Inscrutable you: Graham makes sense of Indonesia
Dewi Anggraeni, Contributor, Melbourne, Australia
The People Next Door: Understanding Indonesia
Duncan Graham
University of Western Australia Press, Western Australia, 2004
Paperback, 189 pp
For decades, sociologists and political scientists in the Western world have published books on Indonesia. In the meantime, however, good books written outside academia, by those who are genuinely interested in exploring other cultures, are few and far between.
The recent launch of Graham's book is worthy of our attention. To begin with, he opens his author's note with Mohon jangan tersinggung (please don't be offended). The reader may be intrigued, or suspicious about what lies within its pages.
Is the author going to metaphorically strip Indonesia bare, showing all her imperfections, including those she herself would rather not know?
No, Graham does not serve Indonesia up warts and all, but he does paint an interesting portrait of her, apparently after spending time to become acquainted with her, then allowing her to confide in him; a more gentle and civilized way of obtaining information.
As the title suggests, the book has been written primarily for Australians, though it certainly is useful reading for other nationals, as well as Indonesians themselves.
The way Graham describes the Indonesia he encountered and observed is revealing but affectionate all at once. He emphasizes differences and contrasts vis-a-vis Australia without expressing too much biased judgment. The instances he describes as anomalies or absurd are always accompanied by equivalents in Australia, or by introspective ponderings.
For example, on religion, Graham wrote: "For Indonesians, religion is not an add-on, it's at the core of life... Inter- faith marriage is illegal. However, most people seem to accept the restriction which many Westerners would consider a gross intrusion into their private lives by the State."
The last paragraph of that section reads, "And if religion creates that ease of mind and soul, who are we to criticize as we wander a spiritual desert of materialistic values and selfish ambition?"
The book is made alive by anecdotes illustrating and underlining the values of the local culture, often in a humorous and entertaining way. And being a good journalist, Graham did not forget to include profiles of real people, from personalities of note to the average Amin and Aminah, so to speak.
It seems that Graham feels most at home in East Java, because he devotes most of the last part -- one-third, no less -- of the book describing people, events and customs in this province. And interestingly, while he maintains an engaging manner throughout the book, the language certainly accelerates into a raconteur style when depicting everyone and everything East Javanese, all the while never once forgetting to draw parallels with Australia.
In parts where a non-Australian may smile at the humor, an Australian reader will, without doubt, hoot with laughter.
About a pesantren (Islamic boarding school)in Lamongan (where Bali bomber Amrozi was brought up), he wrote: "Are suicide bombers being groomed for stardom, as the anti-Islamic conspiracy theorists who have never been to Lamongan will surely believe? Trying to gainsay such allegations is like convincing fundamentalist Muslims that the Salvos (Salvation Army) don't carry Armalites in their trumpet cases."
Graham breaks stereotypes without being tendentious. In the part about people with social conscience who are also doers, he tells of Alam, a Muslim who went to a Catholic school because his father, a low-level public servant and widower raising three other children, considered the education might be better, though certainly more expensive.
"I was frightened at first because I thought they might try to convert me. But there were no problems. I even went to church sometimes," he quotes Alam as saying.
In the section about language, he casually explains what former president Abdurrahman Wahid (known by his nickname Gus Dur) meant when he said Australia was being "childish" about its involvement in East Timor, a comment which offended many Australians then.
"Gus Dur is saying, 'I know you're right, just don't make a big thing about it'".
The People Next Door is safe to bring into your bedroom for bedtime reading, without it becoming just harmless entertainment. On the contrary, it is a serious book presented in a light- hearted and charming way, written by an Australian who is serious about further opening communication between his country and Indonesia.