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)