Give Permadi a fair chance: Scholars

Give Permadi a fair chance: Scholars

By Santi WE Soekanto

JAKARTA (JP): As pressures mount to prosecute psychic Permadi Satrio Wiwoho for his alleged blasphemous and libelous remarks, two Moslem leaders and a human rights official have joined the minority chorus calling for a cessation of hostilities.

Marzuki Darusman, a member of the National Commission for Human Rights, Komarudin Hidayat and Nurcholish Madjid, both modernist Moslem scholars, said that enough ammunition has been fired against Permadi these last several weeks.

Interviewed separately, the three men said it is now time for the public's anger to let up. Otherwise, they may be driven by that anger to violate Permadi's individual rights.

"We should all remember to give Permadi his due rights, we should never be dzalim," Komarudin said, referring to the Islamic term for cruelty. "We should act proportionately, and give him a fair chance to defend himself."

"Enough has been said already," Nurcholish asserted. "It's time for all of us to calm down. Let's just live and learn not to repeat history."

Marzuki pointed out that the soothsayer's rights are protected by law, including the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, Marzuki said.

Marzuki and Nurcholish said they agreed with Amien Rais, chairman of the Muhammadiyah Moslem organization who recently said that the case has been "politicized" out of proportion by certain groups.

"The public has punished Permadi, probably because they're driven by outrage and because there are political factors coming into play here," Marzuki said.

Permadi got into trouble following an accusation by Din Syamsudin, a Golkar leader as well as a Moslem scholar, that he made blasphemous remarks at a seminar in Yogyakarta last year.

He also allegedly made slanderous remarks about Golkar and some government agencies during a radio interview early this year. His critics said he likened Golkar to the outlawed Indonesian Communist Party, and accused the Ministry of Religious Affairs of corruption.

The uproar that followed, led by several Moslem leaders as well as groups of Moslem youths affiliated to Golkar, forced Permadi to turn himself in to the authorities last month. Police said they have completed their investigation and will submit the dossier to the prosecutors office this week.

The latest attack came from a top military officer who accused Permadi of engaging in clandestine activities and of attempting to undermine the government.

The observers believe that many Moslems' anger over the alleged blasphemy is justified, but still called for fairness and mercifulness.

Permadi is accused of calling Prophet Muhammad a dictator and a failure in creating a just and prosperous Moslem society during his leadership. Permadi said his remarks were taken out of context and manipulated by his critics.

Komarudin, however, believes there is nothing wrong with people examining Prophet Muhammad's leadership scientifically and historically.

He reminded Moslems offended by Permadi, that, in addition to his being a religious leader, Prophet Muhammad was also a historical figure, someone who lived "under the full light of history".

"He was not a mysterious person. Therefore, he belonged to many people, and his life can be looked at critically and scientifically," Komarudin said. "This attitude will not lessen his greatness."

One of the criticisms against Permadi's alleged review of Prophet Muhammad's leadership was that it lacked scientific ground. He also admitted that he knows very little about Islam.

"I believe Prophet Muhammad's greatness wouldn't dim even a little because of the criticism," Komarudin said. "Defending him without taking a critical view may actually mean that we conceal his greatness."

"Ten Salman Rushdi's or ten Permadi's will never be able to undermine Prophet Muhammad's authenticity as a historical figure," Komarudin assured. Salman Rushdi is the Indian-born English author, whose book Satanic Verses, earned him a bounty on his head from Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran in 1989.

Komarudin advised Indonesian Moslems to engage in introspection.

Moslems should ask the reason for their defense of Prophet Muhammad against Permadi's remarks. "Is it because of their wish to propagate Islam, or is it merely an emotional response?"

"Is the defense meant to present a scientific clarification, or is it a political ploy?" he added.

"If anybody harasses our religion, we should all come to its defense, but we have to ask ourselves whether our actions are actually vengeance," he said.

Nurcholish said there's no need for anybody to try to pinpoint those who have politicized so much it got out hand.

He pointed out that some Moslems' anger over the alleged blasphemy may have been caused by factors such as "the psychology of the defeated", a mind-set created by so many years of standing on the sidelines of every arena.

He is optimistic, however, that Indonesian Moslems will eventually outgrow this "immaturity", be more rational and mature in dealing with sensitive issues.

Marzuki was surprised by the accusation by Lt. Gen. Soeyono, the Armed Forces Chief of General Affairs, that Permadi was engaging in clandestine activities.

"I think it's not necessary for us to go that far," he said, expressing concern that over-reaction may adversely affect Indonesia's democratization.

The case has developed, he said, in such a way as to create the impression that there are some people "competing over who can pin the most extreme labels (on other people)," he said.

"This is not a healthy trend in our political climate ... for our democratization and human rights development."

Marzuki said the public should be more careful and critically review the emergence of such "antidemocratic attitudes".

"What concerns me most is how easily agitated Indonesians can get over these sensitive issues," he said. "We all need to learn how to handle such issues maturely, and not to react impulsively."