'Dialogue needed to solve edict polemic'

'Dialogue needed to solve edict polemic'

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued a number of edicts last
week banning pluralism and liberalism, and they included a ban on
Muslims attending prayer sessions led by non-Muslims. The Jakarta
Post interviewed residents here to get their views on the issue.

Toto Prawoto, 49, is a radio broadcaster who lives in Bintaro,
South Jakarta.

If I may comment on the MUI edicts, I think they are fine in
terms of a specific internal community, such as for some Muslim
people.

However, the impact is different because not all Muslims
accept the edicts.

As far as I'm concerned, a dialog among Muslim communities is
needed to resolve the matter. The dialog could be supported by
the ministry of religious affairs and other related ministries so
that the matter would not cause any social unrest in the country.

If I'm not mistaken, things turned out differently because
there was a difference in semantics with the interpretation among
experts.

If people want to learn about pluralism, in general, they can
learn from residents of East Belitung on Sumatra, who have voted
in a non-Muslim Chinese-Indonesian as their mayor even though a
majority of them are members of the Muslim-based Crescent Star
Party.

Ellenor Ribekah, 20, is a college student who lives in Bekasi,
West Java.

Indonesia consists of various ethnic groups, religions and
languages. As a student, I have been taught about 'unity in
diversity' in school and we Indonesians have to understand that.
Why would pluralism and liberalism thinking be banned in this
country?

I think Indonesia is based on Pancasila (five-point national
ideology that is largely based on secularism), not on a
particular religion. If people in this nation can be together
during an inter-faith prayer, why would MUI ban such a marvelous
thing?

We should focus on similarities rather than differences that
may cause problems and friction among people. This is very
important due to our various ethnic groups, religions, cultures
and languages.

The best way to build this nation is to focus on how to make
poor people have a better life, how to eradicate corruption and
accomplish the targets of the reform movement.

-- The Jakarta Post