Sectarianism against the political trend<\/p>\n
Political parties formed along religious and ethnic lines have
\nemerged in recent weeks. Ulil Abshar Abdalla of the Agency for
\nHuman Resources Research and Development at Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)
\naddresses the public fears of rising sectarian politics.<\/p>\n
Question: Are Indonesians becoming sectarian?<\/p>\n
Ulil: Not necessarily. These new parties have been encouraged
\nby increasing opportunities for people to express their political
\naspirations. They have been oppressed for a long time. These new
\nparties aim to restore the people's civil and political rights.<\/p>\n
Fears of sectarian politics and the possibility of national
\ndisintegration are unfounded because sectarianism is against the
\npolitical trend. Besides, our socio-political climate is strong
\nenough to maintain national unity.<\/p>\n
Q: Can you describe the elements that provide such a climate?<\/p>\n
U: First, people of different religious and ethnic groups are
\nfamiliar with one another. They have cooperated in various
\norganizations, such as in the bureaucracy and professional
\nassociations, to achieve common goals. They have managed to
\nignore their religious and ethnic differences.<\/p>\n
Second, the majority of Indonesian Moslems are becoming more
\ninclusive and open-minded, and value democracy, plurality and
\nhuman rights. People from other religions, including Christianity
\nand Buddhism, also have similar values and commitments.<\/p>\n
We need not fear too much about the establishment of parties
\nwith religious sentiments. Islamic parties, for one, will not
\nlikely receive widespread support.<\/p>\n
Q: NU youths recently prevented Muhammadiyah chairman Amien Rais
\nfrom visiting East Java towns. Why did that happen?<\/p>\n
U: Their number is small. They were manipulated by certain people
\nto serve their own political interests.<\/p>\n
The number of more tolerant Moslems, particularly those in
\nurban areas, is growing steadily and they have considerable
\ninfluence over rural followers. This trend toward greater
\ntolerance is driven by religious discourses by influential
\nfigures like Amien Rais and NU chairman Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
Q: What about the attacks against Chinese-Indonesians?<\/p>\n
U: These were partly motivated by sectarian feeling. But social
\nand economic gaps, disenchantment with the government and
\nconflict among the political elite contributed much more to the
\nincidents than sectarian sentiments.<\/p>\n
Q: Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid has appealed to people
\nnot to set up parties based on religion?<\/p>\n
U: He still approaches politics with the old mentality. We should
\nnot take officials like him seriously because in this era of
\nreform, the people will be more involved in shaping the country's
\nfuture. Public initiatives will be more important than those of
\nofficials with an old political mind-set.<\/p>\n
Q: Some people say that the increasing influence of the
\nAssociation of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI) has fanned
\nsectarian sentiments. Is that true?<\/p>\n
U: There is no proof to support such an allegation. ICMI is a
\nfragmented group of people with different and, sometimes,
\ncontradictory interests. ICMI is (politically) insignificant
\nbecause it has no charismatic ideologist who can influence the
\ndirection of its aspirations.<\/p>\n
Q: Do you think religious-based parties would support the
\ndevelopment of religions in the country?<\/p>\n
U: No. These parties could even damage the image of religion.
\nTheir leaders might use religious teachings to legitimize their
\npolicies. So they would be exploiting religion for their
\ninterests.<\/p>\n
Q: Is the international community concerned about the possibility
\nof a Moslem party dominating Indonesian politics?<\/p>\n
U: No. They have seen the trend of inclusiveness from Indonesian
\nMoslems, as reflected by the behavior of Amien Rais and
\nAbdurrahman Wahid. Both men have won respect from the
\ninternational community for quickly condemning the rioting
\nagainst Chinese-Indonesians. (riz)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sectarianism-against-the-political-trend-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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