God in politics

YOGYAKARTA: About 200 enraged Moslem supporters of the United Development Party (PPP) marched to nearby Gemuruh, Purbalingga, recently to find the Golkar supporters who had flaunted a banner which said, in Javanese: "Lurahku, Kiaiku Golkar, Ustadzku Golkar... Allah-ku ya melu Golkar."

Translated, this means: "My village chief, my religious leader, my religious teacher all vote for Golkar, my Allah is also Golkar of course."

Fortunately, local security forces and religious leaders calmed the marchers down and prevented a clash.

After questioning the people who had carried the banner, police discovered that it had originally said: "Lurahku, Kiaiku Golkar, Ustadzku Golkar, Insya Allah (God willing) aku ya melu Golkar."

The paper words were glued on the banner. Strong winds had peeled off the word "Insya" and the letter "a" in the front of "ku" (aku means "I"), hence the almost violent misunderstanding.

The local branches of PPP and Golkar, and police have resolved the problem. (38)