Intolerance, hatred fertile soil for terrorism

Intolerance, hatred fertile soil for terrorism

Kornelius Purba, The Jakarta Post

The Air Force jet fighters were maneuvering on Sunday morning at
low altitude near the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in East
Jakarta, in preparation for the Indonesian Military's (TNI) 60th
anniversary.

Such a scene would usually have invoked a sense of pride in
those below; the exercise becoming for them a symbol of the
nation's strength and a demonstration of the state's readiness to
protect its citizens.

Only this time it was annoying, at least for a group of
desperate men who were discussing the increased fuel prices and
also the fresh attacks on Bali.

"I am just afraid the jets will fall," said one of them,
citing recent air crashes involving both commercial and military
aircraft.

"The pilots should fly directly to Bali to hunt down the
terrorists. They don't need to show off here," another said.

Their despair over the running of the nation, the fuel price
increases in particular, meant that rather than giving them a
sense of security, the jets' presence only made them feel more
vulnerable.

On Saturday, just four days before Muslims enter the fasting
month of Ramadhan, fuel prices were raised by an average of 126.6
percent. The people had already been feeling anxious over
the recent bird flu fatalities in the country and polio's
reemergence.

And then Bali was bombed again. Three years ago, 202 people,
mostly foreign tourists, had been killed in a terrorist attack on
the island. On Saturday, over 25 people were killed
and dozens of others injured. People's suffering seems complete
now. Innocent people were killed and Bali's economy was dealt
another blow. The terrorists have succeeded in humiliating the
nation.

After working hard to regain global trust following the Oct.
12 bombing in 2002, the Balinese have overnight been ruined. It
would not come as a surprise if action was taken against non-
Balinese residents, migrants from Java in particular. Emotional
demands, like calls for self-rule, may increase in the coming
weeks.

World leaders condemned Saturday's barbaric acts. As usual,
many groups from a range of religious and social backgrounds will
hold press conferences to formally denounce the attacks and
emphasize that Indonesia has zero tolerance for terrorism.

We Indonesians always insist that terrorism, fundamentalism
and extremism (of any kind) do not have a place in the hearts of
the majority here, because we are a peaceful nation. We strongly
believe that only a very small number of people are responsible
for these evil acts. But no matter how small they are, terrorism
in this country has become an alarming issue, even by world
standards.

Let us look into the mirror: Are we really as peaceful and as
tolerant as we have proclaimed ourselves to be to the world?
Maybe -- though we long to deny it -- we are not that sincere and
honest.

There are many among us who are becoming intolerant of those
who are of a different faith, ideology or political party. The
forced closures of places of worship, including the Ahmadiyah
mosques, have been incidents many of us have chosen to ignore.
Differences in religious interpretation or even cultural
teachings are regarded as unpardonable sins. The government, in
many cases, is also reluctant to enforce the law -- or is this
incompetency -- because it does not want to create "unnecessary
problems" just to protect minorities.

Is the choice of Bali as the target of bombings just because
many foreigners -- or "infidels" -- visit the island? Or is it
because the Balinese have a different religion and culture from
the majority of the population. Do the terrorists feel less
guilty killing people on Bali?

Do we really condemn all acts of terrorism? If so, our
condemnation should be reflected in our daily conduct. Or are
some acts less condemned than others?

Innocent victims have fallen in Bali, and in many other places
in the country. And more victims will fall if we are not prepared
to admit that we are a sick nation.

The state has an obligation to protect its citizens and anyone
staying or living in its territory. But the people are the most
important part of the state. We cannot just blame the government.
No matter how strong the government is in its fight against
terrorism, if its lacks public support, more people will fall
victim to those who maybe rightly think they can commit a crime
and walk away scot-free.

The writer can be reached at purba@thejakartapost.com