Ulemas asked to preach about family planning

Ulemas asked to preach about family planning

JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Population Haryono Suyono is
encouraging religious leaders to help the government promote its
"prosperous family movement" campaign.

Haryono invited nearly 100 ulemas and chairmen of the 27
provincial offices of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) here
Saturday to help fight poverty and build prosperous communities
through their Friday sermons.

"The first phase of the family planning movement was completed
at the conclusion of Indonesia's first 25-years development plan
early this year," he said. "Now, we are embarking on another
movement, which is the development of prosperous families."

He lectured the ulemas about various issues, including the
government's population control efforts, the family planning
methods, the campaign for women's reproductive rights and the
fight against the Acquired Immune-deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

He also suggested that the ulemas concentrate their efforts on
rural areas and try to control the increasing rate of
urbanization by encouraging growth in villages.

"For instance, you could establish special pesantren (Islamic
boarding schools) in the villages, and make them attractive
enough to attract urban dwellers."

He also said that modern people, wary of the fast pace of
urban life, might find peace and opportunity to reassess their
life and family life in the villages.

This "reversed urbanization" would also help change the
villages into centers of growth, and prevent people from leaving
to find lives in the cities, he said.

Haryono was accompanied yesterday by Minister of Religious
Affairs Tarmizi Taher in his capacity as the chairman of MUI
advisory board.

Tarmizi applauded the ulemas' contribution toward many
government programs, including their initiative to establish the
"Clean Friday" movement with the support of the United Nations
Children Fund (UNICEF).

He also said that it would be impossible for any nation to
contain the growing threats of AIDS by relying on scientific
advancement alone. "Without the help of religions and ulemas, no
country would be able to tackle the problem of AIDS," Tarmizi
said. (swe)