Sinta Nuriyah, a down-to-earth first lady<\/p>\n
By Mehru Jaffer<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): It was not very long ago when Sinta Nuriyah, 51,
\nwas ironing the clothes Abdurrahman Wahid, her husband of almost
\n30 years and now President of the fourth largest country in the
\nworld, had washed.<\/p>\n
If there was a need, Abdurrahman also would willingly wash the
\ndishes after his wife had cooked and served their meal.<\/p>\n
Nuriyah, a mother of four, often found her husband happily
\nscrubbing the floor while she dusted the house, and when
\nthe babies cried she could always depend on him to take care of
\nthem so she could get some rest.<\/p>\n
To supplement her husband's modest income as a teacher in a
\nMuslim boarding school, Nuriyah helped out by cooking snacks and
\nmaking ice cream to be sold in the market.<\/p>\n
She took care of their girls herself and sewed the family's
\nclothes in order to save money.<\/p>\n
It is only because her husband has always been so supportive
\nthat Nuriyah was able eventually to earn her master's degree in
\nwomen's studies from the University of Indonesia. He also has
\nconstantly encouraged her to become involved in the most burning
\nsocial issues of the day, from working with prostitutes to
\npromoting peace in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Although both the President and first lady have come a long
\nway from their humble beginnings, they have brought with them
\ntheir informal and loving demeanors to the opulent and once
\nmysterious premises of the Presidential Palace.<\/p>\n
The gates to the home of the highest executive in the country
\nare literally wide-open now and all those who have business there
\nare seldom stopped from entering the portals of power.<\/p>\n
The two uniformed guards outside each gate are mercifully
\nunarmed. The staff is mostly attired in civilian clothes and
\nsmiling for a change. The security check is minimal and the cups
\nof tea for guests endless. The first family gathers for a quick
\nlunch together as newly appointed Cabinet ministers walk in and
\nout, looking less like gods and more like human beings.<\/p>\n
A peep at the lunch menu shows fried fish with some vegetables
\nand rice, somewhat similar to the food eaten by people outside
\nthe gates of the palace. And compared to the simplicity and
\nwarmth radiated by the lady of the house, the opulent combination
\nof traditional Javanese and baroque decor inside looks quite out
\nof place.<\/p>\n
In fact, there is little that is pretentious about this first
\nlady. She is so down-to-earth, sweet tempered and caring that her
\nhusband is said to have been blinded by his love for her. And as
\nthe rest of the country gets to know Nuriyah better, many more
\nare expected to fall under her spell as well. Mr. President, you
\ndo have a beautiful wife.<\/p>\n
Sinta Nuriyah recently sat down and spoke with The Jakarta
\nPost. The following are excerpts from the one-hour interview with
\nthe first lady, who preferred to speak in Bahasa Indonesia. \"Then
\nI can better express what is in my heart,\" she said. Nuriyah's
\nsecond daughter Zannuba \"Yenni\" Arifah Chafsof, until recently a
\nreporter with the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, agreed to
\nserve as interpreter for the interview.<\/p>\n
Question: How does it feel to be the first lady?<\/p>\n
Answer: I am happy that the people chose my husband as their
\nleader. I have always been very proud of him. On the other hand,
\nI feel that it is a great responsibility that has been given to
\nmy husband and I am there by his side to share that
\nresponsibility with him.<\/p>\n
Q: Is this a dream come true for you?<\/p>\n
A: I don't ever recall dreaming that one day I would become the
\nfirst lady of Indonesia. But now that my husband is President, I
\nfeel that it is a trust that God has bestowed upon him.<\/p>\n
Q: But what is your dream for your own life?<\/p>\n
A: My dream has always been to be able to help as many needy
\npeople as is humanly possible. There are so many people who are
\nless fortunate than myself and I always keep them upper most in
\nmy mind. In that sense, I am happy for myself that now I can use
\nmy position to better help people.<\/p>\n
Q: What kind of help would you like to extend to people?<\/p>\n
A: I would like to see more people better educated. Then I would
\nlike to extend every kind of help people asked of me, according
\nto their own needs.<\/p>\n
Q: How serious do you think your husband is about women's
\nwelfare, considering he dissolved the ministry of women's affairs
\nand moved it to the state minister level, putting an
\ninexperienced young woman in charge of the office?<\/p>\n
A: The present state minister of the empowerment of women may be
\nyoung but she is certainly not inexperienced in her involvement
\nand knowledge of what needs to be done for women here. I have
\nfull confidence in minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa and fully
\nsupport her in her tasks.<\/p>\n
Q: How has life changed for you since your husband became
\nPresident?<\/p>\n
A: It has become more hectic. It is exhausting. My personal life
\nis more restricted, but otherwise I am the same person. I still
\nlove my husband and my children in the same old way.<\/p>\n
Q: What were your personal preoccupations before you became first
\nlady?<\/p>\n
A: Apart from social work, I am deeply involved at the moment in
\ninterpreting classic Islamic literature and religious texts that
\nexplore the role of women in Islam and the kind of relationship
\nthat men and women are meant to have with each other. I want to
\neventually prove that Islam has great respect and love for women.<\/p>\n
Q: Islam has such a negative image in the world today: violent,
\noppressive and backward. Is this your way of correcting its
\nimage?<\/p>\n
A: My personal feeling is that the Koran is interpreted mostly by
\nmen and the role of women in society is interpreted to suit the
\nconvenience of certain kinds of men. I am currently reading a
\nbook that says in its preface that men are leaders and women are
\nfollowers, and that even if a woman is endowed with personal
\nwealth she cannot use it without the permission of her lord and
\nmaster.<\/p>\n
I just don't believe in the view that men are superior to
\nwomen in the eye of God. God did not create women to be slaves to
\nmen. Some men have taken certain quotations from the Koran and
\npublished them out of context as an alibi to treat women as their
\ninferiors.<\/p>\n
Q: According to your research and study, what is the actual
\neconomic and social position of women in Islam?<\/p>\n
A: Equal to any man. As good or as bad as men depending upon the
\ncircumstances.<\/p>\n
Q: From the way you dress, you seem to be a conservative. And the
\nway you lead your life, you seem to be a liberal. Which is
\ncorrect?<\/p>\n
A: Just because I cover my head does not mean that I am
\nconservative. I can dress the way I want to. But the important
\nthing is never to underestimate virtues like morality, justice,
\nand humanity. That is important, not covering my head.<\/p>\n
Q: You are the mother of four daughters. What was the greatest
\nchallenge in raising them?<\/p>\n
A: To provide them with the best possible education.<\/p>\n
Q: Do you regret not having a son?<\/p>\n
A: I never regret it, but when I was pregnant with my fourth
\nchild I hoped that it might be a boy. But I am happy to have my
\nIna. Besides, she is such a tomboy.<\/p>\n
Q: What is your message to the women of Indonesia, particularly
\nduring these economically difficult times?<\/p>\n
A: I would like to appeal to all women to try and keep peace in
\nthe country. When there is war, when there are riots, it is women
\nwho ultimately suffer. Prevent the men as much as you can from
\nbecoming violent and destructive, no matter how difficult the
\ntrial is to bear. Educate yourself so that you are economically
\nindependent and don't need a man to take care of you.<\/p>\n
Q: But what about prostitutes and the homeless. How can they
\neducate themselves?<\/p>\n
A: I would say to women... do the lowliest of work, but never
\nbeg or prostitute yourself. When evil thoughts come to mind
\nremember that life might end tomorrow, and when the deed is noble
\ncontinue to do it as if you will live forever.<\/p>\n
Q: What lessons do you draw from previous first ladies,
\nparticularly what not to do?<\/p>\n
A: I do not ever doubt the love that the previous first ladies
\nhad for the people of this country. They also did a lot of work,
\nbut my style is slightly different. I plan to be far less
\nceremonial.<\/p>\n
Q: Your family has a reputation for opening up your home. Is it
\ntoo much to hope this tradition will continue?<\/p>\n
A: Yes, I will make sure that it continues.<\/p>\n
Q: What gives you the strength to face calamities like the
\ndestruction of your home more than a decade ago, the car accident
\nyou suffered and the ill health of your husband?<\/p>\n
A: I learned long ago to just surrender to the will of God. He
\nknows best.<\/p>\n
Q: What would you say is the best thing your husband has brought
\nto the presidency?<\/p>\n
A: His genuine love for people.<\/p>\n
Q: What is the worst trait of the new President of Indonesia?<\/p>\n
A: That he does not take care of himself. That other people
\nalways come first for him. That he is a workaholic. That he does
\nnot help me with household chores anymore. That is why I respect
\nhim, but also get angry with him.<\/p>",
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