Pomposity (1)

From Republika

I was taken aback by K. H. Hasan Basri's statement concerning Darul Arqam (Republika, Aug. 10, 1994). K. H. Hasan Basri, who is Chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI), said "... wearing turbans, they thought they were great ulemas. When holding a dialog, the participating parties should have the same level of knowledge. Or they would misuse the forum ...".

This is certainly an insulting comment. It clearly shows pomposity on the part of the MUI's Chairman. In fact, he should be broad-minded, uphold openness and should be ready to accept differences of opinion. Could not he look at things positively?

How can the Arqam people defend their opinions if they are denied open dialogs. There is clearly no presumption of innocence. If the Arqam movement is wrong, MUI should be prepared to prove their allegations and the give the proper guidance to correct the deviations.

DILLA AKBAR S.

Bogor, West Java