[Kabar-indonesia] Bashir challenges Bush to talks on terrorism

[Joyo at aol.com]

Indonesian cleric challenges Bush to talks on terrorism

JAKARTA, November 8 (AFP) -- Hardline Indonesian cleric Abu
Bakar Bashir issued a challenge to US President George W.
Bush to hold talks with him on terrorism during his upcoming
visit to Indonesia, a close aide said Wednesday.

"The ustadz (religious teacher) is challenging Bush. If he
is really serious and is really a man, he should invite the
ustadz for a dialogue," Fauzan Al-Ansori, the spokesman of
Bashir's Indonesian Mujahedin Council (MMI) told AFP.

He said his organisation had no plan to contact the US
embassy or the government here to facilitate the proposed
meeting.

"We already have had a bad experience. When the ustadz
wanted to meet with (US State Secretary) Condoleeza Rice,
(we) were only shown the door," Al-Ansori said.

He said the initiative should come from Bush, since he was
the one who had labelled Bashir a terrorist.

"What ustadz Bashir wants to discuss with Bush is, who is
actually the real terrorist, and who actually doesn't want
peace in the world," Al-Ansori said.

Bashir, who chairs the MMI, an umbrella organisation
advocating the implementation of Islamic Sharia law, has
accused Bush of being a terrorist.

Bush is scheduled to visit Indonesia for a few hours, and
will meet President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for bilateral
talks, as well as several leaders in the health and
education sectors.

Bashir, 68, was released from jail in June, after serving
just over two years for his role in the 2002 Bali bombings,
which killed 202 people, mostly Western holidaymakers.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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