The price of arrogance

The bloody incidents at the end of 1996 and those in previous years which carried overtones of human rights violations fill us with deep concern.

What drove these people to such heartless and senseless actions to find a solution to their problems?

Manifested in the riots was arrogance and a sense of ultimate power. Power of the majority, or authority, or even a form of material power.

We can observe this from cases similar to the Situbondo incident which was spawned by a major group devoted to Islam. All religious teachings condemn the use of violence to settle problems. Islam in particular, is a religion of peace and great tolerance. It does not like to see its communities exercise arrogance, although Islam is predominant in this country.

We abhor uncontrolled actions in the name of religion. We have also observed arrogance by certain security officials, whose sense of power sparked several incidents such as the recent Tasikmalaya riots.

We agree with House Speaker Wahono who believes that we should not make hasty conclusions and that a third party was behind the unrest.

We are not ignoring the possibility that the incident was caused by a third party who wanted to confuse the situation.

The same can be observed from the case of Bernas reporter Udin who was brutally killed. We can also observe the case of a doctor's wife who harmed her maid in such a sadistic way that she eventually took her own life.

Excessive arrogance creates chronic psychological disability. These incidents need not have happened if people were more critical of themselves. God has blessed people and made them equal. There should, therefore, be no reason for anyone to dishonor another.

We are, at heart, all the same. Finally, I would like to tip my hat to the National Commission on Human Rights who aided the victims in quite an objective and neutral way.

We know that these victims were vulnerable in every aspect.

AGUS SALIM

Sragen, Central Java