Religious leaders appeal for calm

JAKARTA (JP): Religious leaders on Monday were in shock over the bloody Sunday night bombings and immediately focused their efforts on appeals for everyone to remain calm and unprejudiced to avoid reprisal which could impair the already fragile situation.

Amid the expressions of condolence and despair, it was apparent that a recurrence of such an attack, especially with the Islamic Idul Fitri celebrations just around corner, was heavy in the minds of most religious leaders.

Senior religious and community figures of all denominations, such as Nurcholish Madjid and Franz Magnis-Suseno, gathered here Monday morning as a show of unity to jointly denounce the attack and make a common stand against the terror.

Visibly in tears, Nurcholish was choking as he tried to face the press and speak of the night's bloody attack.

Such was his apparent grief that he could only say "we are concerned and express our condolences" before having to hand over the microphone.

It took the respected Muslim scholar sometime before he could again gather himself to speak.

"Last night's act of terror is the most blatant form of Machiavellianism," Nurcholish remarked adding that it was done by someone who is not religious.

"I believe that if on the eve or during Idul Fitri such an attack again occurs, then it is certain that the perpetrators are the same," he said.

Earlier Julius Cardinal Darmaatmadja, the archbishop of Jakarta, in his address at a Christmas mass on Monday morning said he was fearful of what would happen if the perpetrators again launched a similar attack during the Muslim holy day.

"I'm afraid these people would again commit such acts when Muslims conduct Idul Fitri prayers two days from now and make it look like it was Christians who did it," he said.

If that happens then the chaos sought by these people could occur, he warned.

The Bishops' Council of Indonesia (KWI) said everyone should mourn for the dead and injured which included Christians, Catholics and Muslims.

"However Christians should be able to think clearly based on the spirit of faith and Christmas...This means actively creating an atmosphere of peace," KWI said on Monday in a statement.

"In concrete terms, we call on Christians to remain calm and not be easily provoked to engage in any sort of violent act, no matter how small."

"Don't be easily swayed by rumors or reports which can incite anger."

KWI said its statement was based on the fact that the bomb attacks were very well planned and executed, which could lead to the assumption that a large, organized and financially powerful force was behind the attacks.

KWI further stressed that people should not be trapped under the false assumptions that the bombing was done by Muslims against Christians and that in retaliation attacks on Idul Fitri will be carried out by Christians.

Meanwhile a consortium of religious and social groups in Central Java and Yogyakarta also described the attack as an attempt to shatter the harmony between religious faiths in the country.

"The bombing attack was not done by one religious group against another. The targets which were houses of worship is only a part of a strategy to incite social conflict based on religion," the Joint Consortium for the Salvation of Nation (Konbermasa).

"The bombing was part of a systematic effort by certain groups which cannot accept the Indonesian nation entering a new era of awakening...If the awakening succeeds this group will lose its privileges (both economic and political) which it has enjoyed so far," the consortium said without identifying the groups it meant.

As a precautionary measure, the consortium also called on Muslims not to act hastily should similar attacks occur during the Idul Fitri festivities.

Separately Muhammadiyah executive Din Syamsuddin in the wee hours of Monday also urged Muslims to be aware of groups trying to provoke religious conflict.

"The bomb terrors are a brutal attack which has to be faced together by Muslims and Christians," Din, who is also general secretary of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas, said as quoted by Antara.

Another Islamic group, Al-Irsyad Al-Islamiyah, denounced the attack and described it as an act of anarchy.

"We call on the nation to remain aware of provocation...The general public, particularly Muslims, should not be provoked into reacting emotionally and taking the law into their own hands," the group's chairman F. Zein Badjabir.

In Makassar, South Sulawesi, religious figures in the province gathered together late Monday night to jointly declare that anyone connected with launching the bombing attacks should be declared "a common enemy".

South Sulawesi Governor HZB. Palaguna who also attended the meeting, called on the people of the province to also assist in ensuring that a situation of clam remains.

He insisted that residents be "active" in conducting preventive measures.

In Bandung, the head of the West Java chapter of the Indonesian Ulemas Council Hafidz Utsman called on authorities to thoroughly investigate this despicable act which threatens to undermine the peace and tolerance among the various faiths in the country.

"This bomb attack is clearly an attempt to pit one against the other. Authorities must work hard to uncover who is behind it," he said as quoted by Antara.

Hafidz further suggested that the attack may be a consequence of the political euphoria of political elites striving to progress their individual political ambitions.

"Political elites should emulate the Prophet Muhammad by expressing calming and pleasant words. If not they should just keep quiet," he remarked.

"Let's use the Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year's as a momentum to strengthen inter-faith tolerance," he added. (team)