Religious leaders told to be close to followers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government has reminded religious leaders in
\nIndonesia how increasingly prone the public has become to violent
\nbehavior and how they need to get closer to their congregations
\nto help nip unrest in the bud.<\/p>\n
Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher said after a
\nmeeting with President Soeharto at Merdeka Palace yesterday that
\nreligious leaders are in the government's vanguard to prevent
\nsocial unrest.<\/p>\n
\"In this holy fasting month of Ramadhan, I call upon all
\nreligious leaders to stay close to their respective communities.
\nSuch closeness will keep any attempts to provoke religious
\ntension at bay,\" Tarmizi said.<\/p>\n
He admitted that not every religious leader is close enough to
\nhis or her people. \"In this changing world, there are some
\nleaders who do not receive the full support of nor have access to
\nthe grass roots,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said 1996 witnessed religious communities driven to
\nconflict over political issues on several occasions. The riots in
\nSitubondo, East Java, in October and in Tasikmalaya, West Java,
\nlast month were just a few, high-profile, examples.<\/p>\n
\"This country's society is very diverse and psychologically
\n(the diversity makes it) easy for people to lose their tempers,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
In the latest development, the government's handling of the
\nriots, the police said they had presented to the courts the
\ndossiers of 42 out of 123 people arrested for causing unrest in
\nTasikmalaya.<\/p>\n
Tarmizi referred to earlier statements by Armed Forces Chief
\nGen. Feisal Tanjung and a leader of the Nahdlatul Ulama Moslem
\norganization, Iolas Ruchiyat, denying the involvement of Islamic
\nboarding school students.<\/p>\n
The riot in Tasikmalaya erupted after a group of police
\nofficers beat three teachers from a local Islamic boarding
\nschool.<\/p>\n
Pointing at the various religious tensions in the past 12
\nmonths, Tarmizi reminded the religious leaders that they were
\nresponsible for their followers' deeds.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot rely solely on repressive measures to cope with
\nriots. Action to prevent unrest from taking place must also be
\ncontinuously encouraged,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tarmizi again assured the public that the recent public
\nviolence did not have anything to do with religious issues,
\nespecially the alleged proselytizing campaigns by leaders of
\ncertain faiths toward people who are already believers of a
\ndifferent faith.<\/p>\n
\"I have repeatedly said that the alleged 'Christianization' or
\n'Islamization' are purely political (rumors),\" he said. (amd)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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