Patriotism should be about coming together in a crisis

At the closing of the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly two weeks ago, speaker Amien Rais told all Assembly members not to leave their seats before singing a couple of patriotic songs.

A day later, I sneered when I saw a sarcastic comment on the front page of one local paper, saying the legislators brought to mind kindergarten students singing eagerly before getting to go home.

Now I am sure Amien meant well with the gesture -- perhaps as a show of nationalism to convince taxpayers watching the session on TV that their money did not go to waste in paying for the luxury accommodations for the legislators during the session.

But in the context of the JW Marriott bombing just two days earlier, it did look rather inane.

The bombing was another setback for the country, after having worked hard to convince the world that it was a safe place following the arrest of many of the suspects in last year's Bali bombings that killed more than 200 people.

It showed how the complaisant authorities neglected all the signs that a major terrorist attack was imminent here, especially after five minor blasts had already occurred this year.

Perhaps in the minds of the legislators that day, singing patriotic songs ahead of Independence Day would boost the nation's morale, showing the people that we're still together, fighting whatever enemies we have.

But are we really all still together in this?

I fear that we have become a nation of indifferent people, anesthetized by the barrage of news about terrorism, of corruptors going unpunished and our frustrating maze-like political scene.

I sense that despite the public figures' perfunctory condemnations and the tears on the porcelain cheeks of celebrities visiting the blast site in a show of sympathy, the latest terrorist attack has not really registered with us as strongly as it should have.

And who better demonstrates this than President Megawati Soekarnoputri herself. It took days before she actually addressed the tragedy in public, and even then it was a passing reference during a speech at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations ceremony.

Then it took her another week (during her budget speech to the legislature on Friday) to talk at slightly greater length about her commitment to fighting terrorism. Otherwise, she has been quiet, leaving the job of communication to her senior ministers.

Frankly, I am stunned by her extraordinary ability to go "missing in action" in a crisis.

Perhaps she is not aware that true leaders are not just born (especially born to another true leader). They emerge during testing times -- when their leadership is most needed.

But I guess there are some people who think silence is always golden; others are far too happy to talk.

They have nothing to do but lay blame: on the government, the police, the intelligence agencies. They even theorize that, like the previous attacks, the latest bombing is part of a foreign- orchestrated "grand conspiracy" to undermine Indonesia and religious groups.

This theory has been around for some time, and the Marriott blast provides the momentum to raise the issue once again. I really think these people should be given full opportunity to present their case to the public, not just talk about it or cite rumors and theories circulating on Internet mailing lists.

I agree that no one religion should be tarred with the brush of terrorism and, despite all my qualms with the police and the government, they have been pretty good at keeping this from becoming a religious issue. It is, in fact, the commentators, including religious leaders, who have made it such.

With so many victims already, and probably more to come, it is our duty as citizens who respect the right to live free of fear to support the current investigation into the Marriott bombing and the efforts to prevent other terrorist attacks.

It is here that we can learn from the U.S., the alleged "grand conspirator".

After the 9/11 attacks, that country, regardless of politics, race and religion, united against terrorism. Ensuing controversial policies aside, the effort heightened public alertness and mobilized support for preemptive measures.

Perhaps we should rethink our concept of patriotism: It is no longer about fighting colonizers who have long gone, but about coming together in our time of crisis. And that is now.

-- Sarasvati