Mid East violence does not go unnoticed in Indonesia

Indonesia is the world’s most populous country, and as such takes notice of events in the Middle East. The accessiblilty of media these days mean even someone living in a small village in Central Java can get up to date reports on the situation in Lebanon. Naturally the news of Muslims being killed does not go down well over here.

Indonesians warn that Israeli attacks could fuel terrorism

JAKARTA (AP): Thousands of Indonesians rallied Friday against Israel’s military operations in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, warning the West that such violence would only inflame Islamic militants.

The protesters, who gathered in several cities across the world’s most populous Muslim nation, waved banners calling Israeli and U.S. leaders “the real terrorists.”

“It’s ironic that America shouts about peace and democracy, and then supports Israel when it kills innocent Muslims,” said Arief Trisarjono, who led some 100 protesters in front of the U.S. Embassy in the capital Jakarta. “How can they stop terrorismagainst the West if they always make Muslims angry.”

Indonesia has been hit by a string of terrorist attacks blamed on al-Qaida linked militants in recent years. More than 260 people have been killed, many of them foreign tourists.

The sprawling archipelago has no diplomatic relations with Israel, which fired missiles at dozens of targets across southern Lebanon overnight, as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah entered a third week.

Israeli forces opened an earlier offensive in the Gaza Strip late last month.

Rallies were held in the Indonesian cities of Kedu, Kediri, Bandung, Surabaya and Semarang, all the main island of Java, many kicking off after Friday Islamic prayers.