Jakarta, Indonesia - Winning hearts and minds in the war against terrorism needs a balanced dose of freedom and religious tolerance, the president of Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, said on Monday.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's comments came amid continuing protests in the Muslim world against the publication of cartoons lampooning the Prophet Mohammad, which have sparked fears the issue is playing into the hands of Islamic militants.
Yudhoyono said terror groups generally are bent on using politically sensitive issues to their advantage.
"They want to radicalise our society, undermine our values, destablise our community ... this is the best situation for them. We must not lose this battle," he told a seminar on terrorism.
"This is a battle that requires us not just to advance freedom but also to spread tolerance. Sometimes there is too much emphasis on freedom but not enough on tolerance," Yudhoyono said, adding nations and media should reject "the offensive cartoons."
"If we don't address the issue rightly, I fear we will lose more people in the Islamic world in this battle of hearts and minds," said Yudhoyono, who won an election on a platform that included a strong stress on security.
Protests against the cartoons, first published in Denmark last year and then by other European newspapers, sparked attacks in Indonesia that damaged property in the building housing the Danish embassy, as well as smashed windows at the U.S. embassy.
That violence and threats of attacks on individuals prompted Danish embassy staff to leave Indonesia, although the ambassador has since returned.
Government officials, politicians and leaders of moderate Muslim groups in Indonesia have condemned the cartoons while urging protesters to be peaceful.
They have been cautious in attacking those responsible for violence.
An Indonesia counter-terrorism official told Reuters the issue has complicated efforts by moderate Muslim clerics in defusing militant ideas at the grassroots.
Indonesia has been one of the most active countries in persecuting terror perpetrators since Islamic militants launched deadly attacks on its soil in recent years, including the bar bombings that killed 202 people on the resort island of Bali.
Jakarta's anti-terror campaign has brought around 200 terror suspects to justice through open proceedings but it also has walked a cautious line to ensure the Muslim public see the work as a fight against violent criminals and not Islamic causes.
IMPRESSING THE YOUNG
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who spoke at the same conference, agreed claims the war on terror is a fight against Islam must be debunked.
"Through clever use of the media, the internet, youth networks and charitable organisations, they have created a flattering image for themselves. At the same time they sought to portray Islam under attack," he said about the Islamic militants.
"Unless effectively challenged, this corrosive world view may gradually take hold, particularly amongst the young and the impressionable," Downer said in his speech.
On the cartoon issue, Downer said freedoms including the chance to "abuse someone," should be exercised with extreme care.
"When editors in free societies make judgment about whether to publish those cartoons they need to have, what I often say, the wisdom of Solomon," he told reporters in a news conference.
"But none of this excuses violence," he said, referring to the violent reactions in some Muslim nations against the cartoons.