Interfaith religious groups in Indonesia united in protesting abuse by the Burmese military junta against its own citizens who were protesting in the name of democracy. Din Syamsudden, speaking at the office of the Indonesian Committee on Religions for Peace (ICRP) bluntly stated: “There is nothing violence can do to solve a single problem in the world.” Indonesian religious groups called on the UN “to take any action required to prevent Myanmar from further violence.” They also urged China which has the majority of oil interests in Myanmar to assist in restoring peace and democracy.
The American media frequently inquires, “where are Muslim leaders when violence occurs? Why don’t they condemn violence?” Well, here is an example of Muslim leaders taking vigorous action to speak out against violence. It is doubtful if the Indonesian Muslim stand against violence in Myanmar will be reported in the American media. It is this double standard of reporting which encourages Americans to believe all Muslims support violence in the world.
