Fasting expected to improve morality

Fasting expected to improve morality

Last Sunday's rioting in Surakarta, Central Java, was merely
one on a long list of episodes of vandalism and violence that
have demonstrated the degradation of Indonesians' morality. The
Jakarta Post looks for reasons for the moral decadence and the
expectation that the obligatory fasting in this month of
Ramadhan, which starts on Sunday, will help improve people's
morality. Related articles on Page 5 and 7.

JAKARTA (JP): Ramadhan comes at a very timely juncture because
Indonesians' morality is plummeting to arguably its lowest level
in the country's 53-year history.

The moral degradation is manifest in a long list of violent
actions, most notably massive rioting in Jakarta on May 13 and
May 14, and in Surakarta on May 15. The mid-May rioting caused
the destruction and burning of thousands of buildings, and
claimed the lives of about 1,200 people, most of whom were
identified by the authorities as looters.

Since then, several more incidents of unrest, accompanied by
looting, arson and other vandalism, have occurred. The crime rate
is on an upward trends with the intensity of the violence
increasingly in a major way.

High school students in Jakarta become involved in street
brawls almost everyday, leaving several dead or injured.

"We are upset that our morality is in complete decay. Our
youths, for example, look satisfied after destroying shops and
public facilities or hurting others while they were involved in
demonstrations, riots or mass brawls," said psychologist Elly
Risman Musa, executive director of parenting foundation Yayasan
Peduli Anak Buah Hati.

"Corrupt practices have also been flourishing in the
bureaucracy for more than 30 years," she told The Jakarta Post.

Ibrahim Hussein, a vice chairman of the Indonesian Ulemas
Council, said fasting during Ramadhan should help improve the
morality of the nation because fasting Muslims are not merely
required to restrain themselves from committing aggressive
actions but also to prevent others from doing so.

Sugiat Ahmad Sumadi, chairman of the public health care agency
of Muhammadiyah, said fasting could result in improved control of
hormone flows, which in turn influence temperament. Fasting,
therefore, can help improve people's morality.

Psychiatrist Muhammad Moadz, director of the Islamic
Psychiatric Hospital in Jakarta, said fasting allowed individuals
to exercise their instincts better to control their passions.

"Fasting is a form of conditioning that trains an individual
to be patient in facing problems, content with anything he/she
experiences, tough when trying to achieve goals, honest when
speaking and tolerant with other people," he said.

"Because moral decadence is caused mostly by the inability of
individuals to control their passions, fasting will help improve
Indonesians' morality, most of whom are Muslims," he added.

However, fasting would help an individual control passions
only if it is done with a strong motivation to obtain God's
favor, he said.

Minister of Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono said that
during Ramadhan, schools would hold additional religious classes,
and entreat pupils to be more tolerant of each other.

Such activities were expected to help curtail student brawls,
he said.

Skepticism

However, Elly expressed skepticism, saying that fasting and
other religious activities would not do much to improve morality
because the current moral degradation was so deeply rooted.

During the fasting month, more Muslims than usual are expected
to attend prayers at mosques, where religious lectures are given
after morning and night prayers. TV stations also broadcast
religious lectures everyday, while several organizations,
including government institutions, will hold prayer gatherings.

Elly said the main cause for the moral degradation was the
government's decision in 1975 to replace moral education in
schools with the teaching of the state ideology Pancasila.

In addition, curricula have failed to develop students'
skills, particularly in problem solving, creative thinking,
writing, decision-making, role playing and debating. Textbooks
are not selected on the basis of quality but on the capability of
publishers to "win contracts" from the government.

Furthermore, corrupt practices flourishing in the bureaucracy
have led students to relate education activities with money. A
recent survey showed that students no longer have the motivation
to learn because they do not see any benefits, said Elly, who is
also operations director of a marketing research and management
consulting firm PT Surindo Utama.

At home, parents failed to function as educators of their
children because they are too busy working to earn money.

Juwono denied that moral degradation had been caused by the
replacement of moral education with the teaching of Pancasila.

"The two main reasons for students' moral degradation are the
explosion in the number of new students entering senior high
schools in the past three years and the poverty resulting from
the economic crisis," he said.

The student explosion was caused by the accelerated
establishment of new elementary schools. Students graduated from
such schools in the first three years are now studying at the
first to third grades of senior high schools.

To improve the morality of school students, the government is
considering reintroducing moral education at schools.

"A decision on whether we should reintroduce it will be made
in 2000 under a program of totally revising the curricula, which
will include the reduction of subjects," Juwono said.

He reminded that all members of society should be involved in
efforts to improve students' morality.

Parents need to improve the frequency and quality of their
contacts with their children at home and local authorities have
to increase the number of recreation centers to enable youths to
channel their aggression into sports competitions.

Elly suggested that religious preachers revise their teaching
method. "A survey in the United States revealed in 1997 that
moral development could not be made through lectures," she said.
"Religious preachers in Indonesia, therefore, should change their
method of teaching from lecturing to role playing, debating or
other means, thereby making students more active." (riz)