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)