Megawati asks clerics to fight against fanaticism
Megawati asks clerics to fight against fanaticism
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri asked the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)
on Thursday to fight against the fanaticism in Islam that had
given the religion its dark image.
Addressing the congress of the country's largest Muslim
organization, the president said as the world's most populous
Muslim country, Indonesia should be able to show the true
peaceful teachings of Islam.
"Isn't it our intention to show that Islam is a peaceful
religion and is capable of creating prosperity in the world?"
Megawati asked the congress rhetorically.
She called on the congress to take the initiative to guide the
small Muslim groups that had wrongfully implemented the teachings
of Islam.
"Hopefully, we can help or even save the small groups, which
often claim to be the representatives of Indonesian Muslims and
who impose their narrow views that are actually harmful to Islam
and the country," Megawati said.
NU and the second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah
are well known as moderate Muslim organizations that respect
pluralism, which represents the majority of the Indonesian
Muslims.
On Wednesday, senior officials of the two organizations and
church leaders agreed to oppose proposals by hard-line groups
which demanded the Constitution be changed to allow the
imposition of sharia (Islamic) law.
However, the peaceful image of Indonesia was challenged by the
presence of hard-line Muslim groups such as Laskar Jihad and the
Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).
The groups, which only represent a small number of Indonesian
Muslims, have continued to take the law into their own hands and
conduct raids throughout the country on what the believe are
unlawful activities, like gambling and drinking alcohol.
Their activities have also allegedly added to the prolonged
sectarian clashes in Ambon, Maluku, and in Poso, Central
Sulawesi, during the last three years.
The international community has repeatedly questioned the true
image of Islam in Indonesia because of the activities of these
groups.
Megawati said in her speech that there were many Muslims who
had been "living in the dark" and should be lifted out from their
narrow religious fanaticism.
"We can also broaden our religious perspective by promoting
the loving and forgiving attitude and annulling the narrow-minded
view that to have a different (opinion or stance) is wrong," she
said.
The president also called on religious leaders to play a
greater role and give examples in building the peaceful and
plural attitude.
"We need the help of the religious leaders to widen the
perception and we expect Nahdlatul Ulama to help educate the
nation," she said.