Who says that we are the same?

Who says that we are the same?

Your skin color is different from mine,

You speak a language that only belongs to your own group,

You call your God a different name.

So, who says that we are the same?

We are not the same.

We are blessed with different skin colors, different languages

and different religions.

Yet, some consider diversity a curse.

A taste of riots,

A smell of burning flesh,

A touch of blood

are not powerful agents to dissolve differences.

We were not born with 'You are a scapegoat when someone fails'

birthmarks.

We were born with dignity and pride.

It is with dignity that we value ourselves and others.

It is with pride that we sing "Indonesia Raya". *)

You cannot destroy us

because we are a part of you.

By Permata Hamid

*) Indonesian national anthem