Hasyim warns of new communism
A leading figure within the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI), Hasyim Muzadi, has warned Indonesians to guard against what he calls the movement of New Communism. These "new communists" have now, according to him, infiltrated other ideologies, but sooner or later they will pop out as their real selves. They will demonstrate cruelty to their fellow humans when they think this will meet their political objectives.
Does Hasyim Muzadi believe that extremism, or even terrorism may be coming from those groups of society disillusioned by the current situation in the country and who have joined the communist bandwagon?
What Indonesians are witnessing today is labor unrest manifested in the frequent demonstrations by industrial and landless farm workers in the capital city, demanding better work conditions, and not all of them belong to Muslim extremist groups.
By warning of a resurgence of communist activities, Hasyim Muzadi seems to want to indicate that if there are still signs of radicalism, extremism or even terrorism in the form of violent demonstrations and bombing incidents in the capital city and outside Jakarta, it should not be seen as a manifestation of Islamic extremism. These incidents may be caused by regional discontent or expressions of locally motivated social injustice.
The people's suffering seems to have increased, so has the number of people living below the poverty line, while the rich, as the jargon goes among the extremist elements, are getting richer through either collusion or corruption. Reports are coming in from the rural areas of people suffering from famine, while most of the nation's leaders are thinking about how to save themselves in the next general election two years from now.
Therefore, Hasyim Muzadi, should not only warn his countrymen of the dangers of a resurgence of communism, but also should urge the government to speed up its poverty eradication programs, for poverty breeds extremism, radicalism, communism and terrorism everywhere in the world.
GANDHI SUKARDI, Jakarta