President Abdurrahman again slams the press<\/p>\n
SALATIGA, Central Java (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid took
\nanother shot at the press on Saturday, saying numerous baseless
\nreports and gossip were printed by the media.<\/p>\n
"I was recently upset upon hearing a report that I would
\nresign in September. I never said anything about resigning. Where
\ndid the media get the statement from? I was very surprised," the
\nPresident said during the Central Java and Yogyakarta Inter-
\nReligious Community Forum.<\/p>\n
"The Indonesian press must learn more," he said, adding that
\nthe government's responsibility was only to provide facilities
\nfor the press and encourage it to educate itself. "That's all."<\/p>\n
"We must be more patient. We may be very angry at the press if
\nit has the intention to libel," he said, adding that legal action
\nwas the best way to deal with erroneous media reports.<\/p>\n
The President was greeted in Salatiga by a student
\ndemonstration. Some 60 students from the Indonesian Muslim
\nStudents Association demanded Abdurrahman's administration
\nresolve several issues, including the violence in Aceh and Ambon,
\nthe Tanjung Priok incident and the July 27, 1996, takeover of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The President made headlines recently by angrily denouncing a
\nreport by the Surabaya-based Jawa Pos daily alleging officials of
\nNahldatul Ulama (NU) were involved in corruption, collusion and
\nnepotism. Abdurrahman chaired NU for 15 years before being
\nelected President.<\/p>\n
His anger apparently prompted noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish
\nMadjid to suggest that Abdurrahman remain cool and take legal
\nsteps to deal with the report.<\/p>\n
"If the press has gone too far, just take it to court," the
\nPresident said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The President stressed on May 3 his commitment to a free
\npress, while admonishing some media for abusing their freedom.<\/p>\n
During the forum on Saturday, when asked about the
\nrelationship between religion and the government, the President
\nsaid there was no way to combine the two. "Religion is out of the
\ngovernment, because religion teaches no violence, while a
\ngovernment cannot stand without respect for laws, which in a way
\nmeans toughness. So there must be a difference."<\/p>\n
He said he had begun the separation of religion from
\ngovernment. "I told the minister of religious affairs to let the
\n(management of) Istiqlal Mosque stand alone without government
\ninterference."<\/p>\n
Also in attendance was Semarang Archbishop I Suharyo.<\/p>\n
Hours earlier in Semarang, the President opened the religious
\nforum, organized by the Central Java and Yogyakarta Ulema's
\nFriendship Forum.<\/p>\n
In his keynote speech, Abdurrahman said justice,
\nprofessionalism and unity must be maintained by all levels of
\nsociety, including officials. "That's the basis of a government's
\nadministration."<\/p>\n
The President called on ulema to return to the Koran and the
\nwords and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad, "in order to make life
\nof better quality".<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman spiced up his 30-minute speech with jokes. He said
\nhe was collecting jokes and humorous stories from NU members. "I
\nhave collected some 180 jokes. I will publish them in a book
\nafter I collect 300 jokes."<\/p>\n
The forum, scheduled to end on May 16, will feature several
\nsenior NU officials, including Said Aqil Siradj, Mustafa Bisri
\nand Fajrul Salah. (har\/swa\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/president-abdurrahman-again-slams-the-press-1447893297",
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