No to Islamic state
No to Islamic state
Aged 63, I am a retired official of the Ministry of Finance. I
have kept up with the historic journey of the Indonesian nation
from the Dutch colonial era until now. I have experienced the ups
and downs of the struggle waged by this nation. I witnessed the
proclamation of the independence of Indonesia on Aug. 17, 1945
and the establishment of the Unitary State of the Republic of
Indonesia based on Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution.
I am a Muslim, so are all my family members. I would be very
happy if Muslims make progress and develop. Muslims make up the
majority of the Indonesian nation. It is my great wish to see
Islam propagation and Islam-based education, which seeks to
improve the moral quality and the intelligence of the nation,
develop rapidly. I also long to see Muslims live happily and
prosperously and always nurture a hope that they will improve
economically.
Recently, however, some quarters claiming to be Muslims have
expressed their ambition that when they win the 1999 general
election they intend to change the Unitary State of the Republic
of Indonesia into an Islamic state. The Indonesian people,
including Muslims themselves, must always be on guard against
this intention. Efforts must made to prevent the establishment of
an Islamic state in Indonesia.
The 1945 Constitution may be amended and reformed because this
constitution was originally intended to apply only during the
physical struggle to establish the state based on the 1945
Proclamation. But, once again, do not remove Pancasila as the
state's foundation and replace it with Islamic laws. If this
happens, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia will
disintegrate and will be doomed to ruin.
The state of the Republic of Indonesia is made up of various
ethnic groups professing different religions and beliefs in God.
Efforts must be made to keep intact the unity of the Indonesian
nation as a great nation. The legacy passed on to us by Sukarno-
Hatta and all Indonesian heroes and national freedom fighters
must be kept intact. Let me quote an example. As early as prior
to the establishment of the 1945 Constitution, Bung Hatta, a
Muslim intellectual from West Sumatra, expressed his disagreement
to the inclusion of the Jakarta Charter in the preamble of the
1945 Constitution.
I am also convinced that today the majority of Indonesians,
including national figures such as Abdurrahman Wahid, Amien Rais,
Megawati, Nurcholis Madjid, Marzuki Darusman, Ali Sadikin, Sri
Bintang Pamungkas, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, President B.J,
Habibie and even Gen. Wiranto, would disapprove of the idea to
establish an Islamic state. Keep Pancasila as the state's
foundation; this is the best for the Indonesian people.
SUHARSONO HADIKUSUMO
Jakarta