Islam fundamentalism

Former minister of religious affairs Munawir Sjadzali said recently that Moslems in Southeast Asia do not support Islam fundamentalism.

Moslems in Indonesia and Malaysia, in particular, he said, are satisfied with their social and political standing since they are the predominant decision makers in their respective countries.

We take Munawir's statement to be a declaration that Islam is different to radicalism. His observation that Moslems have almost never aired complaints in a serious manner is a reflection that Islam is not radical. In other words radicalism is not bred by religion. It arises only when a group of people -- not necessarily Moslems -- feel that they are being pushed against the wall or are being denied justice.

This tolerant view on religion will help us see that the revival of Islam is not threatening. From Indonesia's experience we see that this phenomenon is nothing more than a struggle for survival by a group of people in the mounting global competition in science and technology.

Hence, a repressive approach toward Moslems as applied ten years ago is no longer relevant. The availability of official communication channels has proven that Indonesian Moslems are not easily provoked.

-- Republika, Jakarta