Susilo wants Muhammadiyah lead morality fight<\/p>\n
ID Nugroho and Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Malang<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah should help strengthen morality and continue its
\nmission to enlighten people in this nation in order to help
\neradicate deeply ingrained corruption, President Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono said here on Sunday night.<\/p>\n
\"We are so embarrassed, as a predominantly Muslim country,
\nbecause we are ranked among the most corrupt nations in the
\nworld,\" he lamented during a ceremony marking the opening of the
\n45th national congress of Muhammadiyah in Malang, East Java.<\/p>\n
The President made it clear that it was not Islam that was to
\nblame, but the people in this country, 90 percent of whom profess
\nto follow Islam. \"Islam is not wrong. We ourselves are to blame
\nbecause we are incapable of embracing the spirit of its moral
\nteachings,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Performing the mandatory prayers five times a day \"is not
\nenough\" for Muslims, we must also change moral attitudes, which
\nmeans not committing corruption and other crimes, Susilo
\nbeseeched, while paraphrasing the words of Islam's Prophet
\nMuhammad.<\/p>\n
He said he expected all people, including Muhammadiyah
\nmembers, to support the national anticorruption efforts he had
\nbeen campaigning for since taking office last year.<\/p>\n
In his speech at the opening ceremony, Muhammadiyah chairman
\nAhmad Syafii Maarif reminded the delegates that the 30-million
\nstrong organization established in 1912, had been involved in
\nsocial and educational activities for nearly a century.<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah, the second largest Muslim organization
\nnationwide, runs thousands of schools from elementary level to
\nuniversity level, as well as hospitals, orphanages and other
\nsocial and charitable organizations.<\/p>\n
However, Syafii explained that the organization would expand
\nand try to develop financial institutions specifically geared
\ntoward helping low-income people.<\/p>\n
Some 20,000 supporters of Muhammadiyah packed the Gajayana
\nsoccer stadium in Malang, where President Susilo opened the six-
\nday national congress at around 8:30 p.m. There were also 4,000
\npolice officers deployed to guard the stadium.<\/p>\n
Former president Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid, who formerly led
\nNahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest Muslim organization,
\nand current NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi, also attended the opening
\nceremony, in addition to a number of foreign diplomats and
\nCabinet members.<\/p>\n
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Hidayat Nur Wahid
\nand his predecessor Amien Rais, who is a former Muhammadiyah
\nchairman, were also present.<\/p>\n
The congress is scheduled to end on July 8, after electing its
\nnew chairman for the 2005-2010 period. The incumbent chairman,
\nSyafii Maarif, 70, has refused to enter the leadership race.<\/p>",
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