Inter-faith forum 'no solution to social unrest'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Observers say the suggested establishment of an
\ninter-faith forum to detect and prevent religious tension will be
\nfutile if current social conditions persist.<\/p>\n
Political observers Deliar Noer and Ariwibowo, sociologist
\nLoekman Soetrisno and Moslem propagator Hussein Umar separately
\nagreed yesterday that religious issues were the easiest to
\nmanipulate to ignite unrest among people already discontented
\nwith their lot.<\/p>\n
The differences in religious teachings, however, were not to
\nblame for the conflicts, they agreed.<\/p>\n
The observers were commenting on the suggestion by Baharuddin
\nLopa of the National Commission on Human Rights that an
\nindependent body for the promotion of religious harmony be
\nestablished at various levels in the country.<\/p>\n
"Such a forum will serve for people to raise their complaints
\nand as a tool for noticing problems threatening relations between
\nreligious believers," Lopa said recently.<\/p>\n
Deliar disagreed.<\/p>\n
"Problems related to polarizing issues such as ethnic groups
\nand religions are just a part of the greater social problems,"
\nDeliar said. "People can be easily upset over hunger and the
\ninability to satisfy it."<\/p>\n
The university lecturer said many government policies failed
\nto solve people's chronic problems, namely social and economic
\ndisparities.<\/p>\n
"The ever widening economic gap breeds social jealousy which
\naffects people's lives. (In such situation) hunger can easily be
\nmanipulated for other causes, such as religion and thoughts,"
\nDeliar added.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has for the past several months witnessed a flurry
\nof violence which left a number of people dead or injured and
\nscores of buildings damaged. Despite evidence of religious
\ntension, observers still believe the unrest was caused by chronic
\nsocial, economic and political problems.<\/p>\n
This was reflected in a recent survey conducted by the Center
\nfor the Study of Development and Democracy (CESDA). It found that
\n97 percent of the 1,000 people surveyed in the major Indonesian
\ncities of Medan, Jakarta and Surabaya, would help or at least be
\nconcerned if neighbors of different faiths were in difficulties.<\/p>\n
Deliar, known for his critical views on many government
\npolicies, called on the government to "embrace all elements" in
\nsociety in a national dialogue to seek a better solution to the
\nsocial tension.<\/p>\n
"So far I do not see enough commitment from the government.
\nDon't ask me why, ask the government," Deliar added.<\/p>\n
Radical<\/p>\n
Loekman Soetrisno, a lecturer at the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah
\nMada University, said in Yogyakarta the government had to pay
\ngreater attention to the poor in order to prevent the urban
\nmasses from becoming radical.<\/p>\n
Speaking in a discussion at the campus here yesterday, Loekman
\nsaid people became radical because they were tired of being
\ndisadvantaged by social economic disparities.<\/p>\n
"There are possibilities that the world's economic
\nglobalization won't be able to feed people, so there will always
\nbe social upheavals in the future," he said.<\/p>\n
Hussein Umar seconded the opinions of Deliar and Loekman,
\nsaying a better solution to the current situation was not to
\nestablish such a forum, but to list social problems considered to
\nbe potentially troublesome to religious coexistence.<\/p>\n
"There is already a communication forum between religious
\nbelievers members which is pretty independent in my view," said
\nUmar, who is secretary-general of the Islamic Propagation Council
\nand a member of the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectual
\n(ICMI).<\/p>\n
According to Umar, the government has only reacted to
\n"symptoms" of social problems rather than taking care of issues
\nwhich could potentially cause problems.<\/p>\n
He cited two complaints the council frequently received,
\nnamely the way some religious groups preached their faith to
\npeople of other faiths, and the construction of houses of worship
\n"without consideration for surrounding environment".<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Ariwibowo, third deputy dean of Airlangga
\nUniversity in Surabaya, told Antara he was in favor of the
\nsuggested forum. He said such forums would be useful in handling
\nproblems like the violence that occurred in the East Java town of
\nSitubondo or the West Java town of Tasikmalaya.<\/p>\n
"The forum, by holding dialogues, will be capable of putting
\nout the fire before it grows big," Ariwibowo said.<\/p>\n
Ariwibowo suggested the forum should comprise of even more
\nmembers than the 25-strong National Commission on Human Rights,
\nso they could be more "aggressive" in handling public complaints
\nabout social religious problems.<\/p>\n
"The forum would need people with high integrity, those who
\ncan stand above many interests instead of being caught by a
\nparticular institution's vested interests," Ariwibowo added.
\n(06\/23)<\/p>",
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