E. Java youths promote religious tolerance<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto and Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Malang, East Java<\/p>\n
Its image tainted by the suspected involvement of radical
\nyouths in the deadly Bali and Makassar bombings last year, Islam
\nin Indonesia may take consolation in some Muslim youths who have
\nproven themselves to be highly motivated and zealous about
\ncreating a more pluralistic and peaceful Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Youths represent the future, and these young people represent
\nthe true face of Indonesian Muslims. Their struggle for social
\nchange is praiseworthy, despite the lack of real support.<\/p>\n
Meet the Averroes Foundation, a group of Muslim youths based
\nin Malang, East Java, who have been striving for more than seven
\nyears to publish books and to hold discussions and seminars for
\nthe promotion of a more humane, civilized, modern and
\nmulticultural society.<\/p>\n
\"Averroes was established by ordinary Muslim youths, not
\nprivileged ones. On one hand, we lack facilities and financial
\nsupport from big parties, but on the other hand, this makes us
\nfree to carry out whatever plans we have, as we are not
\nrestricted by grand, vested interests,\" said Saiful Arif,
\nchairman of the Averroes Foundation.<\/p>\n
Taking the Western name of Islamic philosopher Ibn Rushd,
\nAverroes was established in 1995 by several Muslim university
\nstudent activists who got tired of piecemeal reactions to rapid
\nchanges in the country's political and economic arenas. These
\nactivists were willing to do something more reflective and
\nintellectual by arranging in-depth discussions and research which
\nlaid the groundwork for long-term thinking.<\/p>\n
Averroes was established on March, 20, 1995, and has been
\nfocusing its activities on discussions over issues pertaining to
\nreligion, humanism and culture. It also finances its own
\npublications.<\/p>\n
\"Our main objective is to promote intellectual enlightenment
\nin our society. We want to empower the people to be a more
\ncritical and thoughtful society,\" said Averroes director of its
\nstudy center and culture development, Paring Waluyo Utomo, who is
\nin the final year of his study at Brawijaya University.<\/p>\n
In 1998 and 1999, this Muslim youth group invited Catholic
\npriest Benny Susetyo, and Catholic observer of the Centre of
\nStrategic Indonesian Studies (CSIS) J. Kristiadi, in addition to
\nnoted young Muslim scholar Ulil Abshar Abdalla, to join forces
\nwith Averroes to become independent advisors.<\/p>\n
Since its inception, the group has published 20 books with
\nwide-ranging themes, mostly promoting inter-religious dialog and
\nmulticulturalism. Its latest publication focused on the interplay
\nbetween the Catholic church in Indonesia and the government. Each
\ntitle has a print run of between 1,000 and 3,000 copies.<\/p>\n
Dozens of draft manuscripts are on hold, as the group has been
\nforced to delay publication owing to budget constraints.<\/p>\n
What might be impressive about Averroes members is that these
\nyoungsters have made such tremendous achievements financed only
\nwith money collected from their personal allowances.<\/p>\n
\"Every month we have to contribute between Rp 50,000 and Rp
\n100,000 to cover operational costs and meet our target to publish
\na book monthly,\" said Paring.<\/p>\n
The amount collected is only enough to cover operational costs
\ntotaling Rp 500,000 a month, including the rent for a small house
\nwhich serves as the group's office, and to pay for the
\nelectricity and phone.<\/p>\n
Averroes needs additional funds of at least Rp 7 million to Rp
\n8 million a month to meet its book publishing target.<\/p>\n
\"There are no rewards for Averroes members, as all royalties
\nare distributed among those who have helped in the publishing
\nprocess and the authors. But, of course, that's a meager amount,\"
\nsaid Saiful.<\/p>\n
\"Averroes is really in a critical state as it could disband
\nanytime due to budget constraints,\" said Saiful, who also works
\nas a freelance copyeditor.<\/p>\n
Paring said that the group would be more independent in
\nfinancing if it had at least Rp 25 million in cash to produce the
\ndraft books.<\/p>\n
Besides publication, Averroes has reserved this year a column
\nin the Surabaya-based daily newspaper Jawa Pos to disseminate
\ninter-religious and multicultural discourses.<\/p>\n
Following mounting allegations over the involvement of
\npesantren Islamic boarding schools in terrorism, Saiful said such
\nallegations did not affect Averroes's own activities.<\/p>\n
\"Our business runs as usual, because we refuse to be reactive
\nto the incidents, since this would disturb our daily activities.
\nWe have a priority, which is our long-term program,\" said Saiful.<\/p>\n
Saiful recalled that in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001
\nattacks on the U.S., Averroes overreacted by holding seminars and
\ndiscussions on global violence. \"As a result, our publishing
\nactivities were neglected... We don't want that to happen again.\"<\/p>\n
Averroes, Saiful said, would leave all immediate response to
\ncurrent events to other activists, like members of the Indonesian
\nIslamic Students Movement (PMII) who have joined hands with other
\nreligious youths such as the Association of Indonesian Hindu
\nStudents (KMHDI), the Association of Indonesian Catholic Students
\n(PMKRI) and Buddhist youth group Hikma Budi, to discuss actual
\nissues and take concrete actions.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/e-java-youths-promote-religious-tolerance-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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