VZCZCXRO8906
OO RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHJA #1262 2100718
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 290718Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2931
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 001262 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL, DRL/AWH, DRL/IRF 
PLEASE PASS TO SPECIAL REP FARAH PANDITH 
NSC FOR J.BADER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KISL ID
SUBJECT: MOVING TOWARD A U.S.-INDONESIA INTERFAITH DIALOGUE 
 
¶1.  (U) Please see Action Request in para 7; this message is 
Sensitive but Unclassified. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  Indonesian officials are eager to develop 
a bilateral interfaith dialogue with the U.S. as part of our 
emerging Comprehensive Partnership.  Mission is discussing 
the idea with GOI officials and civil society.  Indonesians 
have identified two potential themes for such a dialogue: 
combating negative stereotypes of Islam and empowering 
moderate Muslim voices.  Mission believes that the 
Department's Office of the Special Representative to Muslim 
Communities can play a key role in moving this process 
forward.  Action Request is contained in Para 7.  END SUMMARY. 
 
PROPOSING A BILATERAL INTERFAITH DIALOGUE 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Indonesia--the world's largest Muslim nation by 
population--wants to be a bridge between the Muslim world and 
the West.  Highly receptive to President Obama's Cairo 
speech, the GOI wants to engage the U.S. in this area. 
During FM Wirajuda's meeting with the Secretary in June, he 
called for the inclusion of such a bilateral dialogue in our 
Comprehensive Partnership.  Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
(DEPLU) officials have told us that the GOI is willing to 
host the first bilateral U.S.-Indonesia interfaith dialogue 
if we agree to the proposal.  (Note:  Indonesia already 
engages in bilateral interfaith dialogues with the United 
Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, and Russia.) 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Indonesian officials have identified two central 
themes for such a dialogue:  combating negative stereotypes 
of Islam and empowering moderate voices.  They noted to us 
that any dialogue must not mirror the activities of USG 
religious tolerance commissions, which rate religious freedom 
internationally.  Our contacts stressed that they want a 
dialogue as a way to bring the American and Indonesian people 
closer by allowing the two sides to discuss faith and its 
role in society.  GOI officials told us that discussion of 
ways to counter extremism would be a key part of any such 
dialogue. 
 
CIVIL SOCIETY INVOLVEMENT CRITICAL 
 
¶5.  (SBU) We have emphasized to the GOI that engaging civil 
society, especially religious leaders, academics and 
journalists, is key to the success of any dialogue. 
Indonesian officials agree that coordinating with Indonesia's 
two largest mass Muslim organizations, Muhammadiyah and 
Nahdatul Ulama (NU)--with over 80 million combined 
members--is key, both in terms of programming and logistical 
support.  Both organizations are highly involved in engaging 
in interfaith dialogues around the world.  In addition, there 
are many other Indonesian civil society organizations that 
have experience in this area that could be engaged in this 
effort. 
 
NEXT STEPS 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Mission believes that Special Representative to 
Muslim Communities Farah Pandith can play a critical role in 
an interfaith dialogue with Indonesia.  The Ambassador has 
invited Special Representative Pandith to visit Indonesia in 
order to see firsthand how pluralism and tolerance co-exist 
in Indonesia.  Bilateral interfaith dialogue with Indonesia 
would also be an excellent avenue for the White House Office 
of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships to identify 
potential people-to-people projects between the two 
countries. 
 
ACTION REQUEST 
 
¶7.  (SBU) We request that Department carefully review the 
interfaith dialogue idea and consider ideas for moving the 
process forward, including during VIP visits.  Mission also 
suggests that Washington reach out to non-profit interfaith 
groups and experts, such as the New York-based Appeal for 
Conscience or Cardinal Theodore McCarrick (Emeritus) from the 
Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., as possible U.S.-based 
partners in a dialogue.  END ACTION REQUEST. 
HUME