To Emha Ainun Nadjib

To Emha Ainun Nadjib

From Republika

Indonesian television has made great progress over the years, especially as a source of information, but regrettably it has also brought a decline in moral values and in the preservation of Eastern culture.

The negative impact from the decline has got my friends and me worried. I once wrote a letter of the same tenor to this newspaper and directed it to those responsible for the broadcasts of the television stations. I also asked the ulemas (religious teachers or leaders) for their attention to the matter, in the hope that they would take the appropriate steps to solve the matter.

I am very disappointed. It was as if my voice remained unheeded. Therefore I now prefer to write to Emha Ainun Nadjib (Cak Nun), a person who I see as having greater sensitivity towards problems like these.

I hope that Cak Nun will understand and respond to our social concerns. His voice will be heeded rather than ours.

Frankly speaking, I am disillusioned by the attitude of some of our ulemas who remain silent watching TV programs which clearly show moral deviations. It is as if the interest of a few people at the TV stations is more important than the moral safety of the whole Indonesian society. When we voice our concerns to the ulemas and they do not respond, we feel like children who have lost their parents.

We therefore hope that Cak Nun will represent us to stop the growth of the roots of evil caused by the television programs with negative impact. It is undeniable that many television programs have an adverse influence on youths, like the films showing too much freedom in Western culture, sinetron(serial) films of low quality, advertisements intentionally designed to hint at pornography. The way our own artists dress will probably soon be imitated by the public. It is possible that the many criminal acts in our community are influenced by the films on TV that show continual violence.

Help us, Cak Nun, to change the course of evil to that of the virtue, and to convert errors into truthful acts, so we can redeem our progeny's destiny.

ELLO ALAYDRUS

Jakarta