Scholars warn against parties linked to religion
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)