Jakarta, <strong><em>NU Online</em></strong><br /> With just a few days to go until Barack Obama arrives in Indonesia, a prominent American Islamic scholar has called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to show the Western world the true face of Islam.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;The real battleground is between the moderates of all religions against the radicals of all religions,&rdquo; Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, founder and chief executive of the American Society for Muslim Advancement and leader of the Al-Farah mosque in New York, said at the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Friday.<br<> /> <br /> Feisal was giving a lecture to Yudhoyono and his cabinet as part of the series of presidential lectures held regularly at the palace.<br /> <br /> During the talk, Feisal said the president&rsquo;s meeting with Obama next week presented an opportunity to promote cooperation and change negative perceptions of Islam.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;By working together, we can help break the cycle of fear, of misunderstanding and of violence that threatens the stability of the world,&rdquo; he was quoted by the Jakarta Globe as saying.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;You will have the opportunity to discuss with my president in the next few days &hellip; how we can work together and cooperate together to create this kind of momentum &mdash; global momentum.&rdquo;<br /> <br /> Feisal said Muslims should be responsible to help change negative attitudes toward Islam by intensifying interfaith dialogue and fighting radicalism.<br /> <br /> Radicalism, he said, was now one of the top three issues threatening world security, alongside weapons of mass destruction and global warming.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;I am convinced that with the right behavior, the right ethics, we will change the hearts and minds of people in America toward Islam,&rdquo; he said.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;We will be an architect of a global movement of peace, bridge what divides us as human beings.&rdquo;<br /> <br /> Feisal said trust and mutual understanding was needed to create harmony.<br /> <br /> Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, although its long-held reputation as a tolerant country has in recent years been eroded by increasing religious fundamentalism and violence against religious minorities, including attacks on churches and minority Muslim sects.<br /> <br /> Speaking after the lecture, Yudhoyono said the country was working hard to maintain harmony and promote tolerance.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;I have to admit that maintaining harmony, brotherhood and togetherness is not to be taken for granted,&rdquo; he said.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;There&rsquo;s always challenges, there&rsquo;s always problems, especially in this era of globalization where there is a network of radicalism that spans the globe.&rdquo;<br /> <br /> Yudhoyono said Islam was one of the most misunderstood religions, among Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and it was important to spread the true teachings of Islam.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;We must fight to eliminate Islamophobia and other current sources of humiliation for Muslims,&rdquo; he said.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;It is a matter of emotion, it is a matter of psychology.&rdquo; (dar)

---