Scholars warn against parties linked to religion

JAKARTA (JP): Religious scholars and a political observer voiced concern yesterday over possible adverse repercussions if people established religion-affiliated political parties.

Moslem scholar Nurcholish Madjid, Jakarta Bishop Julius Kardinal Darmaatmadja and political observer Mochtar Pabottingi spoke in a discussion on the emergence of religion-linked political parties at the Institute of Islamic Studies.

Nurcholish said it would be better if political parties did not carry any religious banners.

"We have had traumatic experiences with religion-based political parties," he said, while referring to a plan by hundreds of leaders of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem organization to set up a political party. Other organizations, such as Syarikat Islam and Satuan Karya Ulama, have either declared or expressed their readiness to become political parties.

"Religion-based political parties would only confuse their members," Nurcholish said, adding that such parties were irrelevant in a culture as diverse as Indonesia.

He said that should NU leaders have a plan to establish a party, they should avoid names which carry the acronym of NU such as Nahdlatul Ulama or Nahdlatul Ummat.

"If NU leaders want to set up a political party, they can use Partai Adil Makmur (Just and Prosperous Party) instead of using names that remind people of NU," he said.

Disappointment

A political party from the 1950s until the early 1970s, NU merged with three other Islam-based parties and formed the United Development Party (PPP). However, it then broke away from PPP out of disappointment over party executives' policies and decided to quit politics.

Speaking about the recent establishment of the Chinese- Indonesians for Reform Party (Parti), Nurcholish said it was their right to set up such a race-based political party.

"However, it should have been avoided as it will only strengthen the exclusive image of the Chinese-Indonesians," he said.

"In the end, it will become the target of brutal actions of other major elements of the nation (during unrest) as has happened in the past," he added.

Indonesians of Chinese origin have been the victims of various outbreaks of social unrest in many parts of country over many years.

Nurcholish called on Indonesians not to rush to jump on the bandwagon and establish political parties of their own without careful thought.

Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid said yesterday that all Indonesians now had the freedom to establish political parties of their own.

"The legality of the three existing political parties and the newly established parties will depend on the imminent political laws (currently being drafted by the government)," Syarwan said yesterday.

Several political parties have been established recently. They include the Indonesian Women's Party (PP), the Indonesian Workers Party (PPI), the Musyawarah Kekeluargaan Gotong Royong (MKGR), and the Parti.

Existing laws say only the dominant Golkar, PPP and the Christian-nationalist alliance Indonesian Democratic Party are allowed to contest general elections. (imn)