Power in the hands of corruptors and gamblers

The powers of a democratic country should be in the hands of politicians, but not in this country. Chairman of Indonesia's biggest Muslim organization, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), KH Hasyim Muzadi, said the power in the country is in the hands of corrupt people and gamblers, who happen to be the decision-makers.

This, he said, is the concern of an ulema who sees from his perspective that the morals of the country's political elite have gone beyond the bounds of decency.

Hasyim said the existence of political morality is being threatened, because the one that determines victory in general elections is no longer the political party but the power that can afford the party -- the corruptors and gamblers.

Previously, the NU and the country's second biggest Muslim organization, the Muhammadiyah, have agreed to cooperate to fight corruption.

However, it would be better for the NU and Muhammadiyah to support the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) in making a ruling or fatwa that would stress that wealth obtained through corruption is forbidden.

This would be more useful than making a ruling on bank interest MUI recently declared as forbidden.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta