Soeharto calls for religious, ethnic unity
Soeharto calls for religious, ethnic unity
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto called for religious and
ethnic unity over the weekend and reminded the nation that
everybody belongs to the same human race.
Addressing a gathering of Moslems at the Istiqlal Grand Mosque
here Saturday, Soeharto said the Holy Quran and Prophet Muhammad
taught that all people are bound by one human race.
"In the life of the nation and state we must struggle for the
welfare of the whole nation, for all Indonesians, irrespective of
their race, ethnicity or religion," Soeharto said in the
gathering held to commemorate Nuzulul Qur'an, or the descent of
the Koran, the holy book of Islam.
He said that the essence of fasting in this month of Ramadhan
is to control appetites. People who can control their passions,
attitudes and behavior will show compassion for other people and
think of common good, he said.
"Controlling (our) passions trains us to become patient in
facing misfortune and gives us the spiritual strength to take up
challenges," he said.
One of the biggest challenges of development confronting the
Indonesian people, he said, was how to deal with the rapid
passage of time. He also called for increased religious
awareness.
"As a religious nation we do not want to see our religious
awareness fade. Religion has great value for Indonesia and for
developing mental and spiritual resilience.
"Strong religiosity is one of the Indonesian nation's
cultural strengths and spiritual assets," he said.
Saturday's was the latest of the President's recent calls for
national unity. In his year-end speech on Dec. 31, for instance,
Soeharto described how the nation was repeatedly rocked in 1996
by upheavals caused by social, cultural, political, economic and
religious tensions.
He said then that all upheavals, no matter how minor, could
harm the nation. This is why Indonesia should hold on to the
state-ideology Pancasila and uphold national interests and unity,
he said.
Some of the ugliest rioting and violence occurred in Indonesia
last year. Among the incidents were an attack in June against
migrants in East Timor, the July riots in Jakarta, the attacks on
churches in Situbondo (East Java) and Tasikmalaya (West Java) in
October and December, and an ethnic clash between Dayak tribesmen
and Madurese people in Sanggau Ledo, West Kalimantan.
Also attending Saturday's gathering were Vice President Try
Sutrisno, Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher, a number
of cabinet ministers and foreign dignitaries.
About 87 percent of Indonesia's 200 million people are Moslem,
with around 5 percent Christian or Catholic and 5 percent
Buddhist or Hindu. (swe)