Challenge, not avoid your enemies!

It was with an audible sigh of national relief that 200 million people welcomed home President Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur last weekend after a breathtaking two-week tour of European, Middle Eastern and Asian countries. Many felt that the President was once more doing a dangerous balancing act on a slippery circus rope. Many heads of state would have instantly flown back home on hearing rumors of possible coup d'etat.

On two earlier occasions President Gus Dur has ignored pleas to stay at home and settle "burning" problems, the first of which was before embarking on a visit to Washington and Tokyo. He was then less than two months in power at the time.

The story behind Abdurrahman Wahid by R. William Liddle (The Jakarta Post, Feb. 9, 2000), who is a professor of political science at Ohio University, USA, and also an expert on Indonesian affairs, provided a valuable insight into the psychological traits of the popular but controversial Muslim cleric and president.

Professor Liddle found out that Gus Dur's popular reading materials include a book called My name is Asher by Chaim Potor, about a young Jew who defied his parents to seek his own career as a painter with no future. Liddle's conclusion is that Gus Dur has a penchant for contentious issues. He does not try to avoid conflicts but attempts to solve them in an unorthodox way. As a Muslim cleric, only he is entitled to have his own way. But many believe now that as he is also a head of state, he should approach and solve problems of state in a more statesman-like manner.

His controversial proposal to start trading with Israel was motivated by his desire to know more about his enemies, with a view to better challenge and conquer them than with their weapons. In other words: Challenge, not avoid your enemies!

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta