Poet offers to recite the Koran

Poet offers to recite the Koran

SEMARANG (JP): Poet Emha Ainun Najib, who has often been at
odds with the military because of his critical poems, has
politely turned down an offer by the local military chief to read
his works, but he offered to recite the Koran instead.

"I will read verses from the Koran," Emha said of his planned
appearance at the commemoration of Armed Forces (ABRI) day at the
campus of the Diponegoro University.

"I've never written anything on the subject of ABRI and its
close relations with the people," he said when asked about his
reason not to read his poems. "It wouldn't be appropriate for me
to read my poems because they're critical."

Emha has been repeatedly banned from reading his poems in the
provinces over the past year because the military authorities
deemed his work too critical.

Diponegoro Military Command Chief Maj. Gen. Soeyono had
earlier asked Emha to contribute to the commemoration of ABRI Day
by reading some of his poems.

Soeyono, who is an ardent art fan, however said he would leave
the matter of censorship to his assistant in the command who
oversees socio-political affairs.

Emha suggested that the military invite other poets "who write
much more beautiful poems whose works are more widely
acceptable."

He cited Wiji Thukul, Kuspriyanto, Namma and Leak.

Asked about the reason he could not write uncritical poems,
Emha responded: "Nobody tells me how I should write, to criticize
or not to criticize. It's a matter of principle." (har/emb)