SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT

Peace in Palestine = Peace in the World

ADVERTISEMENT

SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT

Obama to Turnbull on Indonesia, Islam and the Saudis: ‘It’s Complicated’

muhadjir - Saturday, 12 March 2016 - 21:28 WIB

Saturday, 12 March 2016 - 21:28 WIB

70 Views ㅤ

Obama-right-talks-with-Australias-Prime-Minister-Malcolm-Turnbull-during-their-meeting-in-Manila-300x225.jpg" alt="President Barack Obama, right, talks with Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during their meeting in Manila" width="300" height="225" /> President Barack Obama, right, talks with Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during their meeting in Manila

Washington, 03 Jumadil Akhir 1437/12 March 2016 (MINA) – A revealing series of interviews with US President Barack Obama has given insight into a private discussion he had with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

The 20,000-word feature published in The Atlantic magazine also relies on interviews with Mr Obama’s former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, her successor John Kerry, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, other world leaders and key White House insiders.

It details part of a meeting between Mr Obama and Mr Turnbull during November’s APEC summit in Manila, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) reported, quoting smh.com.

The president, according to The Atlantic, described to Mr Turnbull how he had watched Indonesia gradually move from a relaxed, multi-faceted Islam to a more fundamentalist, unforgiving interpretation with large numbers of Indonesian women adopting the hijab Muslim head covering.

Also Read: Massive Protests Erupt Across US Cities Against Israel’s Aggression on Gaza

“Why, Turnbull asked, was this happening?” the author of the feature, Jeffrey Goldberg, wrote.

Mr Obama told the prime minister the Saudis and other Gulf Arabs have funnelled money and large numbers of imams and teachers into Indonesia and in the 1990s the Saudis heavily funded Wahhabist madrassas, seminaries that teach the fundamentalist version of Islam favoured by the Saudi ruling family, according to The Atlantic.

Mr Obama also told Mr Turnbull Islam in Indonesia was much more Arab in orientation than it was when he lived there.

“Aren’t the Saudis your friends?,” Mr Turnbull reportedly asked Mr Obama.

Also Read: Syria’s New Revolutionary Flag Raised at UN Headquarters

Mr Obama smiled and said: “It’s complicated” (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)

Also Read: ICC Rejects Israel’s Request to Suspend Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant

Recommendation for you

Articles
Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono and Arab Foreign Ministers (photo: Indonesian Foreign Ministry)
International
US President-elect Donald Trump (photo: Anadolu Agency)
Palestine
Indonesian aid (photo: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Ministry)
Indonesia