Inter-Religious Disharmony

When Indonesia was ruled by authoritarian regimes, inter-religious relationship in the country was harmonious. This is obvious because those regimes would do anything to make people obey the Constitution which ruled that citizens are free to choose any religions or faith.

Things changed drastically after 20 May 1998  when democracy came to Indonesia and human rights became the most important factor in the country. As a result, the government and its law enforcement agencies tend to hesitate every time they want to take actions against violators of the laws.

This situation was used by radical people who claimed to be representing Islam to commit violence in Maluku, Sulawesi, and other regions almost without resistances. Whereas the two major Islam organizations in the country, Nahdatul Ulama (NU) and Muhamadiyah seemed to be silence.

In 2002, those radicals committed suicide bombings in Bali killing 202 people and injuring 209 others mostly foreign tourists, followed by a series of suicide bombings in 2003, 2004 (Jakarta), 2005 (Bali) and 2009 (Jakarta).

After the 2002 bombings, the government established one of the best anti-terrorist Police unit in the world i.e. DENSUS-88 which was very successful in hunting, capturing and eliminating those involved.  

Unfortunately beside those armed violence, there were other violence made by similar radical groups.

Last September 13 members of the FPI attacked a church in Bekasi, West Java, stabbed a priest and beat a member of congregation. However, last Tuesday the Prosecutor only demanded a 6-months jail term for the leader of those attackers.

Last Sunday a mob of 1,500 angry people attacked the mosque of the Ahmadiyah minority sect rejected by Muslims, in Cikeusik, Banten Province, last Sunday killing three members of the sect.

And yesterday an angry crowd dissatisfied with the verdict of the District Court of Temanggung, Central Java, handed down to a man suspected of blasphemy, set fire to the Bethel and Pantekosta churhes and threw stones at the Santo Petrus and Paulus churches.

In reaction to the both violence, President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (SBY) has instructed law enforcement agencies to take action on those responsible for the attacks and disband radical groups that are involved in the attacks. 

Further, GP Ansor, the youth organization of N.U as the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia, has sent its members to help reparation of the damaged churches.

Meanwhile, in order to settle the Ahmadiyah case, this evening the House of Representatives has invited the Chief of Police and Minister of Religious Affairs discuss about possible solution.

I hope that the government and the law enforcement agencies would immediately take serious actions as instructed by the president and bring everyone responsible for the attacks to justice, punish them severely and disband any groups or organizations that practice and/or condone violence.

Regarding the Ahmadiyah, perhaps we can follow its origin Pakistan which recognized it as an independent religion separated from Islam. But considering that its existence in Indonesia has been legally recognized since 1953, and efforts to solve this matter by the 2008 Joint Decree of the Minister of Religion, Minister of Home Affairs and Attorney General has not been effective, I hope that the Ahmadiyah would be involved in the discussion about its existence.

Sources :
-  Turning Blind Eye to Religious Bullies (The Jakarta Globe)
-  Bekasi FPI Leader Faces 6-Months Sentence .... (The Jakarta Globe)
-  Police Negligent in Ahmadiyah Attack (Tempointeraktif)
-  Bom Bali 2002 (Wikipedia)
-  Bom JW Marriot 2003 (Wikipedia)
-  Bom Kedubes Australia 2004 (Wikipedia)
-  Bom Bali 2005 (Wikipedia)
-  Bom Jakarta 2009 (Wikipedia)

Indonesian Unity: a Fact or a Myth ?

Indonesia is the fourth most populated countries in the world after China, India and the United States.

Its 240 million people consist of so many different ethnics, culture, religions, living on more than 17,000 islands.
The majority of the people are Moslems therefore making Indonesia the largest Moslem country in the world. However, its laws also officially recognize five other religions i.e. Protestant, Catholic, Hindu, Budha, and Confucius.

Besides, Indonesia has an official Coat of Arms i.e. the Garuda (above image) which depicted important basis for the country i.e. Pancasila and Bhineka Tunggal Ika.

Pancasila is the official philosophical foundation consisting of five principles i.e Belief in God, Humanity, Unity, Democracy, and Social Justice.

And Bhineka Tunggal Ika is the official Moto of the nation that means : Unity in Diversity.

In spite of the above mentioned facts, some people in Indonesia are seemingly not satisfied with what's going on in the country. There are several possible reasons for that.

First, the development of the country is almost concentrated in the Island of Java where majority of the people live and enjoyed a large portion of the country's wealth.

Secondly, people of minority religions have been treated unfairly, and the government has seemingly reacted  indecisively.

For example, attack on Christians churches by few Muslim fanatics might have been prevented if the government firmly decide whether or not to give permission. And further attacks would not occurred if the attackers have properly been tried in court and punished for violating the laws. 

Considering that most Moslems in Indonesia are moderates who have tolerated religious differences for 65 years since our independence, I hope that the government would make better efforts to maintain the diversity, and be more firm quick in handling problems related to diversity, so that Indonesian Unity would always be a fact of life.

To those who are celebrating Christmas, I wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas.

Photo of Garuda : Courtesy of  Wikipedia.

Stand Up Against Radicals

 Most Muslims in Indonesia adopt moderate ways of thinking and living, in the sense that they adapt with local traditions and customs, and tolerate differences with people from other religions.

This can be seen from the fact that two of the largest Muslim organizations in Indonesia, i.e. Nahdathul Ulama and Muhammadiyah are moderates.

Unfortunately, this majority tend to be very silent compared to the very few minority i.e. fanatic people  who are very vocal in expressing themselves i.e. all Muslims should think and live exactly the same way as those in countries with authoritarian regimes like Saudi Arabia. Their females wear dresses that close every parts of their bodies except for their eyes, while their men wear beard and short cut trousers.

Personally, I don't really care what other people think or do, as long as they do not bother other people.

The problem with these fanatics is that they tend to force others to follow them. Some of them would not hesitate to act violently and chaotically, some are even willing to kill others who are different from them.

The saddest thing is that the government and law enforcement agencies tend to be silent and almost do nothing.

Considering this fact, I was rather surprised and very glad when I read the news that Vice President Boediono has urged Indonesians to stand up against those radicals.

Please find below an article about this that I have quoted from The Jakarta Globe. 

Indonesian Vice President: Stand Up Against Radicals
Ulma Haryanto & Anita Rachman | October 18, 2010

Jakarta. Vice President Boediono has received cautious praise after calling on the “silent majority” to take a stand against a growing radicalism that he describes as threatening to take the country down a path of destruction.

“Once we allow radicalism to take over our way of thinking, it will lead us toward destruction,” the vice president said in a speech on Saturday at the opening of the Global Peace Leadership Conference, organized by Nahdlatul Ulama.  READ MORE ..

Photo: Courtesy of Wharton

Muslim Leaders and Polygamy

The Marriage Law No. 1/1974 allows a man to practice Polygamy i.e marry more than one woman if a Court permit him to do so.

This is not easy, because the Court would only give the permission if the man's wife permitted him to marry another woman, and that he is able to take care of more than one family.

In this regards, I would like to share with you a related article written by Khairil Azhar, a researcher at the Paramadina Foundation in Jakarta, that I have quoted from the Opinion section of The Jakarta Post (below).

Sex, hypocrisy and Muslim leaders                                                                          
The way to be at peace and free from the anxieties of unjust behavior is to have only one wife…. I have had plenty children with both of them. Day and night, I feel unrest since there is one thing I always think of: fairness. …. Never experiment with polygamy since we are dealing with humans. I myself am weak in this case, Abdulmalik.”
— Hamka, Tafsir al-Azhar

Hamka (1908-1981), a renowned Indonesian Islamic scholar, is quite different from Tifatul Sembiring, a so-called observant Muslim, leader of an Islamic political party as well as the communications and information technology minister. Tifatul practices polygamy and often shocks people with his statements related to sex.  READ MORE ...

Photo: Courtesy of SFGate.

Attack on Christians in Bekasi

On Sunday morning, some unidentified men attacked  a group of Christians as they headed to prayer at a field in Bekasi, West Java, fourty kilometers from Jakarta.

The attackers on motorcycles stabbed a worshiper Asia Sihombing on his stomach and pounded Reverend Luspida Simadjuntak in the face as she was about to help him.  

The attackers ranaway after the Police arriived at the scene of tragedy and none of them were caught.

According to media reports, the main cause of the tragedy was a dispute between local people who were mostly Muslims, and the Christian minority who wishes to build a church in the field. In spite of continuous protests, and no permit has been issued by the local government, the Christians have been praying there for almost 20 years.
Some people assumed that the attack was carried out by Muslim hard-liners, but the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) who is known for its hard line stance has condemned the attack.

President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (SBY) asked citizens not to be provoked by the tragedy saying that it was an ordinary criminal case and not an inter-religion case. He also instructed the Chief of National Police Gen. Bambang Danuri to investigate the case intensively and report directly to him.

I am very sad that this tragedy occurred only two days after Muslims celebrated Hari Raya Eid/ Lebaran. I hope that the Police would immediately arrest the attackers, so that they can be tried in the Court of law and be punished for their crimes.

Related media reports :
-  Christian worshippers attacked in Indonesia (The Associated Press).
-  Jakarta Police Chief: Attack on Church Leaders purely Criminal (The Jakarta Post)
-  Ciketing Church Warned to Move (The Jakarta Globe)
-  Mencari Sisi Lain Pemberitaan HKBP Bekasi (Politikana)

Exodus during Hari Raya holidays

On 10 September Muslims all over the world will be celebrating Ied Ul Fitr a.k.a Hari Raya Lebaran after completing 30 days of fasting in the month of Ramadhan.

In Indonesia, people celebrate Hari Raya Lebaran with their families in their home town. Millions of people city dwellers originating from out of town would spend the holidays in their home town. For which purpose offices, schools, and many factories, shops, would be closed for a long holiday i.e. one week before and several days after Hari Raya.

The exodus of many people from city/town would bring positive and negative effects for those who remain. The positive side is that the city/town would not be as crowded as the way it used to be and the roads would be very convenient, free of traffic jam.
The negative side is that security in the city/town would be quite risky as described in the article below that I have quoted from Kompas..

This Should be Warning for Indonesians on The Brink of Lebaran

Jumat, 3 September 2010 | 14:43 WIB

CILEGON, KOMPAS.com - Residents are called on to reactivate neighborhood security system (Siskamling) in Cilegon, Banten, as thefts have begun to increase in the runup to the post-fasting Lebaran festivities, police said.
    
"We have just arrested a thief who stole properties in the house of a resident in Jombang Wetan village in Cilegon," Head of Cilegon Police Precinct Adjunct Snr Com Dadang Rahardja said here on Friday.
    
He said that without waiting, police speedily took actions to hunt the thief as soon as they had received a report from a local resident named Lalan Marlina. Dadang said that the theft was carried out by four thieves but only one of them was arrested. Police were still hunting three others.
    
The thieves succeeded in making off a cash of Rp4 million and a computer’s CPU and LCD. In the face of Idul Fitri holidays, many houses are often left vacant by their owners who returned to their home town to have reunions with relatives or families.

Millions of seasonal passengers travel to their home town to have family reunions during the annual post-fasting Lebaran holidays. During the Idul Fitri holiday season last year,  the number of home-bound travelers reached  about  27.25 million, of which 16.2 million used various public transportation modes while the remaining 11.2 million used private cars and motorcycles.

Idul Adha: the Day of Sacrifice

Today, 27 November 2009, Muslims in Indonesia and other parts of the world celebrate Idul Adha which is also known as the Day of Sacrifice.

On this day, Muslims celebrate a holiday to commemorate the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his own son Ismail as an act of obedience to God. The Prophet's willingness to sacrifice, has made God to allow him to sacrifice a sheep instead of Ismail.
The moral of the story is that we must be ready to part with our most precious possession, whenever necessary. Although it is unlikely that anyone will come to this situation, but the message is clear: Making sacrifices should be part of our daily lives.

Idul Adha annually falls on the tenth day of the month of Dhul Hijja of the lunar Islamic calendar. The festivities last for three days or more depending on the country. Idul Adha occurs after Muslims from around the world conduct the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, descending from Mount Arafat. The event took place around 70 days after the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

In Indonesia, the celebration started with a special morning prayer followed by slaughtering of livestock, usually goats and/or cows, and distribute their meats for poor people.

For details, please click here and here.

In this connection, I wish a Happy Idul Adha to all my Muslims Brothers, Sisters and Friends. I hope that we would all be willing to make sacrifice for our family, our employer, our society and our country whenever necessary and legitimate.

Thank God it's Ramadhan

The holy month of Ramadhan always brings happiness for me, whereby I would be fasting from dawn to dusk every day for one full month, refrain myself from eating & drinking during fasting; and avoid thinking, feeling, doing, saying bad things. As a result, I can expect that after Ramadhan I would be healthier because of regular eating & drinking, slimmer and more wiser.

Last night, the Minister of Religion Maftuh Basyuni has announced that this year’s fasting month of Ramadhan will start tomorrow, Saturday, 22 August 2009.

But this year's Ramadhan is quite different from the past, whereby two largest Muslim organizations in Indonesia i.e. Nadhatul Ulama & Muhammadiyah, tend to be different in starting the Ramadan, this time they both have finally agreed to start on the same day. Beside both of them, there are 3 smaller organizations which have also agreed on the date i.e. Dewan Dakwah Islamiyah Indonesia, Al Irsyad and Persatuan Islam.

Further, there are other developments which are very good for Indonesia i.e signs of reconsiliation among Indonesian leaders which is shown by the congratulations given by the losing candidates of the presidential election i.e Jusuf Kalla/Wiranto, and Megawati/Prabowo, to the winner i.e. incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono and his running mate Boediono.

For details on the above, please click here, here and here.

Considering the above, I hope that this year's Ramadhan will strongly motivate the Indonesian Muslims to be more broad minded, have more respect on other people, think more positive and work much hard together, so that every problems can be solved much easier & faster. That way the development of Indonesia can be carried out a lot much faster.

Marhaban ya Ramadhan, Welcome Ramadhan.

Photo: Courtesy of Noorhadi Saleh/Foto Kita

Indonesian Radicals

After the Soeharto regime was toppled by the so called Reformasi movement on 20 May 1998, Muslim organizations have flourished in Indonesia.

Many of those organizations were established by certain Muslim persons who claimed to be true followers of Islam, thereby carried out what they believed as Holy War against others who do not share their thoughts. In doing so, they have killed Muslims and non Muslims in Ambon, Palu, Bali, Jakarta and other places in Indonesia. Beside that, they have also been involved in violence in other countries like Afghanistan, Thailand and the Philippines.

Since the change of government in Indonesia on October 2004, a more firm policy have been adopted against those organizations, their leaders were jailed, some of them sentenced to death.

Perhaps it is the above mentioned reasons that motivated Egyptian security agency when they detained, interrogated and tortured four Indonesian students who studied at the Al Azhar University in Cairo. 12 Egyptian Policemen took those students from the house they lived on 28 June 2009 after they found a picture of Syekh Ahmad Yasin, leader of the Palestian Hamas organization, in their home. The students were released after they were detained for 4 days. Details can be read in bahasa Indonesia here, here and here.

Now that the nationalist ruling political party has obtained the biggest votes in last April's parliamentary election, and the incumbent president has won a landslide victory in the presidential election on 8 July, I hope that there would not be anymore violence by anyone no matter what their religion or ethnic or any other backgrounds in the future. That way our people can live in peace and development of our country can be carried much better. In the end, other countries would have more respect on our people.