUSLIMS POSITIVE 
 
¶5.  (U) The speech garnered tremendous goodwill and trust. 
One of President Yudhoyono's advisors told Pol/C that 
Yudhoyono was "highly impressed."  Abdillah Toha, a venerable 
Parliamentarian with the Muslim-based National Mandate Party, 
said, "I think Indonesia and the Muslim world should support 
Obama, so that we will be successful," a sentiment echoed by 
senior Golkar Party Parliamentarian Theo Sambuaga.  During 
the CDCC panel discussion, Din Syamsuddin, sometimes a vocal 
critic of U.S. foreign policy towards the Muslim world, 
called the speech "soothing", commending that it proposed 
"broadening engagement with the Muslim world" based on 
"common interests such as education."  We heard similar 
comments at our screenings and from messages across Indonesia: 
 
--"Obama went right into the lion's mouth.  Even though he 
knew people are very suspicious of Americans in the Middle 
East, he went in there bravely.  This proves he really wants 
to have a dialogue." - Student at University of North Sumatra 
 
--"The speech needs to be translated and widely distributed. 
Indonesians haven't heard this before, especially the rank 
and file.  People in the countryside have misperceptions and 
need to hear what Mr. Obama had to say." - Aguswandi, well 
known scholar and political leader in Aceh Province. 
 
-- "Muslims around the world should support his dream. 
Muslims should be proud of him." - Professor Adbul Kadir of 
National Islamic University in Surabaya. 
 
--"President Obama's speech must be appreciated because it 
has opened a new era of relations between the West and Islam. 
 It is an indication of a change in the U.S. stance towards 
the Islamic world." - Hidayat Nur Wahid, leader of the upper 
house of Parliament with the Islamic-based Prosperous Justice 
Party. 
 
¶6.  (U) Audiences also appreciated that the speech focused on 
education, democracy and women's empowerment, thrilled that 
Indonesia was cited as an Islamic nation which has been led 
by a woman President.  They applauded each of the four times 
Indonesia was mentioned.  People praised content about 
fighting extremism, as one student said: "Everyone says 
America is at war with Islam. But Obama explained America is 
fighting extremists." 
 
JAKARTA 00000970  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶7.  (U) Most people thought the speech was balanced on the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in the words of one person, 
"highlighting not only the U.S. connection with Israel but 
the aspirations of Palestinians."  Nevertheless, everyone was 
skeptical, saying they are waiting for actions to prove that 
the U.S. can solve the conflict.  Parliamentarian Adillah 
Toha said: "People are waiting for him to give a new 
perspective on how to solve the problem in the Middle East." 
 
¶8.  (U) Some Indonesians also commented that the speech was 
aimed more at the Arab world than countries such as 
Indonesia, where democracy, tolerance, respect for human 
rights and the rights of women are already entrenched.  The 
timing of the speech was also not perfect for Indonesia, as 
evening prayers began during the speech, so that many had to 
say their prayers before the live speech was finished. 
 
¶9.  (U) The Obama Cairo speech was carried live by all 
national TV stations with news programs.  Metro TV carried it 
via VOA Indonesian Service.  Numerous other major national 
television networks carried speech highlights for their 
evening news broadcasts.  In addition there were articles and 
positive editorials in most major national daily newspapers, 
including a full front page article in leading national daily 
"Koran Tempo" whose chief editor was sent to Cairo to 
interview President Obama.  The tone of coverage was on the 
whole positive and cited the numerous references that 
President Obama made to Indonesia as a tolerant 
Muslim-majority democracy. 
 
WIDELY DISSEMINATED 
 
¶10.  (U) Embassy Jakarta posted the instructions on getting 
SMS updates in English, Arabic and several other languages, 
both on its webpage and in all press materials rQed and 
published.  In addition, the link for the live streaming of 
the speech was on Post's Facebook "fan" page.  Also, the 
Indonesian text of the speech was quickly and widely 
distributed to the media and to more than 400 individual 
Mission contacts. 
 
¶11. (U) Already buoyed by President Obama's election, 
Indonesians came away from the speech with a strong feeling 
that there is a new beginning in relations with the U.S., 
both in terms of its relations with Islam and with Indonesia 
on a broader range of issues. 
HUME