Mutual openness

Mutual openness

From Rakyat Merdeka

Many have written to me to comment on my article of Dec. 11, 2000 in Rakyat Merdeka titled The unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) might cease to exist including a 66-year old grandma from Bandung (West Java). Nearly all of them have asked me when the Ratu Adil (The Queen of Justice) will come to help the disorganized and suffering Indonesian nation survive, awaken, grow and develop.

The NKRI, which is based on the state philosophy of Pancasila as the basic philosophy of life, adopts plurality including the plurality of religions. Islam and Christianity are two different religions each claiming to be the true religion. They will, however, never be able to unite. If they did, it would signal the end of the world. Therefore, there will always be conflicts or wars between the two. Then God created the Madinah Charter so that there could be peaceful coexistence between the two.

In Indonesia, the so-called Piagam Jakarta (The Jakarta Charter) in my opinion could be regarded as equal to the Madinah Charter because both are aimed at preventing conflicts and wars from happening. The Jakarta Charter, therefore, could be adopted by Indonesia so that with peaceful coexistence between Muslems and Christians, in which both religions support each other, there could be true peace and welfare in this country.

DR. AGUS UTORO

Serang, Banten