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Last update - 17:41 07/12/2007
Muslim religious heads from Indonesia pay a rare public visit to Israel
By The Associated Press
Tags: terror 

President Shimon Peres on Friday hosted a rare delegation of Muslim religious leaders from Indonesia, a country that doesn't have diplomatic ties with Israel.

The clerics, who represent 70 million Muslim faithful, told Peres they came to "present the moderate face of Islam that seeks cooperation and peace with other countries and religions, and repudiates Islamic extremists," Peres' office said in a statement.

In welcoming the delegation, Peres declared that Israel's enemy is not Islam, but terror.
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"The people of the world must repudiate the use of religion to justify the use of terror and bloodshed," he told the clerics.

Because the two countries don't have diplomatic relations, visits to Israel by Indonesian dignitaries are extremely rare, and publicized visits are rarer still.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, is a secular nation with 235 million people, nearly 95 percent of whom are Muslims. It recently joined other Muslim nations that don't recognize Israel at the recent Mideast peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland.

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      1.   Indrajaya ROFL 16:25  |  Nephtaly 07/12/07
      2.   It`s time Indonesia establish diplomatic ties with Israel 17:11  |  Conroy 07/12/07
      3.   SAME: Muslims` Enemy Is Terrorism, Occupation NOT Judaism/Jews. 17:39  |  Proud Pal Defender 07/12/07
      4.   #2 C--NO TIES For Israel Yet! ...Sick Dying In Gaza/Settlements. 18:00  |  Proud Pal Defender 07/12/07
      5.   # 1, NEPHTALY 18:20  |  indrajaya 07/12/07
      6.   Sorry proud pal apologist 18:43  |  Iranian ex-pat 07/12/07
      7.   Indrayoyo 18:45  |  Rory 07/12/07
      8.   5 indraya outdoes even the famous. 19:01  |  Pssd off American 07/12/07
      9.   Inquisition 19:16  |  Scoobidoo 07/12/07
      10.   # 5 Indy ...it was a delegation 19:20  |  Lynn 07/12/07
      11.   its all a political joke 20:05  |  donnie 07/12/07
      12.   # 9 Scoobidoo of Gaza 20:07  |  Lynn 07/12/07
      13.   Pal Defender on rewarding Israel`s behaviour 20:24  |  Jewboy 07/12/07
      14.   6Iranian ex pat,I`ve heard that till recently,jews preferred to 20:35  |  lakshmi 07/12/07
      15.   8Pssed off american,what`s your problem,are you afflicted with 20:37  |  lakshmi 07/12/07
      16.   Proud Pal Defender: I don`t believe you. You`re wrong 21:04  |  Steve Randolph 07/12/07
      17.   Sigh... 21:06  |  Action Frank 07/12/07
      18.   indrajaya: Stop lying 21:08  |  Steve Randolph 07/12/07
      19.   BETTER WATCH OUT 21:47  |  TOBIA 07/12/07
      20.   lakshmi #14 21:51  |  Iranian ex-pat 07/12/07
      21.   Lakshmi # 14 22:35  |  Philippe 07/12/07
      22.   Indonesia could recognize Israel w/o undermining Pals 22:45  |  newageblues 07/12/07
      23.   Peres , you need to take care of Jewish Fanatics , first !! 23:07  |  Abu Ali 07/12/07
      24.   Steve has a point 23:25  |  israeli 07/12/07
      25.   Lakshmi #14 23:52  |  The Seer 07/12/07
      26.   there will be peace in the ME when... 23:54  |  wildman 07/12/07
      27.   Don`t trust religious figures 00:01  |  deak of deak 08/12/07
      28.   Lakshmi & Jews`s love of living in Arab world 00:22  |  Alex 08/12/07
      29.   #5 the problem is that you are not a civilized human being 00:25  |  McQueen 08/12/07
      30.   23AbuAli The few Jewish fanatics are in prison or dead 01:34  |  Rob 08/12/07
      31.   Proud Pal#3 - Balfour Declaration? 01:57  |  William 08/12/07
      32.   Lakshmi#20 - You wear feathers and claim to be a rooster 02:06  |  William 08/12/07
      33.   If Muslims (and Proud Pal, Indrajaya) say Jews are not enemies.. 02:10  |  William 08/12/07
      34.   Abu Ali#23 - News from the Wahabi mosque? 02:14  |  William 08/12/07
      35.   14Lakshmi Millions of Jews ethnically cleansed fromArab countries 02:37  |  Rob 08/12/07
      36.   #6 Iranian--And JEWS` Oppression Of Others/CHRISTIAN Countries? 02:47  |  Proud Pal Defender 08/12/07
      37.   Abu Ali - do you consider me a fanatic for calling Jerusalem... 02:58  |  Jewboy 08/12/07
      38.   Welcome anyone coming in peace 03:20  |  Free Gilad Shalit 08/12/07
      39.   Perez right - (Jewish) religious extremism cause of violence 03:29  |  1 state solution 08/12/07
      40.   A fine opening 03:30  |  Mark Lincoln 08/12/07
      41.   # 18, STEVE RANDOLPH 03:41  |  indrajaya 08/12/07
      42.   Nr 36, Indrahaha, what about your mohamedan 04:56  |  cristo 08/12/07
      43.   # 37, CRISTO 05:21  |  indrajaya 08/12/07
      44.   # 37, CRISTO (2) 05:25  |  indrajaya 08/12/07
      45.   misnamed tags 05:49  |  O 08/12/07
      46.   38indrajaya Your "facts" re terrorists stink 06:09  |  Rob 08/12/07
      47.   indrajaya, you lier 06:56  |  charro 08/12/07
      48.   1 state solution = rejection of peace 07:00  |  Jewboy 08/12/07
      49.   # 47, CHARRO 07:26  |  indrajaya 08/12/07
      50.   You`re Not A Bigot Indrajaya 07:37  |  Yosemite 08/12/07
      51.   # 2 Conroy 07:46  |  Mohamed 08/12/07
      52.   # 5, Indrajay to Nephtaly 07:49  |  Raoul 08/12/07
      53.   # 47, Charro in Mexico 07:52  |  Ralph 08/12/07
      54.   Ah Come On Let Me Talk To My Friend! 07:57  |  Yosemite 08/12/07
      55.   Haaretz - Get your factsRight ! 08:49  |  Nathan 08/12/07
      56.   48/status quo apartheid is rejection of peace 09:44  |  1 state solution 08/12/07
      57.   # 55, NATHAN (88% TO BE MORE EXACT) 10:09  |  indrajaya 08/12/07
      58.   Proud Pal Defender #3 10:43  |  Michael Jacobs 08/12/07
      59.   A fair and just compromise 12:27  |  22 states solution 08/12/07
      60.   # 50, YOSEMITE 12:48  |  indrajaya 08/12/07
      61.   Nice news 13:05  |  Cheops 08/12/07
      62.   Indrajaya - Who do you think you are fooling? 13:22  |  Michael Jacobs 08/12/07
      63.   # 62, MICHAEL JACOBS 13:39  |  indrajaya 08/12/07
      64.   Indrajaya Maybe U R Right... 13:56  |  Yosemite 08/12/07
      65.   #5-Indrajaya 14:26  |  Lattu 08/12/07
      66.   # 64, YOSEMITE 14:58  |  indrajaya 08/12/07
      67.   # 61, CHEOPS 15:03  |  indrajaya 08/12/07
      68.   # 65, LATTU 15:24  |  indrajaya 08/12/07
      69.   Very interested in meeting Indraya - he fascinates me 15:24  |  S. Peres 08/12/07
      70.   # 69, S.PERES (SIMON PERES?) 17:06  |  indrajaya 08/12/07
      71.   Trying to change your stance Indrajaya 18:07  |  Michael 08/12/07
      72.   Indrajaya Someone Is Punking You! Not Me. 18:19  |  Yosemite 08/12/07
      73.   Did you see Palestinian reactions to this shameful visit? 18:36  |  Pal