Moslem societies hold rallies for New Order<\/p>\n
SURABAYA (JP): Two major Moslem organizations held rallies
\nover the weekend in displays of qualified support for the New
\nOrder administration.<\/p>\n
Some 50,000 members of Muhammadiyah pledged allegiance to the
\ngovernment in a rally here yesterday, but tempered it with the
\ncondition that the government remains committed to the fight
\nagainst corruption and collusion.<\/p>\n
\"We'll support the New Order government as long as it proves
\nits intention to eliminate corruption and collusion,\" chairman
\nAmien Rais said of the 28-million member organization.<\/p>\n
\"If the government fails to eradicate corruption and
\ncollusion, then Muhammadiyah can only pray that Allah protect the
\nNew Order administration,\" Amien said during the rally at the
\n10th of November Sports Stadium.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, some 20,000 members of GP Ansor, the youth wing
\nof the 30-million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama, held a rally in the
\ntown of Kediri, East Java.<\/p>\n
The two gatherings were the most recent in a series of rallies
\nheld by various politically well-connected organizations
\nfollowing several months of political tension gripping several
\nbig cities, including Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Surabaya.<\/p>\n
Many of the earlier rallies were marked not only with support
\nfor the government and the Armed Forces, but also condemnation of
\nthe Democratic People's Party (PRD), a small youth organization
\naccused by the government of inciting the July 27 riots.<\/p>\n
The Muhammadiyah and Ansor rallies made no condemnation.<\/p>\n
\"There have been too many Islamic organizations condemning
\nmany parties, including the PRD. We want a critical view and a
\ncritical support for the government,\" said Choirul Anam, chairman
\nof the East Java branch of Ansor.<\/p>\n
\"Muhammadiyah will remain critical in its view of all national
\nproblems,\" Amien Rais told reporters after attending the rally.
\n\"We'll maintain our stance as an organization whose mission is to
\nencourage people to do good deeds, and discourage them from doing
\nthe wrongful.\"<\/p>\n
\"We praise the government for its success for the last 30
\nyears, in improving the people's prosperity, strengthening the
\nnational political stability, improving the country's image in
\ninternational fora and strengthening the nation's unity,\" said
\nthe Muhammadiyah members in their statement read out during the
\nrally.<\/p>\n
The organization, however, also called on the government to
\ntake firm action against corruption and collusion and to the
\nreduce socioeconomic gap among the populace. It also acknowledged
\nin its statement the need to keep vigilance against the danger of
\ncommunism in the country.<\/p>\n
Amien Rais pointed out that the economic and social gaps are
\nbad enough, but compounded with the problem of communism, the
\nsituation could become downright alarming.<\/p>\n
GP Ansor members declared their rejection of \"any violent,
\narbitrary and unconstitutional actions\", but did not make any
\nspecific reference to any group.<\/p>\n
\"We are ready to become the protector of the Nahdlatul Ulama
\nand fellow Indonesians in maintaining national unity,\" the youth
\nmovement said.<\/p>\n
Ansor also reminded all parties, especially the government and
\nthe Armed Forces, of the importance of \"wisdom\" in the process of
\ncontinuing and safeguarding the national development program.<\/p>\n
\"We remain loyal to the state-ideology Pancasila and the 1945
\nConstitution,\" the organization said.<\/p>\n
Upon completion of its rally at the Brawijaya Sports Stadium
\nin Kediri, some 10,000 members of Ansor marched for five
\nkilometers to the Lirboyo Islamic boarding school, where NU
\nchairman Abdurrahman Wahid was waiting.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, said he did not attend
\nthe rally as a protest against the absence of Minister of Defense
\nand Security Gen. (ret) Edi Sudradjat, despite the fact he had
\nconfirmed three times that he would join the gathering.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman accused the local administration of engaging in
\n\"dirty political games\" by preventing Edi from coming. (15\/imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/moslem-societies-hold-rallies-for-new-order-1447893297",
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