The representative of Mali said, had his delegation been present, it would have abstained from the vote, in accordance with the common position of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
Golkar even holds a certain amount of appeal for Islamists, thanks to Mr Tandjung's former position as the head of a big Islamic students' association.
As a result, they are in a better position to know who the responsible leaders are in the Islamic and Arabic communities and can reach out to them for information or for help in developing informants.
The position of these Christian bodies is supported by the most authoritative body of Islamic clerics in the Philippines, the Assembly of Darul-Iftah of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.