Role of religious leaders

Role of religious leaders

A seminar on development and human rights in Irian Jaya this
week heard a message from a native theologist that could be the
11th Commandment: "Thou shalt not overlook religious leaders."
The academic, who works at a school of theology in Jayapura, the
provincial capital of Indonesia's easternmost province,
criticized the authorities for neglecting to give religious
leaders in the predominantly Christian region a greater role in
the government's effort to modernize the area.

Benny Giay, the academic, said that local religious leaders
have started to act as middlemen in difficult and sensitive
situations, such as the current kidnapping of innocent people by
armed separatist rebels, but until recently the authorities had
never bothered to treat them as community leaders.

His criticism should be food for thought for the local
administration especially when taking into consideration the fact
that in several trouble spots the authorities -- especially the
military commanders -- have gained valuable experience from their
cooperation with local religious leaders.

It started three decades ago in West Java when the local
military was confronted by rebellion by radical Moslems. The
following years witnessed similar events in Aceh, which has
endured repeated separatist violence.

The administration of the predominantly Moslem province in
northern Sumatra has started to promote community harmony by
holding regular meetings with ulemas in which the governor has
heart-to-heart talks with Moslem scholars and religious teachers
in all the regencies. In the meetings the governor briefs the
ulemas about government development programs and the religious
leaders voice their ideas and submit their proposals.

Such an approach would be beneficial for both the
administration and the people of Irian Jaya because, as in Aceh
and other parts of the country, religious leaders play
significant roles in the society. They are genuine unofficial
leaders, whose influence is in most cases pivotal.

In Irian their role is inseparable from their historical
background. During the Dutch colonial era, which started in the
region at the end of the last century and formally ended in 1963,
the people in the central highlands, who still live in the stone
age, only had contact with the outside world through
missionaries. There was not a single government post in the
interior.

To make their presence felt -- and this is applicable in all
parts of Indonesia -- religious leaders need to increase their
social sensitivity and extend their sphere of influence beyond
places of worship.

For example, globalization has been threatening to uproot our
traditional and religious values. Leaders of all religions should
work together and flex their moral muscles to combat the negative
impacts of modernization and warn the government of the negative
aspects of TV programs, imported films and the advance of the
Internet.

Such activity would not only help them get their message
across but also ensure they win more respect from the
authorities.