Religious leaders appeal for calm

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)