Attitudes and brainwashing

I guess at the end of the day it is all about attitude and that is something which is instilled into us by what we see, what we have been told and what we think we know. We are all in fact a product of propaganda.

Let us take so-called Islamic values and compare those with non-Islamic values and what is the difference? The simple answer is zero.

We are all taught to be respectful, polite, caring, considerate, tolerant, and obedient (within limits) and yet some people want to label them as being a religious thing. Most bad attitudes are forced out of us because of circumstances like our upbringing, crowded conditions, poverty, injustice, poor education, misguided, tunnel-vision, ill-informed and biased teachings and a history that is often written to suit the victors.

So many people nowadays don't even bother to look at the other side of the coin; they conveniently ignore what is going on in their own backyards. This attitude is likely the result of how much you have bothered to check on all the things that are happening around you and whether you are able to step back and evaluate them with a clear and open mind.

The shame of it all is that we have been on this planet for millennia and we still haven't learned about brainwashing. Here in Indonesia there is a window that is trying to be closed by people who don't want Muslims to think for themselves, and if that is allowed to happen then this country may as well forget about freedom, democracy and even things like enjoyment.

You have a country rich in its own special and extremely diverse cultures, a rhythm of vibrancy that is the envy of many, and a golden opportunity to expand on that to become progressive and hugely successful -- so don't let the bad attitudes, the brainwashing and outside influences deprive you of your rightful Indonesian inheritance.

As an afterthought and on a lighter note -- test your attitude on the road to work tomorrow and see how many polite drivers you come across!

DAVID WALLIS, Medan, North Sumatra