"Right Islam vs. Wrong Islam"

by Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid

"Muslims and non-Muslims must unite to defeat the Wahhabi ideology."  This "must-read" op-ed by LibForAll's co-founder, board member and senior advisor appeared in the year-end editions of the U.S. and European Wall Street Journal (Friday, December 30, 2005) labeled "EXTRA! Read all about it!", and in the first edition of 2006 in the Asian Wall Street Journal.  Subsequently described by the Wall Street Journal as "a seminal article for this newspaper" (February 25, 2006), and praised by the Hudson Institute's Center on Islam, Democracy and the Muslim World as "a far-ranging and detailed account of what [Wahid] views as 'the global struggle for the soul of Islam'... We recommend this article, which we’ve re-published in this issue of Current Trends in Islamist Ideology, to very serious reading and reflection."

"The Last King of Java"

by Bret Stephens

Bret Stephens, writing in the Wall Street Journal, calls LibForAll co-founder Abdurrahman Wahid "the single most influential religious leader in the Muslim world" and "easily the most important ally the West has in the ideological struggle against Islamic radicalism."

"The Exorcist"

by Bret Stephens

Article describes the successful efforts of LibForAll advisor and senior fellow Dr. Abdul Munir Mulkhan to help stem the tide of radical Islam in Indonesia.

"The Evils of Holocaust Denial"

by Abdurrahman Wahid & Israel Lau

BALI, Indonesia -- Today, religious leaders from many faiths and nations will gather here for a landmark conference in a unique place ~ an island of tolerance, not terrorism. In a world in which religion is manipulated to justify the most horrific acts, it is our moral obligation not only to refute the claims of terrorists and their ideological enablers but also to defend the rights of others to worship differently: in freedom, security and dignity....

"Public Diplomacy for Dummies"

by Bret Stephens

LibForAll itself is a model of what a competent public diplomacy effort in the Muslim world should look like.

In its brief life, LibForAll has helped turn back an attempted Islamist takeover of the country's second-largest Muslim social organization (with 30 million members), translated anti-Wahhabist books into Indonesian, sponsored a recent multidenominational conference to denounce Holocaust-denial, brought Mr. Dhani to Colorado to speak to U.S. military brass, and launched a well-researched "extremist exposé" in order, Mr. Taylor says, "to get Indonesian society to consciously acknowledge that there is an infiltration occurring of radical ideology, financed by Arab petrodollars, that is intent on destroying Indonesian Islam.

"The Obstacles to Israeli-Palestinian Peace"

by Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid and Abdul A'la

Palestinians and Israelis need the world's support to create a new reality, in which the highest values of religion and humanity are restored to their proper dignity. We must also help Muslim populations – not only in Palestine, but throughout the Arab world – to rise to embrace a profoundly spiritual and tolerant understanding of Islam, and a humanistic attitude toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that acknowledges the legacy of suffering on all sides. Such an attitude is a necessary precondition for recognizing Israel's unique history and right to exist, while truly advancing the interests of Palestinians as well.

Last year's LibForAll/Indonesian Peace mission to Israel and Palestine was designed to initiate such a process. After the religious leaders who participated returned to Indonesia, they faced intense condemnation from Muslim extremists, who accused them of having betrayed their Palestinian brethren and embarrassed Indonesia's Muslim community. Yet there is nothing shameful about working to realize the highest values of religion – which God intended to serve as a blessing, and not a curse, to all of humanity.

Although the obstacles to peace in the Holy Land may appear insurmountable, it is the responsibility of religious leaders on all sides to attempt the impossible, and to accept whatever threats, slander and stigma may follow.

"This Muslim Rocker Preaches Tolerance to a Strong Drumbeat"

 "Dhani, the founder of one of Indonesia's most popular bands, is a very different kind of rock superstar.  He's promoting moderate Islam in a lynchpin country in the war on terror, tucking messages of tolerance beside Western beats and Arabic rhythms."  The Wall Street Journal profiles LibForAll board member Ahmad Dhani, who is "creating his own jihad ~ for moderate Islam."

"As Indonesia Debates Islam's Role, U.S. Stays Out"

by Andrew Higgins

One U.S. group jumps in - While the Asia Foundation and others dived for cover, one American outfit jumped into the theological fray with gusto. In December 2003, C. Holland Taylor, a former telecommunications executive from Winston-Salem, N.C., set up a combative outfit called LibForAll Foundation to "promote the culture of liberty and tolerance."

"In Indonesia, Songs Against Terrorism"

by Abdurrahman Wahid & C. Holland Taylor

Dhani and his group are on the front lines of a global conflict, defending Islam from its fanatical hijackers. In a world all too often marred by hatred and violence committed in the name of religion, they seek to rescue an entire generation from Wahhabi-financed extremists whose goal is to transform Muslim youth into holy warriors and suicide bombers. For every young Indonesian seduced by the ideology of hatred and fanaticism -- including those responsible for the recent, awful attacks in Bali -- countless others see through the extremists' web of lies and hatred, in no small part thanks to the visionary courage of people like Ahmad Dhani. For as they listen to Dewa's music, the hearts of millions of young Indonesians have been inspired to declare: "No to the warriors of jihad! Yes to the warriors of love!"

"Rock Star Rattles Radical Islam"

by Rebecca Cho

To the millions of Indonesian youths who sell out his concerts, Ahmad Dhani is a superstar who has commanded the nation's rock scene for more than a decade.  But the charismatic leader of Dewa, one of Indonesia's top bands, isn't just any entertainer crooning about the heartaches of romantic love. Dhani is an ambassador for peace, using his music to lead Indonesia's youth away from radical Islam.

This week, the Muslim rocker was in the United States to share his message of religious tolerance with an entirely different audience: top U.S. government and military leaders at a national conference on homeland defense.

Dhani, 34, says attacking the ideology that motivates terrorists is the key to suppressing radical Islam.  With a longtime acquaintance, former Indonesian president Abdurraham Wahid, Dhani spoke to the group on Tuesday about a long-term strategy to combat religious extremism.

"Extremism Isn't Islamic Law"

by Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid

All of humanity, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, is threatened by the forces of Islamist extremism. It is these extremists, masquerading as traditional Muslims, who angrily call for the death of Abdul Rahman or the beheading of Danish cartoonists. Their objective is raw political power and the eventual radicalization of all 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide. Western involvement in this "struggle for the soul of Islam" is a matter of self-preservation for the West and is critical given the violent tactics and strength of radical elements in Muslim societies worldwide.

Muslim theologians must revise their understanding of Islamic law, and recognize that punishment for apostasy is merely the legacy of historical circumstances and political calculations stretching back to the early days of Islam. Such punishments run counter to the clear Koranic injunction "Let there be no compulsion in religion" (2:256).

People of goodwill of every faith and nation must unite to ensure the triumph of religious freedom and of the "right" understanding of Islam, to avert global catastrophe and spare others the fate of Sudan's great religious and political leader, Mahmoud Muhammad Taha, who was executed on a false charge of apostasy. The millions of victims of "jihadist" violence in Sudan -- whose numbers continue to rise every day -- would have been spared if Taha's vision of Islam had triumphed instead of that of the extremists.

The greatest challenge facing the contemporary Muslim world is to bring our limited, human understanding of Islamic law into harmony with its divine spirit -- in order to reflect God's mercy and compassion, and to bring the blessings of peace, justice and tolerance to a suffering world.

"Waging Jihad Against Violence"

by Abdul Munir Mulkhan

"My Islam, Your Islam, Our Islam, Their Islam"

by Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid

"Islam, Virgins and Grapes"
By Nicholas D. Kristof

One of the scholars at the Notre Dame conference whom I particularly admire is Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd, an Egyptian Muslim who argues eloquently that if the Koran is interpreted sensibly in context then it carries a strong message of social justice and women’s rights.

Dr. Abu Zayd’s own career underscores the challenges that scholars face in the Muslim world. When he declared that keeping slave girls and taxing non-Muslims were contrary to Islam, he infuriated conservative judges. An Egyptian court declared that he couldn’t be a real Muslim and thus divorced him from his wife (who, as a Muslim woman, was not eligible to be married to a non-Muslim). The couple fled to Europe, and Dr. Abu Zayd is helping the LibForAll Foundation, which promotes moderate interpretations throughout the Islamic world.

"Islamic Group Gains Power in Indonesia"
By Peter Gelling

JAKARTA — In a sign of its growing prominence, Indonesia’s Council of Ulemas moved its headquarters from the basement of a major mosque here into an expensive new office tower in the heart of downtown. The group — whose leaders have increasingly espoused a radical form of Islam — has worked to establish itself as an assertive political force. It logged its first major political success this summer when the government agreed to severely restrict the activities of a Muslim sect that does not believe that Muhammad was the last prophet.

Advocates of religious tolerance worry that the council’s new clout could signal the start of religious radicalization in a country known for its moderate brand of Islam.

In its annual report on religious freedom in September, the United States State Department singled out the Council of Ulemas as “influential in enabling official and social discrimination” against minority religious groups in the last year in Indonesia.

Still, most of Indonesia’s Muslims remain moderate, and some have begun to fight back.

Mr. Taylor, whose group promotes religious tolerance, said moderate groups would need to try to take control of the council or press the government to privatize or dissolve it.

"Indonesia's Guitar Warrior"

Rabbis are an uncommon sight in Indonesia, much less at a performance by the country's top rock star. Yet there they sat, tapping their feet as Ahmad Dhani performed his song "Warriors of Love," at a conference in Bali on religion and tolerance. The 35-year-old Sufi Muslim may have a ways to go before reaching the celebrity-healer heights of Bono, but he is no less ambitious in aiming for the global stage. " 'Warriors of Love' is a song about love and tolerance for people of different faiths," he explains. "We reject the teachings of hate and the extremists who preach it." Some of his backers hope to widen the song's appeal by assembling a multilingual Muslim star cast to render it as a kind of "We Are the World" anthem of global Islamic moderation.

"The Challenge to Religious Liberty in Indonesia"
by Richard G. Kraince

In an effort to assess the impact and methods of Islamist influence, a consortium of some of Indonesia’s most prominent Islamic leaders, in collaboration with the LibForAll Foundation, recently released a report titled “The Illusion of an Islamic State: The Expansion of Transnational Islamist Movements to Indonesia.” The group argues that the extremist form of Islam in Indonesia is “a virulent ideology, backed by immense funding, and operating in a systematic manner, as transnational Islamic movements and their local agents work nonstop to undermine and ultimately seize control” of the nation.

"Reviving Pakistan’s Pluralist Traditions to Fight Extremism"
by Lisa Curtis and Haider A. H. Mullick

Policy Recommendations "Support nongovernmental efforts to promote religious tolerance and pluralism. U.S. officials should recognize and support important work by nongovernmental organizations in promoting religious pluralism. For example, the LibforAll Foundation has done groundbreaking work in Indonesia by building networks among educators, religious leaders, celebrities, and opinion leaders in promoting religious pluralism. This approach could also be applied in Pakistan."

"Where others falter, Dhani delivers... with his music.  His message for Americans and President Bush? 'Just support moderate Islam, and moderate Muslims.'"

"Defeating Islamist Extremism"

by Jeff Jacoby

[T]here is no doubting Wahid's commitment to interfaith harmony. He tells Indonesian Muslims that they can learn from Christianity and Christian life, and has dispatched armed members of Nahdlatul Ulama to protect Christian churches from Islamist violence. Not long ago, one of Wahid's Muslim adherents was killed when he discovered a bomb in a church and used his body to shield the Christian worshipers from its blast. That stunning act of selflessness is a powerful reminder that Muslims no less than non-Muslims have a great deal riding on the defeat of the Islamofascists, and that we will not win the war against radical Islam without Muslim allies like Wahid.

"Holocaust-Affirming Conference

Opens in Indonesia"

by Sebastien Blanc

Chairing the discreetly-organized conference is former Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid, known as Gus Dur, a moderate Islamic leader known to take courageous positions in Indonesia.

"Although I am a good friend of Mahmud Ahmadinejad, I have to say he is wrong," Gus Dur told the conference, referring to the Iranian president's dismissal of the Holocaust as a myth.  "He falsified history."

"Conference in Bali Against Holocaust Liars"

by Sophie Mühlmann

Indonesia is making an effort to uphold its tolerant and secular image.  The world's most populous Muslim nation has, for an entire day, become a showplace for a hitherto unique religious conference:  the gathering on the holiday island of Bali concerned itself entirely with religious tolerance and recognizing Nazi persecution of Jews as an historical reality.  Indonesia thereby consciously seeks to distance itself from fundamentalist and radical spirits.

"Leaders Take on Tsunami of Religious Hate"

by Abraham Cooper & Dr. Fred Balitzer

Dispensing with the usual Orwellian political correctness, Wahid publicly condemned the Iranian leader: “President Ahmadinejad is a friend, but when he lies about the Holocaust he is wrong and I say so publicly.”

Some crucial milestones were achieved that day in the world’s largest Muslim nation. Members of the Jewish religion, including a rabbi from Israel, were invited to the table as equals. They and religious figures of four other faiths openly interfaced with young Indonesians and the media.

We heard Muslim leaders explicitly condemn suicide terror and Holocaust denial while openly weeping with survivors of suicide bombings in Indonesia and Israel and embracing a Jewish survivor of the Nazi Holocaust.

Special Report: Top Stories of 2007

In Bali, Indonesia, a gathering of religious leaders and victims of terrorist attacks, sponsored by the US Libforall Foundation, denounced Iran's president for claiming the Holocaust was a myth.

~ Arabian Business

"Dalai Lama Defends Islam
at Anti-terror Religious Meeting"

by Gary Chapman

SAN FRANCISCO-- The Dalai Lama has defended Islam at an historic religious gathering in San Francisco today, saying suicide bombings were tragic “mischief” that could plague any religion.  The Dalai Lama took centre stage at an unprecedented anti-terror summit with Muslim clerics and other religious leaders from around the world.

Among the supporters of the religious solidarity movement was former Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid, leader of that country's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama, which has 40 million members.  Holland Taylor delivered a letter from Mr. Wahid praising the gathering and offering to align himself with the Dalai Lama in future meetings of the newly established group.

What is going on is a struggle for the soul of Islam,” Mr. Taylor said.  He said Mr. Wahid and other top Muslim leaders were on the Dalai Lama's side in the “tug-of-war” against religious extremism.  Mr. Taylor referred to Sunni and Shiite leaders forming a public alliance with the Dalai Lama as “ideological jujitsu” to deflect the power of radicals and unite moderates that represent “the true heart of Islam.”

"Step Up the Fight Against Islamism"

by Sadanand Dhume

The former president and cleric, Abdurrahman Wahid, of the 40-million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama, stands out as the world's pre-eminent Islamic humanist, a rare figure who is liberal by any standard, not merely the lowered ones usually applied to Muslim clerics. 

"Former Telecom Executive
Battling Extremism in Indonesia"

by Tim Whitmire

LibForAll co-founder C. Holland Taylor is linking moderate Muslim leaders “in a network of lighthouses within the Islamic world that will promote tolerance and freedom of thought and worship.” 

Al-Ahram (est. 1875), one of the oldest and most widely-read newspapers in the Arab world 

Extremism is Alien to Islam

LibForAll Foundation, an NGO which cares deeply about Islam and Muslims... strives to express, clarify and widely disseminate a true understanding of Islam not only to non-Muslims, but also to Muslims in general.  LibForAll aims to present the moderate and tolerant face of Islam, and explain the importance of [Muslims] returning to the essence of Islamic teachings which, until now, have been poorly understood by many groups [both in Islam and the West].

"A Tradition of Tolerance in Indonesia
Offers Hope"

by Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid

and C. Holland Taylor

With its traditions of religious pluralism and tolerance, Indonesia and its civil society are ideally positioned to serve as mediators, helping to remove the poison of religious hatred that has long afflicted the Middle East. By integrating its rich spiritual traditions with the best of modern practices, Indonesian Islam can serve as a model for Islamic civilization worldwide and help inspire a similar renaissance of Islamic spirituality and tolerance in other parts of our troubled world.

"Former Indonesian President Calls Upon Muslims to Speak Out Against Extremism During U.S. Visit" 

President Wahid has assumed the mantle of leadership of an international movement dedicated to stemming the tide of radical Islam and reclaiming authentic Islam from those who have corrupted its teachings and used them to promote a repressive political ideology, religious intolerance and terrorism.  The lynchpin of this movement is the LibForAll Foundation, an Indonesian- U.S.- and Netherlands-based organization that President Wahid co-founded to propagate models of a prosperous, moderate and tolerant Islam, and to support moderate and progressive Muslims in their efforts to promote a culture of liberty and tolerance. 

"LibForAll Foundation Promotes Tolerance in Indonesia, Other Muslim Nations"

 The [LibForAll] foundation hopes to tip the balance toward a message of tolerance. It briefs policy makers in the United States and Europe and works with other organizations that promote tolerance, including the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, a Jewish institution that cosponsored the Bali Holocaust conference. The foundation is also producing a video project that features moderate Muslim leaders from various parts of the world explaining their faith. It plans to distribute the programs to Islamic schools and make the series available for broadcast.

~ Voice of America

"Indonesia’s election a triumph
of pragmatism over ideology,
moderate Muslims over radical Islamists"

The Libforall Foundation is one of the rare success stories of an initiative in which moderate and liberal Muslims – too often the silent and disorganized majority – have organized effectively to counter radical Islamist groups by promoting democracy and tolerance.

"The Enemy Within: Islamic Extremists And Their Dreams of a New Caliphate"

Truth that is not organized can be defeated by evil that is. So goes an old Sufi saying. Moderate Muslims in Indonesia are working to get organized for [an ideological] war with hard-liners who are misinterpreting the Koran as a political ideology that is driving the direction of Islam across the world.

"Study claims Islamic party is spreading radical, extremist ideology in Indonesia"

JAKARTA: Just days before Indonesians go to the polls, a study has been released charging that an Islamic party is spreading radical and extremist ideology - undermining the country's moderate Islamic tradition.

The research will soon be published in a book titled "The Illusion of an Islamic State: the Expansion of Transnational Islamist Movements to Indonesia."

“...the findings will certainly have some bearing on the country's politics.”