A woman for president

With reference to the future presidency of Indonesia, I was surprised and disappointed by the recent remarks made by "reformist" Amien Rais and Abdurrahman Wahid, which only serve to support the political camp that opposes the choice of "a woman" for Indonesia's next president. By their refusal to state openly their support for the basic right for women to hold the presidential office, they appear to have thrown their lot in with such political figures as Hamzah Haz of the United Development Party (PPP), whose fellow party member Amir Syafruddin last year started the whole ugly circle of doubt regarding whether, in the eyes of Islam, a woman should be allowed to hold the position of president.

First, I should say that, as a person who embraces the essence of all religions, I believe that God is far closer to us than we may realize and that the real mosque, church or place of worship is in the human heart. As an old adage goes, "If one cannot find a temple within one's heart, one will never find one's heart in any temple."

Second, I read the Koran many years ago before visiting Indonesia and I felt the Holy Book to be inspirational and enlightening. However, I do not recall having read within the scripture any mention of the word "president". Of course, there were no presidents or vice presidents in the days of Prophet Muhammad. Nevertheless, there were leaders that ruled small or large groups of mainly feudal peoples, but it should be remembered that those leaders of Islamic, and non-Islamic, societies were not chosen as most leaders of the countries of the world are today -- by the people's democratic majority vote.

Those political figures who weave their tangled webs in the name of religion in the run-up to the election of a president, I feel, are creating enormous divisions with society and should know better.

Not only do they appear to be driving a wedge between the various religious communities that make up Indonesia, they are acting in a selfish, distasteful and discriminatory manner against women, who, incidentally, make up approximately one-half of the entire population. I cannot help but feel that Ibu Kartini, the champion of Indonesian women's rights -- so conveniently forgotten about in Jakarta's political circles -- must be weeping a thousand tears in her heavenly abode at this present time.

Oddly, political parties were not permitted to use religion as a platform during the campaign for votes. But now it has become clear for everyone to see that a large religious platform is being erected in preparation for the election of a president. Is this not blatant hypocrisy?

ROBIN HOLMAN

Sanur, Bali