Soeharto counting on ulemas' assistance

Soeharto counting on ulemas' assistance

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto said yesterday that he is
counting on the help of ulemas and other spiritual leaders to
build the character and moral strength of the Indonesian people
to cope with the challenges of the 21st century.

Soeharto emphasized the need to nurture and foster moral and
spiritual values among the people.

"This task cannot possibly be carried out by the government,
which is already burdened with so many administrative duties.
We're therefore delegating this difficult, yet noble, task to the
ulemas and other spiritual leaders," he said in opening the
congress of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) last night.

The ceremony at the State Palace kicked off a five-day
gathering of the influential organization which will also see an
election of its leadership.

MUI leaders said earlier that the meeting would address some
controversial issues, including the increasing violation of oaths
of office by senior government officials, corruption in the
administration and the campaign for the use of condoms in the
fight against AIDS. The council has stated its firm objection to
the condom campaign being conducted by the government.

Soeharto linked his speech to next month's 50th anniversary of
Indonesia's independence, acknowledging the role ulemas played in
firing up the people's spirit during the independence struggle 50
years ago.

"We hope that in this era of physical and spiritual
development, the ulemas will also be able to fire up the spirit
of development among the Moslem community," he said.

In a country which is predominantly Moslem ulemas would always
play an important role in state affairs, he said. "It has always
been a tradition in our society to turn to ulemas for advice on
spiritual matters as well as in relation to daily life
activities."

Soeharto admitted that role of ulemas in Indonesia went beyond
simply religious matters.

"Ulemas were in the front lines during the struggle against
colonialism, the nationalist movement, in the establishment of
the state, and during independence war.

"Some of the leaders of this nation, and some of Indonesia's
founding fathers, were ulemas. It is therefore normal to see
ulemas playing an active role in this nation, today."

Another crucial role that ulemas had played was as a bridge
between the Moslem community and the government, especially on
religious matters, he said.

They had been crucial in promoting harmonious coexistence
between the various religious communities in Indonesia, Soeharto
said. "In the two decades since it was established, the MUI has
contributed significantly to national development. We now rarely
hear about conflicts between various religions, which often
occurred in the 1970s," he said.

One specific task that Soeharto expected the MUI to perform
was to foster a more creative and competitive Moslem community in
Indonesia, in view of increasing global economic competition in
the 21st century.

Soeharto said the council should seek to nurture the mental
strength and character necessary for a Moslem to become
entrepreneur. (emb)