Indonesian president says Islamic State ‘embarrassing’ Muslims

The president of the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, Indonesia, on Thursday called the actions of Islamic State militants “embarrassing” to the religion and urged Islamic leaders to unite in tackling extremism. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the scale of the slaughter wrought by the extremists in overrunning large swathes of Iraq and Syria and the level of violence being used was appalling. He urged international leaders to work together to combat radicalisation.

We do not tolerate it, we forbid ISIS in Indonesia. Indonesia is not an Islamic state. We respect all religions

Indonesian President, speaking to The Australian

Indonesia is home to the world’s biggest Muslim population of about 225 million and has long struggled with terrorism. But a successful clampdown in recent years has seen the end of major deadly attacks. Jakarta has estimated that dozens of Indonesians have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight and Yudhoyono said he was concerned about their return, adding that he had tasked agencies to oppose the spread of extremist ideology in the sprawling nation.