On Bali's tolerance<\/p>\n
I am writing in response to Putu Yasa's letter of Oct. 23
\nentitled Disgusted by Bali's tolerance. Despite being confronted
\nmost mornings with letters written by the bigoted, the uninformed
\nand the intolerant, I had not, until Putu's letter, been moved to
\nrespond.<\/p>\n
Putu seems enraged by tolerance: a strange opinion in itself.
\nPerhaps he would prefer to live in a world dominated by the kind
\nof bigotry and hate that led to the attack on Bali; most open-
\nminded people would not.<\/p>\n
Throughout his letter Putu refers to \"aliens\". By this does he
\nmean tourists, or guests, whose dollars support Indonesian
\nfamilies and the Indonesian economy, leading to investment in
\neducation, medicine and general infrastructure?<\/p>\n
He then goes on to state that Bali has \"suddenly allowed
\nitself to belong to foreign governments\". Most practical people
\nwould see this as positive assistance in the identification of
\nvictims and the search for the murderers responsible for their
\ndeaths.<\/p>\n
Putu further insults the Balinese by referring to them as
\n\"servants of these outsiders\". I was under the impression that
\nsuch \"servants\" are gainfully employed and that that employment
\nprovides for the basic needs of many local people.<\/p>\n
Bali is then portrayed as a \"haven for Javanese prostitutes\".
\nDoes Putu choose to ignore the hundreds of prostitutes that
\npopulate bars, clubs and hotels throughout the country? Such
\nworkers are not solely to \"satisfy the sexual desire of foreign
\ntourists\" as he suggests, but also the urges of local men.<\/p>\n
Putu seems to take particular offense at Balinese religious
\nrituals being used \"for tourist attractions\". Would he prefer the
\nBalinese to exclude any non-Hindus from such rituals and for
\nreligion to be used to separate and divide people? Many world
\nreligions welcome interest by followers of other religions and do
\nnot find such interest a threat or a reason to hate.<\/p>\n
Putu ends his letter by stating that Bali is \"the face of the
\nIndonesian nation\". In my opinion, it is not. Bali, for most
\nforeigners and tourists, is seen as \"separate\" from the rest of
\nIndonesia: a haven of peace and gentleness amid islands of
\nviolence and bigotry.<\/p>\n
ADRIAN SWEENEY, Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/on-balis-tolerance-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }