Spiritual crisis 'root of problems'

Spiritual crisis 'root of problems'

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher said
yesterday that the root of the nation's problems stemmed from a
spiritual crisis emanating from pervasive materialism.

"Materialism has given birth to the country's most severe
crisis, namely a spiritual crisis which in the end has led to the
birth of a heartless people," he was quoted by Antara as saying
at the commemoration of the Nuzulul Qur'an (the descent of the
Koran, which is the holy book of Islam).

When materialism entered politics, people used politics as an
arena to struggle for power rather than fighting for the good of
the people, he said.

When materialism entered economics, then the wealthy
sacrificed the poor in order to amass even more wealth, he added.

"These are all a threat and a challenge in this time of
globalization, which can become not only a source of good things
but also a source of evil for people," he said.

The ceremony was held at the Istiqlal Grand Mosque, attended
by President Soeharto, Vice President Try Sutrisno, cabinet
ministers, foreign dignitaries and thousands of local Moslems.

Tarmizi also called on Moslem intellectuals to contribute
fresh ideas for the education and propagation of Islam in order
to help people face the globalization process.

The cleric H.M. Yunan Yusuf said in his sermon that
Indonesians needed to maintain a vigilance over life's many
temptations which came in the forms of wasteful lifestyles,
individualism and hedonism.

"If we surrender to these temptations, then peace of mind
flies out the window, and if we allow this situation to remain,
it will damage the order that we have built through hard work,"
he was quoted by Antara as saying. (swe)