ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS and community leaders say attacks during the holiest month of the Islamic calendar,
beginning in mid-November, would be unacceptable and would trigger big and potentially violent protests among the world’s billion Muslims.
“Moderate Muslim countries would not stand this,” Niti Hasan, secretary-general of the Council of Muslim Organizations of Thailand.
“The 15 consecutive days of attacks are more than enough. It would be unbearable if the attacks continued into the holy month of Ramadan,” Hasan said.
On Sunday, 30,000 Thais rallied in the nation’s Muslim-dominated south to protest against the U.S.-led strikes on Afghanistan in the hunt for Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden, chief suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.
The Thai’s message echoed across the region. In Pakistan, where the government is walking a fine line between helping the United States and keeping militants in check,
Gen. Pervez Musharraf said Monday that he hoped the military operations would be over by mid-November, before Ramadan begins.
“Emotionally it would be, I think, explosive if military actions are still being done in Afghanistan,” after Ramadan, Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told reporters in Shanghai after a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders.
NO ASSURANCES
U.S. officials have told NBC News that they hoped to wrap up the bombing by then.
But Rumsfeld, while saying “we have great respect for the views and concerns of the many countries that are cooperating in this effort,” gave no assurances of that.
“There continue to be terrorist threats in this world, and the sooner we deal with this problem, the less likely it is that you are going to have additional terrorist attacks,” he said.
“History is replete with instances where Muslim nations have fought among themselves or with other countries during various important holy days for their religion, and it has not inhibited them historically.”
ASIA’S MIXED MESSAGE
Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim nation — about 90 percent of its 210 million people follow Islam. India and Pakistan have more than 100 million Muslims each, 87 percent of Bangladesh’s 130 million people and two-thirds of Malaysia’s 23 million people are Muslim, and Thailand and the Philippines have sizeable and restive Islamic minorities.
Although their governments have condemned the attacks on New York, Pennsylvania and Washington that killed thousands, many regional leaders have also expressed concern about the strikes against Muslim-ruled Afghanistan and the level of civilian casualties.
In Malaysia, Parti Islam se-Malaysia, the main opposition party, which has spearheaded anti-U.S. protests, vowed more rallies if the attacks continued into Ramadan.
“Hatred and anger with the Americans will rise if they proceed with their bombings into Ramadan,” said party member Hatta Mohd Ramli, a doctor who plans to go to Afghanistan next month on a humanitarian mission.
Similar warnings were voiced in the Catholic-dominated Philippines.
“It will be an outpouring of sentiment for people,” said Nash Pangadapun, secretary-general of the Muslim anti-war group Maradeka.
“We will see more protest action and could even see violent attacks throughout the Muslim world. ... I hope here in the Philippines it will not lead to that,” he said.
MODERATES SEEK CALM
Mainstream groups in relatively moderate Indonesia said they would try to keep their members under control, although radical groups that have brought thousands onto the streets in sometimes violent protests are a concern.
“Pressure on the U.S. is important, but our reaction must be rational,” said Hasyim Muzadi, the head of Indonesia’s largest Muslim group, the 45-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama.
“Do not let helping other nations ruin our own country,” Hasyim said.
Despite fears of anti-Western sentiment, a surprisingly tough stand by Indonesian security forces appears to be working and there have been no major incidents of violence.
Indian analyst Asghar Wajahat, a professor at the Islamic Jamia Milia University, said many Muslims felt powerless. “Muslims are angry but don’t want to show that anger. The Indian Muslim is sure that what is happening is wrong, but he is not sure what he can do to stop it,” he said.
Ramadan is a time of self-sacrifice, restraint and religious contemplation for Muslims. They are forbidden to eat, drink or smoke during daylight hours.
But continued U.S.-led action is likely to inflame radical groups already calling for a jihad, or holy war.
Defending Islam and fellow Muslims is regarded as a duty and not subject to the normal restraints of Ramadan, although jihad warriors must still fast.
Islam has a long history of wars during the fasting month.
“Memories of the prophet’s Muslim forces winning battles during the fasting month ... will flare. Jihad calls will multiply and religious nuances will become stronger,” said Azyumardi Azra, rector of Jakarta’s State Institute of Islamic Studies.
NU scholar and graduate from Cairo’s Al-Azhar University Zuhari Misrawi said Jakarta’s warnings of the dangers of a Ramadan campaign were likely aimed at a domestic audience.
“It was a maneuver to look firm in front of Muslims back home,” he said, but added Washington should also see it as a sign of the difficulties its Muslim allies face.
“A less in-your-face retaliation will serve better for the U.S. ... that’s if they want to listen to the interests of the Muslim nations, which I doubt,” he said.
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All that explains why much of the U.S. bombing of military concentrations appears aimed at Taliban units that have in their ranks a disproportionately high number of Arabs and other foreigners.
The Taliban’s 55th Brigade, seen by some analysts as closely tied to al Qaeda, appears to have been particularly targeted. Most of the time when Rumsfeld refers to bombing the Taliban military, he also refers to al Qaeda, as he did seven times in yesterday’s news conference.
Focusing airstrikes on those units serves several ends. It weakens the Taliban and bin Laden, carving away the military units that protect both. It also takes advantage of Afghan resentment of foreigners.
Political considerations also are helping set the pace of military operations. In an interview last night on CNN’s “Larry King Live,” Pakistan’s president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, emphasized that he would like to see the U.S. campaign wind up before Ramadan begins in mid-November.
“One would hope and wish that this campaign comes to an end before the month of Ramadan, and one would hope for restraint during the month of Ramadan, because this would certainly have some negative effects in the Muslim world,” he said.But Rumsfeld rejected the notion that the United States is operating under a religious deadline,
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