Social illnesses

Social illnesses

From Merdeka

These days a lot has been said about prevailing violence in
society, be it student brawls, turmoil in entertainment arenas,
and the recent tragedies in Situbondo, Tasikmalaya, and Tanah
Sangau in West Kalimantan.

We have also witnessed other forms of violence and sadism such
as holdups and robberies which were often followed by the torture
of the victims or even murder and rape. These facts have made
many of us wonder why a community which is so well-known for its
kindheartedness, politeness, and high religious morality has
become so violent?

The seriousness of the situation has compelled the
Muhammadiyah chairman Amin Rais, to appeal to the community to
consider and handle the situation more seriously. House Speaker
Wahono has said that our society is seriously sick. Some believe
that violence is a pure crime and therefore deserves due
sanctions according to the Penal Code. Other circles have said
that the riots were engineered by certain groups or political
affiliations that were against stable establishments.

All of us need to introspect, to know what our shortcomings
are and diagnose our illnesses. Some may suffer from greediness
and arrogance. Others may not be concerned with people's
suffering, and still other people like to play with sensitive
matters to create disturbances, etc. All of these social
illnesses must be cured. And those who have become addicts need
to repent.

AMIN OETORO

Bandung, West Java