Subject: IN: KMP - Soeharto: Muslims Should Welcome World Changes
INDONESIA-P
X-within-URL: http://www.kompas.com/9611/03/ENGLISH/mosl.htm
President Soeharto:
Moslem should welcome world changes
Probolinggo, Kompas
Changes of season and changes of eras all come about by the will of
God and surely apply to all His subjects. No human being is capable of
stopping the flow of change which is certain to come about. As a
traditional teaching institute inherited from generation to
generation, the world of the moslem boarding schools should continue
to welcome change.
This wish of the Head of State Presiden Soeharto was conveyed at the
opening ceremony of the Fifth National Work Conference of Moslem
Boarding Schools of Nahdatul Ulama at the Zainul Hasan Genggong Moslem
Boarding School, Probolinggo, East Java, on Saturday (2/11).
The conference is attended by 1,750 persons, consisting of branch and
district delegates of The Association, as well as autonomous
bodies/institutes, caretakers of boarding schools for boys and girls
throughout Indonesia.
Also present at this opening ceremony among others were the Minister
of Religion, Tarmizi Taher, Minister/Secretary of State Moerdiono, the
Rois Aam of the NU, KH Ilyas Ruchiyat, the General Chairman of the
Grand Leadership of the NU, KH Abdurrahman Wahid, Chairperson of the
Central Leadership of the Functional Group, Mrs Siti Hardiyanti
Rukmana and the Governor of East Java, Basofi Soedirman.
Around 10 a.m., General Chairman Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) was
already waiting in front of the entry corridor to the Zainul Hasan
Moslem Boarding School, at Genggong.
Secretary of State Moerdiono arrived by automobile and came out right
at the entrance to shake hands with Gus Dur. Not long after, the Head
of State arrived.
As soon as President Soeharto alighted from the automobile, he was
greeted rightaway with a handshake by Gus Dur. Then the President held
on to Gus Dur's arm for a moment and both then walked side by side to
the site of the opening ceremony for the National Work conference of
The Association of Moslem Boarding Schools of Nahdatul Ulama.
Staying remote
According to the Head of State, it is hoped that the moslem boarding
school no longer adopts an attitude of 'uzlah', closing itself off and
staying remote from external influences, in facing this era of change.
Nevertheless, continued the Head of State, the attitude of 'uzlah'
taken by the ulama in the past had an important purpose.
"On one hand that attitude was of great importance in walling off our
people from negative influences coming from the western world, and at
the same time preserve the noble cultural values of our people," said
the President.
Soeharto also reminded that the moslem boarding school now has the
greatest opportunity to participate in the advancement of our people.
Not only in education and religious proselytising, also in the social
and economic fields.
"The closeness of the boarding school world to the life of the rural
people lends a strategic value to the caretakers or the boarding
school students of being directly involved in advancing development
especially in the villages."
In the current world which is replete with competition, said the
President, there is no other way for us except to increase the quality
of our human resources.
"I am convinced that the moslem boarding schools will produce people
who are believers and pious and have high discipline and great
self-confidence," said the Head of State.
President Soeharto emphasized that in the present era, the moslem
boarding school continues to show its spirit of devotion which knows
no slacking in advancing the people.
The boarding school students are not only educated in religious
teachings and other sciences, but are also taught to be
self-sufficient and to be fully self-confident.
Values like that, said the President are of great importance for the
development of Indonesian people with quality. According to the
President, indeed the religion of Islam puts great importance on human
resources. "The Prophet Muhammad said that believers who are strong
are more liked by Allah SWT than believers who are weak."
The sense of "strong" which is meant, said the President, not only
means strong in the physical sense, but also strong in a broad sense.
"Strong here means healthy in body and soul, firm in belief and being
open-minded, as well as having an intelligent mind and a sound
personality," said the Head of State.
The Head of State also hoped that this conference would really produce
various concrete programs to march into the future. "Those programs
must of course continue to pay attention to the needs and conditions
of our variegated society,"
President Soeharto also stressed that in the midst of the diversity as
a people, it is demanded of the Islamic community to find the words of
common meaning, to become a guidance to be able to develop
harmoniously, imbued with the sense of brotherhood, love of peace,
distant from suspicion, and even more so from enmity between each
other.
Classic problem
Meanwhile, in delivering his guidelines, Minister/Secretary of State,
Moerdiono, put forward that relations between religious groups,
religious communities and the national state, represent a classic
problem faced by mankind. This problem is still being met by several
other developing countries.
In developing countries, said Moerdiono, there is not only contention
between one religious community and another, but also between
religious communities and their national state. "As a result all
parties suffer, and solution becomes ever more difficult as time goes
on."
According to Moerdiono, the Indonesian people have passed that stage
and have found the fundamental solution formulation.
"In relation to life as a society, a nation and a state, the religious
community is especially scrutinized in its status as people or
citizens, who have a series of rights, including the right to follow a
religion and to worship according to that religion and belief that is
their faith."
Moeriono emphasized, that the state guarantees, protects and if
necessary assists extending facilities to the religions and religious
communities who are its citizens. The same rights are also human
rights that are generally applicable.
Gifts
After the opening ceremony, Gus Dur was mobbed by reporters who wanted
to know about his holding hands with the Head of State. "It was
holding hands, because he knows that I can't see the way." This plain
talk by Gus Dur met with laughter by the reporters.
On being pressed, whether with the opening of the Fifth National Work
Conference of the Association of Moslem Boarding Schools of Nahdatul
Ulama by President Soeharto, this meant that the "chilly" relations
between Gus Dur and Pak Harto had now thawed? "There has been no
chilliness the while. Never any chilliness," said Gus Dur firmly.
"Pak Harto's coming here carries many gifts with it. The boarding
school students get motivation, because this is a commitment from the
highest person in this nation," said Abdurahman Wahid who was
subsequently mobbed by conference participants who wanted to shake
hands with him.(*)