'Republika' wins youth support over NU coverage

'Republika' wins youth support over NU coverage

JAKARTA (JP): Only a week after being labeled as slanderous by
supporters of the newly-elected Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Chairman
Abdurrahman Wahid, the Moslem-oriented Republika daily yesterday
received support from a group of Moslems for the way it has been
covering the affairs of NU.

Some 60 members of the Communication Forum for Young Moslem
Generations (FKGMI) gathered at the daily to express their
support and called on Republika to be steadfast in its mission.

"Republika -- deliver the voice of Islam", read one student's
poster. Another read "Tell the truth, we're behind you".

With the males in white shirts and the females wearing white
headscarves, the students also called on the daily to be wary of
any "infiltration of Jewish, socialist elements".

"Beware of infiltrators that could divide the ummat," the
students said, while chanting, "There's no god but Allah" and,
"Allah is Greatest" every now and then.

The students also designated Republika as an alternative
source of information amidst the numerous other media which have
for some time been "influenced by Jewish elements".

They urged the daily to "take sides with the truth and Islam
as a whole". "We'll continue to support you as long as you are
still standing on our side", they said.

The students' declaration of support yesterday was an obvious
response to last week's protest by another group against
Republika.

The first group of students, who also burned some Republika
newspapers, alleged that their coverage of NU's congress
slandered Abdurrahman. The controversial NU leader was re-elected
chairman of NU at the congress, despite strong outside pressure
for him to step down.

Yesterday's group of protesters, on the other hand, believed
that Republika's coverage of NU and its controversial leader was
"fair and proportional".

A well-informed source told The Jakarta Post that last week's
protesters were supporters of NU, while FKGMI members came from
the opposite camp that believed that Abdurrahman had been acting
in ways that harmed Indonesian Moslems.

"When they said Jewish, they were referring to Abdurrahman,"
the source said.

Abdurrahman became the target of much Moslem protest recently
after he visited Israel and, subsequently, suggested that
Indonesia open diplomatic ties with the Jewish state.

The FKGMI students yesterday also expressed concern over the
growing differences in Republika, Pelita and Terbit, three
Moslem-oriented newspapers. "These differences have started to
look like division," the students said.

They called for introspection by the various parties and
dialog with one another. "We call on Moslem institutions and
organizations to be wary of intervention from other parties who
wish to manipulate," they said.

Nine of the students were received by chief editor Sinansari
Ecip, head of the Jakarta bureau Ahmadie Thaha, and several staff
members.

Ecip welcomed the support which he said reflected "the
readers' sense of belonging toward the newspaper", and promised
to continue giving voice to Moslem aspirations.

Republika was established two years ago by the powerful
Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI), after it
raised some Rp 40 billion of capital by issuing around 10 million
shares. The foundation which publishes the daily, Yayasan Abdi
Bangsa, holds some 5.1 million shares, while its employees hold
two million shares.

President Soeharto, who is patron of the publishing
foundation, selected the name of the newspaper. (swe)