Amien admits to quitting over criticism

Amien admits to quitting over criticism

JAKARTA (JP): Outspoken Moslem scholar Amien Rais admitted
yesterday that his recent resignation from a leading post in the
influential Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI)
was partly caused by his critical stance over many government
policies.

"I resigned from ICMI because of the limited time I could give
it, but I have to be honest that I resigned because of my
criticism against (the mining project in) Busang and Freeport
which involves the interests of the nation," he was quoted by
Antara as saying yesterday.

While Amien's statement was in answer to earlier speculation
that he was made to resign the post of chairman of the
association's Council of Experts, it did not specify whether he
was forced out or whether he went of his own accord.

The chairman of the 28 million-strong Muhammadiyah Moslem
organization and political science lecturer at Gadjah Mada
University in Yogyakarta, once called the small profit Indonesia
received from foreign mining operations "unconstitutional."

Speaking before a gathering of 1,500 Muhammadiyah members last
night, Amien said he had the right to criticize because
Muhammadiyah was an organization whose mission was to encourage
people to do good and prevent them from committing misdeeds.

"I was advised to (make) my criticism ... vague but I couldn't
because this is an Islamic mission that cannot be done half-
heartedly," he said. "This is about religion. I'm carrying out a
religious mission."

He said he made the criticism because he wanted to help
prevent the state's wealth being plundered, as the Constitution
mandates.

"What we see as good is not always seen as good by other
people. So I resigned from ICMI. But my religion teaches me
this," he said. (swe)