Indonesian unity always in fragile state: Wahono
Indonesian unity always in fragile state: Wahono
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia as a nation could break apart if any
one group in its highly diversified society seeks to impose its
will on others, House speaker Wahono said on Saturday.
Wahono said strong nationalism has helped keep the country
united but that the situation remains precarious because of the
mix of religious and ethnic groups.
"Problems could arise if this peaceful coexistence is
disrupted, for example by one of its elements seeking dominance
or hegemony," he said in the seminar that was organized by the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).
The presence of Wahono, a former chairman of the ruling
political group Golkar, as a keynote speaker at the PDI seminar
raised eyebrows, especially at a time when most other Golkar
leaders were taking part in the congress of the Association of
Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals.
Also present at the seminar was PDI chairwoman Megawati
Soekarnoputri. Leading Moslem scholar Abdurrahman Wahid, who is
also chairman of the 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama, was also
scheduled to address the meeting.
Wahono said in his speech that history is filled with inter-
religious wars dating back centuries, some of which are still
being waged to this day.
Conflicts between religious communities are generally the
result of mutual suspicion and enmity, with each camp usually
claiming to strive for the blessing of God, he said.
He pointed to the violent conflicts in Bosnia between Roman
Catholics and Moslems, between Catholics and Protestants in
Northern Ireland, and between Jews, Christians and Moslems in the
Middle East. He also cited the conflict in Sudan between Moslems
and Christians, between Buddhists and Hindus in Sri Lanka, and
the cross-border conflict between Christian Armenia and Moslem
Azerbaijan.
"What is really sad is that in most of these cases, religion
is being used as the main component in the human destruction
machine. This is something that is totally contradictory to all
religions that exist on the face of earth," he said.
The problem could potentially develop in Indonesia, Wahono
warned, adding that the integrity of the country is something
that every element in society must work for.
The various religious communities in Indonesia must hold
continuous dialogs to strengthen the sense of nationalism and
narrow the disparities that exist.
"They should cultivate a feeling of solidarity in the sense
that we all share the responsibility for the fate of all
citizens," he said. (rms)