Challenge, not avoid your enemies!

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