A call worth noting<\/p>\n
Although a few months have passed since a major upheaval last
\nrocked this country, the statement issued over the weekend at the
\nconclusion of a three-day annual meeting of the Indonesian
\nCouncil of Ulemas (MUI), deserves to be welcomed.<\/p>\n
Among other things, the statement called on Indonesian
\nMoslems, who make up the overwhelming majority of this country's
\npopulation, to help establish peace and national unity and to
\nprevent social unrest. Indonesians, the statement said, should
\ndraw a lesson from the recent unrest and exercise self-restraint.<\/p>\n
The council's concern is understandable since the religious
\ncomponent -- as is also true of the ethnic and racial components
\n-- was one factor which stood out in most of the riots. This is
\nparticularly true in the case of the incidents in Situbondo, East
\nJava and Tasikmalaya in which a number of churches and other
\nhouses of worship were attacked and razed by mobs. And although
\nthe context was somewhat different, religious and ethnic elements
\nalso stood out in the bloody incidents in West Kalimantan in
\nwhich more than 300 people were reported killed.<\/p>\n
An official account of those incidents is yet to be given. But
\nit is safe to say that none of the presently known and officially
\nrecognized social, political or religious groups or organizations
\nhad a direct hand in instigating the unrest. Government officials
\nhave said that \"third party\" instigators were behind the
\nincidents, and although skeptics may find that an excuse for a
\nscapegoat -- an impression that has unfortunately been frequently
\ngiven by unsubstantiated official allegations in the past -- they
\nhave gained a good deal of credibility after similar statements
\nwere made by officials of the widely respected National
\nCommission on Human Rights.<\/p>\n
This being the current situation, it would be interesting to
\nknow who, or what, triggered those incidents. But until an
\nofficial clarification is given, a no less interesting question
\nto ponder is why people are so easily incited to committing acts
\nof violence. An interesting parallel was drawn by the chairman of
\nthe National Commission on Human Rights, Munawir Sjadzali. A
\nburning match dropped on wet leaves would do no harm, he said.
\nBut when the leaves are dry, that same match could easily cause a
\nconflagration.<\/p>\n
We can only guess what Munawir Sjadzali had in mind when he
\nmentioned his allegorical dry leaves, but such social afflictions
\nas the prevailing social gap -- the disparity between rich and
\npoor -- and the injured sense of justice that exists in our
\nsociety, must be among them.<\/p>\n
Curing those ills, then, would go a long way in helping to
\nprevent social conflagrations in the future. In the meantime,
\npeople can prevent themselves from becoming the pawns of those
\nwho seek to use discontent to promote their own interests. In
\nthis respect we believe the Indonesian Council of Ulemas, with
\nthe prestige and influence which it enjoys, has made a valuable
\ncontribution to calming the situation.<\/p>\n
But the task of bringing about peace and stability is one that
\nbelongs to every member and every segment of our society. Every
\nindividual citizen can do his or her part by exercising restraint
\nand tolerance, the authorities by upholding the principle of good
\ngovernance, the judiciary by maintaining those of fairness and
\nimpartiality. Even though such an ideal situation is difficult to
\nattain, it is worth striving for since it is one that will
\nbenefit us all.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-call-worth-noting-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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