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)