'Bridge' over troubled Aceh
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh
Sept. 13, 2000 remains fresh in the mind of Teungku H. Imam Suja'.
It was then that he and several members of the Switzerland- based humanitarian group Henri Dunant Center (HDC) left for the Aceh Reyeuk base of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to retrieve Said Ikram, the Aceh Besar Police chief's son held hostage by GAM.
"We (Imam Suja' and GAM members) had agreed to meet near the Darussalam monument. I had asked them to release Ikram and they agreed on the condition that I would be the one to fetch him," he recalled.
Imam managed to take Ikram home that Friday afternoon.
His success in releasing the hostage gained him the name "savior". Since then he was inundated with requests for help for various things from job promotions to the recovery of stolen cars.
"Rescuing lives in danger is generally what I do, though it doesn't always work," said Imam Suja'.
His special gift of mediation compelled the amiable man to became involved in the spiraling Aceh conflict.
Iman was born in Alue Beinot village in Aceh's eastern region of Lhokseumawe on May 27, 1951. "Imam Suja" means "brave leader"
"It's a typical name that Acehnese parents give to their sons whom they want to be brave," he said.
He was born into a humble family. He and his mother moved to Banda Aceh at the age of two when his father joined rebel leader Daud Beureuh.
Imam grew up as a devout Muslim, reciting Koranic verses with his mother. He continued doing it well after he went to school. This devotion won him the title ulema, but he will humbly refused to be referred to as such.
"I'm just an ordinary Muslim, I'm not a leading ulema," said Imam, who chairs Muhammadiyah's Aceh branch, Indonesia's second largest Muslim organization.
He went to a Religious Teachers Training Vocational School (PGA) after completing his basic schooling.
"I was once a teacher," said Imam, who studied English at the local Teachers Training Institute while he taught at the Ar- raniry State Institute of Islamic Studies.
His modest and humble attitude makes him acceptable to many.
"I'm a religious preacher, and I am not afraid to tell the truth because I'm only a mediator," he said.
In the Aceh conflict, he is seen as a neutral party between the warring groups.
"It's difficult to act as a bridge," said Imam, who returns to Islam for ultimate guidance in his work of mediation. As they (the warring sides) embrace the same religion, there is no resentment when Imam refers to Islam for peace efforts.
As a community figure, he is frequently invited to give sermons at various mosques. While he often lectures at the mosque in the Iskandarmuda Regional Military Command, he also gives counseling to GAM members, thus maintaining harmony with both sides.
Imam is also one of the advisors to HDC about methods to resolve the Aceh problem, including the All Inclusive Dialog (AID) currently being debated in the region.
While he supports the dialog as a solution to the conflict, he still questions the readiness of the Acehnese people and the regional administration's passive stand on the AID.
For Imam, what is important is the mechanism and who will be involved in the dialog.
"People of the lowest social group must be present to voice their ideas," he said.
The Acehnese indeed need this inclusive dialog because conditions in Aceh are deteriorating.
"Today is worse than yesterday, and according to Prophet Muhammad we are at loss," he added. Imam often wonders why the government persistently claims that conditions in Aceh are good while the truth is that bloodshed is an everyday occurrence.
"People get killed every day," he said.
He is saddened by the fact that GAM as well as the Indonesian Military are making statements that will only further worsen conditions in Aceh.
Imam quoted Coordinating Minister for Security and Political Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on the likelihood of declaring martial law in Aceh. Imam insisted that if martial law is declared, it will frighten the Acehnese and "prompt them to take refuge in the mountains".
Imam loves his community and spends a lot of time taking care of the local people. "My wife and children are often jealous," he said.
He also loves his organization, Muhammadiyah, and is ready to do anything for it, even when it meant quitting his job as a civil servant. He has opened a printing business to earn a living and uses it for religious propagation.
Above all, he is proud to be an Acehnese.
"The Acehnese are no hypocrites, and they are courageous. But once offended they are dangerous," he said.
In the present-day context, according to him, the Acehnese are alienated and disappointed.
"They were angered by the New Order regime and are venting their rage at the present government," Imam said.
His advice: the Acehnese should be treated amicably because once they are moved by such a gentle gesture, they are willing to give up not only their wealth but also their lives.