ICMI asked to block bid to politicize religion

ICMI asked to block bid to politicize religion

JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung
appealed to the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals
(ICMI) yesterday to help the government's efforts to block any
attempts to politicize religion.

"The politicization of religion will not only degrade the
noble characters of religion, it will obstruct the religion from
giving ethical, moral and spiritual contributions to national
development," Feisal said addressing the Second ICMI Congress at
Hotel Indonesia.

"Moreover, the politicization of religion can also lead to a
dictatorship by the majority, or to tyranny by the minority," he
said. "Both of these must be avoided because they would undermine
the unity and cohesion of the nation."

Feisal is one of several top officials who were invited to
address the congress of ICMI, which under the chairmanship of
State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, is widely
seen as yielding growing political clout.

President Soeharto in his address opening the congress on
Thursday appealed to ICMI to dedicate its services to the entire
nation, and not solely for the Moslem community.

The growing political influence of ICMI since its inception
five years ago and the reactions it has provoked has raised
concern about the possibility of a return to the sectarian
politics of the 1950s which were highly divisive.

Gen. Feisal said that instead of using religion as the basis
of a political movement, people would be better off incorporating
the substance of religions into their political orientation.

"The end result is the combination of ethics and morality in
the political development process," he said.

"Incorporating religious substance into politics is a better
alternative to the politicization of religions," he said, adding
that if this was widely understood, nobody should ever again use
religion to mobilize solidarity or justify their political ends.

Feisal said ICMI, as a Moslem organization, is expected to
counter or neutralize any attempt to politicize religion.

He said the Moslem community in Indonesia plays a strategic
role in promoting the integration of Indonesia's diverse society.

In fact, when it comes to maintaining national stability, he
said, "the role of the Moslem community is the biggest, the most
important."

"That is why the Moslem community must participate in forging
unity and cohesion," he added.

Feisal also urged ICMI to match words with deeds.

ICMI has professed to operate outside of practical politics
and said it would concentrate its attention and resources on the
development of Indonesia's human resources. It has also pledged
to help the government's drive to eliminate poverty.

"We hope that the implementation of your programs will not be
different from its resolved goals," Feisal said.

Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. later also addressed
the ICMI gathering, underlining the need for the organization to
prove its value to the community.

"People need to see the manifestation of ICMI's thoughts and
ideas into reality," Yogie said.

ICMI, as an intellectuals organization, is expected to
concentrate in generating ideas and new thoughts for the
government, he said.

While welcoming the presence of mass organizations in general,
Yogie expressed anxiety at the recent trend of establishing new
mass organizations although many of them did not appear to have
grassroots supports.

"These new mass organizations may divide the people and
endanger the nation's unity," he said.

Political analysts said some of these new organizations have
been established in response to the growing political power of
ICMI.(imn)