Nation urged to hold on to spirit of reform

Nation urged to hold on to spirit of reform

JAKARTA (JP): Respected Moslem scholar Nurcholish Madjid urged
the nation yesterday to hold on to its recently promulgated
spirit for reform and strive for "a just, open, and democratic
civil society".

In a statement read before about 150 participants at a
discussion organized by the Paramadhina religious discussion
group here, Nurcholish said it was only through such a society
that social justice could be upheld.

"With conscience and justice we must build our social,
political and economic systems so there will be no more
discrepancies in the distribution of national wealth," Nurcholish
said.

The scholar argued that only through a fair and equal system,
free of prejudice, could such a balanced society be forged.

"An unjust and discriminative view toward one certain group
must be discarded from our society and we must develop a view
that promotes brotherhood among citizens.

"Openness is also a reform value that is very essential. It is
only through the principle of openness can a transparent social
political system be developed which allows people to have direct
control over it."

To ensure such a system exists, Nurcholish said the freedom to
assemble and to express one's opinion must exist.

"Effective public control will prevent practices which are
against good morality and ethics... it is through effective
public control that a good and clean governance can be
established," he said.

"It is only through effective public control that civic
morality could be brought about." (aan)