Protesters kept away from Islamic festival opening<\/p>\n
SURABAYA (JP): President B.J. Habibie arrived here on Saturday
\nfor a traditional festival commemorating early propagators of
\nIslam, the Wali Sanga.<\/p>\n
Aspiring protesters, who staged demonstrations on the past
\nthree days, were deterred not only by security troops but also by
\nthe many civilians guarding the religious event with sharp
\nweapons.<\/p>\n
A group of some 80 activists resorted to approaching a mental
\nhealth hospital in Sukolilo area. They demanded that medical
\nstaff \"examine\" the political behavior of several officials.<\/p>\n
However, security personnel could not prevent the \"boos\"
\ngreeting Habibie's speech, in which he touched on the
\npresidential election planned for November.<\/p>\n
\"Whoever becomes the next president... will be entirely
\ndetermined by the people's representatives in the People's
\nConsultative Assembly,\" Habibie said, addressing a large number
\nof Islamic boarding school students, from whom the boos came.<\/p>\n
The incumbent president, who expressed pride that the
\nelections went fairly smoothly, is said to have a good chance of
\nbeing reelected.<\/p>\n
As of Sunday, East Java was the only province in which the
\nNational Awakening Party (PKB) won the polls. Its founder
\nAbdurrahman Wahid, chairman of the largest Muslim organization
\nNahdlatul Ulama (NU), is the party's presidential candidate.<\/p>\n
Islamic parties and others seeking Muslim votes, including
\nparties set up by different factions within the NU, competed to
\nwin votes among boarding school (pesantren) students in the
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
The committee chairman of the festival, noted businessman
\nFadel Muhammad, said the event was an international one which
\nwould last to July 25.<\/p>\n
At least 1,000 stands displaying various crafts have been erected
\naround the eastern parking lot of Surabaya Plaza. Participants
\ninclude neighboring countries, members of the Organization of
\nIslamic Conference and hundreds of local entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
However, symbols of the nine wali -- Sunan Gresik, Sunan
\nAmpel, Sunan Bonang, Sunan Drajat, Sunan Giri, Sunan Kalijaga,
\nSunan Kudus, Sunan Muria and Sunan Gunung Jati -- were absent at
\nthe festival, as the festival is not supported by the guardians
\nof the tradition. Religious leader and spokesman of the
\nguardians, KH Nuh Yusuf, said they rejected the President's
\nplanned visit to the graves of the wali.<\/p>\n
He said the visit had nothing to do with the festival which
\nHabibie officiated. The visit was later canceled.<\/p>\n
Accompanied by several ministers and First Lady Hasri Ainun
\nHabibie, the president called on the public to take the behavior
\nof the wali as a model for the reform movement.<\/p>\n
In introducing Islam, the wali succeeded in a \"cultural
\napproach,\" the president said, without seeking to impose their
\nteachings on communities unfamiliar to the religion.<\/p>\n
On Friday in Jakarta, Habibie, who turned 63 on that day,
\nopened the Bung Karno University, which was founded by one of
\nfirst president's daughters, Rachmawati Soekarnoputri. Prior to
\nthis, the university, the campus of which is on Jl. Kimia,
\nCentral Jakarta, had failed to secure the required government
\npermit for 16 years.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia's history can not be separated from the services
\nand concrete works of Bung Karno. I hope the values and spirit of
\nhis struggle --in pioneering the establishment of the state and
\nthe nation -- can be used as input by the Bung Karno University
\nin managing this university,\" the President said in his
\ninauguration speech at the State Palace. (nur\/prb)<\/p>",
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