In defense of Amien Rais

I criticized Amien Rais when he failed to see the violence in the Maluku as a local conflict -- something that will not necessarily color the relationship between Muslims and Christians elsewhere. But I have never heard him say that "tolerance is absurd".

Regrettably, that is what David Hirst writes in The global decline of Islamic fundamentalism, which you printed on your editorial page on Feb. 17, 2000. Hirst's complete sentence is even more slanderous: "...Amien Rais, the Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, says 'tolerance is absurd', giving the green light for Christians to be massacred by Muslims".

I seriously question Hirst's quality as an unbiased commentator on the matter. Bigotry should not prevail on any side.

GOENAWAN MOHAMAD

Jakarta