Political observer accused of slander<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Several leaders of the Muhammadiyah Moslem
\nsocio-educational organization have accused a prominent political
\nobserver of slander and of attempting to cause disunity within
\ntheir ranks.<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah Secretary Rusjdi Hamka and Deputy Chairman H.S.
\nProdjokusumo have lashed out at Afan Gaffar, a political observer
\nat Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University for his analysis of the
\norganization's leaders which, they say, are without foundation.<\/p>\n
\"Afan's statements are slanderous and untrue,\" said Rusjdi.<\/p>\n
According to Afan, members of the Muhammadiyah's executive
\nboard can be divided into three groups.<\/p>\n
The first group consists, he says, of those who work whole-
\nheartedly for Muhammadiyah; the second is comprised of people who
\nalso work for the reformist organization but simultaneously seek
\npersonal benefit from it; while the third group is made up of
\npeople who view Muhammadiyah as a source of political legitimacy
\nwith which they can enhance their personal bargaining position
\nelsewhere.<\/p>\n
Afan reportedly placed Muhammadiyah's incumbent chairman Amien
\nRais and several other leaders, such as Syafii Maarif, Yahya
\nMuhaimin, Rosyad Saleh and Sutrisno Muchdam, into the first
\ngroup; while Lukman Harun and Djazman Al-Kindi, two high-profile
\nMuhammadiyah activists, were said to belong to the group who
\nattached themselves to the 85-year-old organization for the sake
\nof earning a living and gaining financial benefits.<\/p>\n
Afan said that among the Muhammadiyah activists in the third
\nof his categories were Din Syamsuddin and Watik Pratiknya. Din is
\nalso a member of the ruling party Golkar, while Watik is a member
\nof the Indonesian Association of Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI).<\/p>\n
\"Afan's statement is unethical,\" the organizations' deputy
\nchairman, Prodjokusomo, told the press here on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Lukman Harun, visibly upset, said that he had spent a lot of
\nmoney to support the organization's activities and had never
\nsought to use Muhammadiyah to gain anything for himself.<\/p>\n
\"Afan in his statement is trying to cause disunity among the
\norganization's members,\" he said over the weekend. \"As a
\npolitical observer, Afan should be able to see Muhammadiyah
\nclearly and objectively,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Prodjokusumo said he was not aware of any people who worked in
\nthe organization purely for personal ends.<\/p>\n
\"Muhammadiyah has developed considerably because its members
\nare able to work together for the good of the organization,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Rusjdi said that Afan's statement showed that some people
\nresented the rapid development of the organization and were
\ntrying to undermine it.<\/p>\n
Afan, however, defended his statements, saying he was only
\nresponding to an analysis presented by Muhammadiyah activist Ali
\nTaher Parosong, which, he said, sounded \"nonsensical.\"<\/p>\n
He said Parosong categorized Muhammadiyah into three groups:
\n\"lobbyists\", like Lukman Harun; intellectuals, such as Amien
\nRais; and those who brought serenity and peace to the
\norganization, such as Sutrisno Muchdam.<\/p>\n
\"Parosong's analysis is mischievous, because it would mean
\nthat there were also people who created problems, as opposed to
\nthe 'serene' group, for instance,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Afan, who holds a doctorate in political science from Ohio
\nState University, U.S.A., refused to recant from his analysis.<\/p>\n
Claiming that he, too, was an activist of Muhammadiyah, Afan
\nsaid his categorization of the organization's leaders was
\nappropriate.<\/p>\n
\"Take Watik, as an example of an activist who uses
\nMuhammadiyah as a mere base for furthering his career in other
\nplaces,\" Afan said of the organization's secretary-general who,
\nhe said, \"neglects\" his duties because of his involvement, first
\nin the ICMI and, subsequently, as a high-ranking official in the
\nMinistry of Education and Culture.<\/p>\n
Afan said he had the authority to make the observations, not
\nonly because he was a political scientist, but because he had
\nbeen involved in some of the organization's policy-making
\nactivities.<\/p>\n
\"I know Muhammadiyah well,\" he said. \"The leaders' reactions
\nwere not only emotional but also immature.\" (swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/political-observer-accused-of-slander-1447893297",
"image": ""
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