Din Syamsuddin sudah "normal" kembali sebagai tokoh pluralis. Welcome back to
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FPI attacks damage RI Muslims' image: Muhammadiyah chairman
Abdul Khalik
The Jakarta Post ,
Jakarta | Fri, 06/20/2008 10:33 AM | Headlines
Violence by members of a radical Islamic group earlier this month has
damaged the international image of Indonesian Muslims, chairman of the
country's second-largest Muslim group said.
The attack by the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) on a pro-pluralism group
had undone five years of hard work spent eradicating the violent image
of Indonesian Muslims after religious-based bombings and horizontal
conflicts, Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin said Thursday.
"We have to start again from square one to recapture the image of moderation
after the attack," Din told The Jakarta Post.
He said after horizontal conflicts in Central Sulawesi, Maluku and West
Kalimantan as well as vertical conflicts in Aceh and several terrorist
bombings in Bali and Jakarta, Indonesian Muslims had had a hard time
convincing the world they were moderate and that there were only few
radical groups.
The image was tarnished after FPI members, armed with bamboo sticks,
beat and kicked activists of the National Alliance for the Freedom of
Faith and Religion during a rally at the National Monument park on June
1, leaving some 70 people injured.
The peaceful rally was to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of Pancasila
state ideology and to show support for Islamic minority sect Ahmadiyah.
Before the attack, Din said, Indonesian Muslims had been gathering trust for
their moderate stance.
"But with newspapers globally publishing the story of the attacks and
TV stations vividly broadcasting the pictures, I can't say what kind of
image we have now," he said.
He admitted criticisms of mainstream organizations such as Nahdlatul
Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah for their failure to speak out against
extremist and conservative elements were partly justified, but said the
attacks should not be linked to religion.
"A violent attack is a purely criminal act and the state should take
action against it. Violence has no root in Islam. It's a misuse or
abuse of religion," Din said.
"The reason we seem to be doing nothing is because we don't want to be
provoked."
Observers have criticized moderate Muslim organizations for failing to
demonstrate their religious tolerance following a government decree
against Ahmadiyah.
They said NU and Muhammadiyah had allowed hard-line groups too much
leeway in taking the public stage and claiming to represent all
Indonesian Muslims.
The anti-Ahmadiyah decree was issued by the government earlier this
month amid intense pressure from several extremist groups, including
the FPI and Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia.
Din criticized the media for failing to report on the actions of
moderate Muslims, compared with the coverage of radical groups.
He said moderate organizations such as NU and Muhammadiyah had been
very active in fostering an image of Islam that spreads blessings for
all.
"We reach the majority with teachings of moderation. We fight poverty,
injustice and ignorance with our education and cultural activities," he
said.
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