Public warned not to be complacent

Public warned not to be complacent

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto told followers of all
religions not to be complacent just because they have overcome so
many difficulties.

Speaking at the commemoration of Prophet Muhammad's ascension
at the Istiqlal Mosque on Tuesday evening, the President said no
one should feel complacent when faced with success.

The prophet's ascension is his night journey through the sky
from Mecca to Jerusalem from where he later proceeded to heaven,
ascending to the divine presence.

Soeharto said God Almighty tested Indonesians with both
successes and failures.

"Expressing gratitude to God is important in the effort to
deliver ourselves from the temptation to savor the fruits of
development as soon as possible," he told thousands of Moslems
who crammed the main hall of the Southeast Asia's biggest mosque.

Meanwhile Dr. Amin Rais, chairman of the Muhammadiyah
organization, said at the ceremony that the essence of the
nocturnal journey is the order the prophet received from God for
Moslems to pray five times a day.

"Daily prayer does not only function to protect Moslems from
doing evil things but also boosts the sense of discipline of the
believers," said Amin, who is also the lecturer of the post-
graduate studies at Gadjah Mada State University in Yogyakarta.

Amin said a people who are highly discipline usually respect
the value of time, have a work ethic and are mentally strong when
facing challenges.

"On the other hand," he said, "the absence of discipline will
make the people irresponsible to God or their own community," he
warned. (tis)