Muhammadiyah seeks an end to new imperialism

I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

Indonesia's second-largest Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah, ended its annual meeting here on Sunday, calling on the international community to put an end to what it sees as a new form of imperialism.

The organization also urged all nations to further develop an international dialog, and renounce any hegemonic power whose actions could lead to the destruction of civilizations.

"Muhammadiyah invites the international community to put an end to all violence and neo-imperialism which has caused suffering in places like Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Kashmir, and in other Muslim nations and developing countries," Muhammadiyah said in its recommendation, issued at the end of a four-day meeting in Denpasar, Bali.

The recommendation also touched on subjects critical to Indonesia, such as current widespread corruption, collusion and nepotism, locally known as KKN, along with religious and ethnic conflicts.

Muhammadiyah, which claims 30 million members, also stressed the importance of promoting the rights of women and children.

A peaceful dialog, firm law enforcement, building a democratic and civil society, and displaying a willingness to sacrifice one's individual and group interests for the common good, were among other things offered by the organization as remedies to the crises plaguing the country.

Briefing the press after the closing ceremony, Muhammadiyah chairman Ahmad Syafii Maarif stressed that neo-imperialism could take the form of economic imperialism, or, more dangerously, cultural imperialism.

Yet, Syafii said that he was aware that the struggle to eradicate neo-imperialism was a long-term goal. The Muslim people would have the chance to win this struggle if they had enough courage to be more self-critical, he said.

"If Muslim people are being terrorized, trampled upon, or otherwise suffering, we must have the courage to look at our own weaknesses -- we should not just blame others, but we must also dare to admit our own failures.

"I believe it will be some time before we can achieve this, but I hope that we will be able to accelerate this enlightenment process in the future, Muslim people everywhere can stand up to other forces of the world as their equals," Syafii said.

One way to do so, according to Syafii, would be by holding a global international dialog.

Failure to do so in the face of this new imperialism, he warned, would transform the world into a place void of happiness.

"But I do believe that the initial step toward achieving this dialog has already begun.

"Presently, U.S. senators are organizing the 50th National Prayer on Feb. 7.; representatives from some 160 countries are invited to join the event. I too was invited but, unfortunately, I cannot attend," he said.

"This event is a sign that the U.S., despite its superpower status, has already realized that power-based principles and approaches in dealing with other nations cannot be maintained any longer," he said.

Separately, Muhammadiyah Vice Chairman Din Syamsudin described the reasoning behind the recommendation on neo-imperialism.

"The participants were aware of the existence of certain imbalances in the world of today," he said.

"This imbalance is caused by globalism, which gives rise to subjective interpretations of world events that favor the interests of powerful countries," he said.

The U.S. "war on terror," launched unilaterally and without sufficient agreement from the international community, was just one manifestation of this new imperialism, Din asserted.

"Indonesia, its government and its people, must stand tall and fight this new imperialism," he said.

Muhammadiyah's recommendations for the nation

1. All social movements must undertake reform

2. A mobilization of national efforts toward civil society

3. An end to corruption and nepotism

4. The resolution of religious and social conflicts

5. An avoidance of the use of repression and violence in resolving conflicts

6. An increase of local participation in civic affairs, without selfishness based on local and regional interests

7. Accommodation of greater public participation, including the needs and interests of women and children

8. A promotion of collective integration

9. An end to "new imperialism," hegemony, and a promotion of dialogues between nations