Fear nothing if you love God
True, they are both heads of state, one representing Indonesia, the other, the tiny state of Vatican City, in Rome, Italy. They seem to have one thing in common, a love of traveling around the globe, ignoring warnings that they may encounter dangers.
President Abdurrahman Wahid, popularly known as Gus Dur, has now embarked again on a tour of a number of European countries, to confirm that his country is peaceful and that investment is safe. There are other priorities at home, every schoolchild knows it. But a handshake with the pope will have a greater effect in teaching his followers the meaning of religious tolerance. Gus Dur's visit to Saudi Arabia is aimed at attracting more petro- dollars.
Gus Dur's departure on Friday took place among rumors that a Golkar Party member had admitted he knew some people who had admitted that the recent successive riots and civil strifes in the country had indeed been orchestrated by people eager to topple the current administration so that they could come back here. They were said to include former business tycoons under the Soeharto's regime and their cronies.
It was Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, on the occasion of her party's anniversary, during a mass meeting at the Senayan Stadium, who pledged to combat dissenting elements. She refrained from mentioning the "provocateurs" who poured in money from overseas to pay the troublemakers. The story would have sounded incredible, had it not come from a leading member of the influential government party, Golkar, and spread around also by a popular private radio station El Shinta.
Indeed, the flaring up of trouble spots around the country seems to follow a certain scenario. What I have been suspecting for a long time is the existence of a financially strong, very strong I should add, mafia, to discredit Gus Dur's government and exploit every weakness and bribe every influential source. This group still has strong connections with the former administration and is sparing no money or effort to revenge their defeat. Members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle have reason to be proud of their chairwoman when Gus Dur said before departing that he trusted her fully in the command of the government; perhaps to demonstrate that women are as trustworthy in the affairs of the state as men.
I only hope that Gus Dur will now stop trying to charter a vehicle to fly to the moon and planets, just to show to people that: "fear nothing if you believe in and love God".
GANDHI SUKARDI
Jakarta