Society's materialistic behavior upsets Ulemas

Society's materialistic behavior upsets Ulemas

JAKARTA (JP): An influential Moslem leader expressed concern
yesterday over what he said was a drift towards materialism in
Indonesian society.

The chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI), Hasan
Basri, attributed the trend to national development which had, he
said, concentrated too much on material development, at the
expense of spiritual development.

Social trends are one of the chief concerns of the council,
which is scheduled to hold a national congress beginning
tomorrow, Hasan Basri said as quoted by Antara.

"Our concerns include rising business collusion and
corruption in society," he told reporters after opening a two-day
closed seminar in preparation for the congress, which is slated
to be opened by President Soeharto tomorrow.

The MUI would constantly remind society to return to ethical
and moral teachings in order that people lead balanced and
harmonious lives, he said.

The national development program had already encompassed both
material and spiritual aspects, he said, although in its
implementation it had put too much emphasis on the former.

"Development is not simply a matter of building bridges, but
also of building the minds of the people who will walk on the
bridges."

The seminar, involving ulemas, scholars and religious leaders,
would address some of the main concerns of the MUI, he said.

The topics to be discussed at the congress will include
business ethics, ulemas' role in the development of the welfare
of the Moslem community, optimizing Islamic taxes and alms, sex
outside marriage, deviations in sexual behavior, the use of
condoms and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), Antara
reported. (emb)