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Brisbane (ANTARA News) - A call by Indonesian Mujahidin leader Abu Bakar Ba`asyir on his followers to take violent action against Australian tourists who disrespect Islamic values is against Islamic teachings and undermines the Visit Indonesia Year 2008 program, an Indonesian Moslem scholar said.

Indonesian Muslim scholar Nadirsyah Hosen who is a lecturer at Wollongong University was commenting on a statement Abu Bakar reportedly made during a sermon to villagers in East Java in October 2007.

"I am afraid Abu Bakar`s statement will disturb the Indonesian government`s efforts to net foreign tourists during the Visit Indonesia Year 2008," Nadirsyah Hosen said.

He said such a statement from Ba`asyir violated Muslim teachings because the latter said foreign tourists acted like animals and their morality was far from that which was reflected by the Prophet Mohammad.

Ba`asyir`s controversial remark was reported in a big way by Australian media on Monday, March 24, and prompted Foreign Minister Stephen Smith to issue a special press statement about the case.

"The reported comments by Abu Bakar Ba`asyir are consistent with his well-known views and nothing more than his familiar bigotry. I condemn these views absolutely," Smith said.

Stephen Smith said in the press statement that as Ba`asyir`s views had been condemned previously by the Australian government, he condemned them again on Monday and would continue to do so.

He also pointed out that Indonesian authorities also continued to pay close attention whenever comments such as these suggested threats to Australians and other foreigners.

He said cooperation on counter-terrorism between Australia and Indonesia was ongoing and remained strong.

"On February 7, Indonesian Foreign Minister Hasan Wirayuda and I agreed to extend our bilateral counter terrorism Memorandum of Understanding for another three years," Smith said.

"We also reached agreement to hold a round of bilateral counter-terrorism consultations this year to underpin and enhance our counter-terrorism cooperation in association with the Lombok Treaty," he added.

He said the Indonesian government had been vigilant in dealing with the threat of terrorism, and its success in countering terrorism could be seen by the successful conviction of over 180 people for their roles in terrorist attacks since 2000.
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