ICMI wants to work with non-Islamic groupings

ICMI wants to work with non-Islamic groupings

JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the Association of Moslem
Intellectuals (ICMI) B.J. Habibie Saturday emphasized the need
for ICMI to strengthen cooperation with organizations of other
faiths.

Speaking on the second day of ICMI's annual congress here
Saturday, Habibie said cooperation with other organizations of
intellectuals -- such as the Catholic ISKI, the Protestant PIKI
and the Hindu FCHI -- was a must. This was because all had the
common goal of improving the spiritual and intellectual lives of
Indonesians and all had accepted Pancasila, the state ideology,
as the basis of their respective organizations.

Although total cooperation might not be achieved because of
religious or dogmatic reasons, common concerns could bring the
organizations together in cooperative projects, Habibie pointed
out.

Members of ICMI, he said, should encourage openness to promote
better understanding among organizations.

"But mere openness is not enough, as we have to give correct,
transparent and clear information," he said.

He added that openness should not be seen as "a total
nakedness because all organizations have the right to keep their
little secrets".

ICMI currently has a local branch in each of Indonesia's 27
provinces, and a 28th branch in Bogor, West Java, which embraces
a considerable number of Moslem intellectuals.

Habibie said that ICMI, which was established in 1990, had no
intention of competing with other Moslem groups such as Nahdlatul
Ulama, the largest organization with most of its members in
remote villages of Central and East Java, and Muhammadiyah, which
runs schools and Moslem education centers throughout the country.

A catalyst

"ICMI is in fact a catalyst for all these groups," Habibie
said, pointing out that many noted members of these organizations
were, in their personal capacity, also members of ICMI.

ICMI, during the three years that it has been in existence,
has grown into a strong social and political force in this
country.

ICMI members include high-ranking officials in the ministerial
cabinet as well as leading Moslem individuals. President
Soeharto, in his private capacity, became ICMI's chief patron
last year.

Habibie admitted that ICMI's strong influence has caused
certain people to use their membership in the organization as a
way to advance their own personal interests.

"I won't mention any names, but I know who these people
are...the list is on my desk," he said.

"It is these people whose spiritual attitudes need to be
upgraded... They have to understand that if they are not
qualified for a job, then they cannot have it just because they
are a member of ICMI," Habibie said.

He said that ICMI's objectives were to fight ignorance and
poverty among Moslems and that it did not belong to a particular
political group. (pwn)