'Sweeping' unclear to some Jakartans
'Sweeping' unclear to some Jakartans
Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Although they have often heard of the word "sweeping",
residents of Pondok Pinang area in South Jakarta have no clue
about its meaning, let alone establishing an antisweeping forum
to help protect foreigners in the city.
Therefore, the antisweeping banners displayed by the Kebayoran
Lama Police at an intersection in South Jakarta on the residents'
behalf, were ignored as most residents do not feel the necessity
to partake in something they do not understand.
"I don't quite understand the meaning of the word sweeping. I
don't know the meaning, or the purpose of it," said Ishak, a
neighborhood unit chief of the Pondok Pinang subdistrict, which
is located only a few kilometers away from the elite Pondok Indah
residential area.
When the banners hung by the police since Saturday, right down
the street from his village, saying "Residents of Kebayoran Lama
are against anarchic action and sweeping of foreigners" were
pointed out to him, Ishak said that he was aware of the banners,
yet he did not fully understand the meaning.
"I am against any violent actions toward people regardless of
their nationality, but if Pondok Indah is attacked, what can I
do?," he told The Jakarta Post.
"Should such a thing happen, God forbid, I would probably just
stay at home.. I don't want to get involved in anything I'm not
sure about," he added.
His neighbor Rolly expressed the same bewilderment when asked
about his stance on anti-foreigner sweeping.
"I don't agree with violent actions... that's what sweeping
is, right? " Rolly asked the Post.
However, Rolly quickly added that he, too, is against violence
and believes that people should help one another in times of
trouble.
Groups of Muslim hard-liners have been rallying in the city,
mainly in front of the U.S. Embassy to protest the U.S.-led
attack on Afghanistan which has prompted several countries to
issue a travel warning to its citizens.
Residents and businesspeople on Jl. Jaksa, which is popular
among backpackers, have formed a forum to protect foreigners as
tourists begin to desert hotels and restaurants in the area.
Residents in Tebet, South Jakarta and in Tanjung Priok, North
Jakarta, have also formed a similar forum along with local
administration and security authorities.
One Islamic school teacher, Muhimin, also a resident of Pondok
Pinang, said that he was against the sweeping of foreigners
because he loves peace.
"If they come to attack, I will try to negotiate with the
perpetrators, God's willing. That is, if I am accompanied by the
other residents," he explained.