Originally published by The Jakarta Post, 24 June 2010

By Lilian Budianto

 Indonesia’s biggest Islamic party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), has set its sights on the Western world and China in reshaping its foreign affairs policy after decades of leaning toward the Arab world.

 The member of the ruling coalition led by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party invited ambassadors from the US, Australia, Germany and China to address a session of its national congress last Saturday in a rare discussion with the party who has traditionally taken a harsh stance against the West over its pro-Israel policy.  

 The move has been seen as a tactic to broaden the party’s support base to beyond the traditional conservative Muslim electorate, as the PKS eyes becoming the third-largest party in the 2014 general elections. Taufik Ramlan Wijaya, the deputy chief of the PKS’s foreign affairs body, said Wednesday the invitation for the four ambassadors to address the forum was part of the party’s agenda to “share views” but said they were not going to compromise the party’s pro-Islamic values.

 “We understand the stance taken by the US in regards to its pro-Israel foreign policy and we, at the same time, will also stay firm on our own stance”.

 The PKS is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause and is ideologically aligned with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, which also has roots with Hamas.

 PKS lawmakers have previously been known to lambast the US for its pro-Israel policy and their supporters have often taken to the streets for anti-US protests.

 The PKS also voiced concerns over the treatment of Islamic ethnic minority Uighurs when they clashed with the majority Han in Xinjiang, China, last year.

 In his speech, US Ambassador Cameron Hume praised the party of upholding the democracy as he also extended the vision by President Barack Obama to reach out to the Muslim world.

 “The commitment the PKS has demonstrated to grassroots activism and to constituent services exemplifies Indonesia’s commitment to democratic principles,” he said.  

 Australian Ambassador Bill Farmer and Germany’s Nobert Baas also addressed the forum while Chinese Ambassador Zhang Qiyue failed to attend due to scheduling issues.

 Taufik said the PKS would like to take the chance of Obama’s presidency to seek closer relations with the US, as the president has vowed to forge new ties with the Muslim world, but acknowledged Obama’s promises had faced political difficulties thus far.

 “We appreciate Obama’s effort to bring about change [in perceptions], although he might have not been very successful because of a lack of support and domestic politics.

 “The point is, we don’t think we should miss our chance of bettering our relations with the US”.

 Already, the attempt to embrace the US in its foreign agenda has raised eyebrows at a time when the US has refused to condemn an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. Some 12 Indonesian were aboard the attacked vessels.

 Ikrar Nusa Bhakti, a researcher with the Indonesia Institute of Sciences, said moving closer to the US despite the Israel stand-off was among the few options available to the PKS to garner wider support.

 “The PKS cannot possibly change the very fundamental stance at the domestic level, for instance, to be less supportive to the sharia law, because it would backfire. Engaging with the US is regarded more effective to change the party’s image of being exclusive for Muslims and at the same time doesn’t risk their grass roots support,” he said.

 During its national congress last week at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Jakarta, the PKS dubbed itself as an “open party”, which, despite promoting Islamic values, non-Muslims are allowed to join and can assume leadership on its executive central board.