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Indonesia's Megawati Call for Religious Tolerance
By Kazi Mahmood
JAKARTA, Dec 3 (IslamOnline) - Indonesia's President Megawati Sukarnoputri on Sunday called for religious tolerance, and peace and justice among people of different religious and ethnic origins, saying that living in peace is a right for all human beings.
Speaking during a ceremony commemorating the revelation of the Holy Qur'an, Megawati reminded the country that it was built on the understanding and tolerance of differences with the aim of achieving prosperity through unity among its people.
"It is appropriate for a country to provide peace and prosperity for its people, despite differences of religion, belief, race and ethnic origin," Megawati remarked at the event held at Istiqlal Grand Mosque.
Megawati, the daughter of former President Ahmad Sukarno, is the first woman president of Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation.
"Religions teach us to avoid claiming ourselves as the single holders of the truth... We should realize that truth and justice have universal meanings that should be established through a common understanding," the President said.
"Truth should not be interpreted only to fulfill the interests of certain groups or nations... such interpretation would never create justice and peace," she added.
And members of the Indonesian Ulama (religious scholars) said Megawati's remarks should not be seen as anti-Islamic statements.
"When she says that we cannot claim ourselves as the single holders of the truth, she meant no harm to Muslims," a member of the
Ulama said.
Megawati was nevertheless referring to radical elements in Indonesian society, which has been torn by a rise in religious conflicts in recent years.
Several key provinces have been engulfed by racial, religious and ethnic conflicts to the extent that some provinces are thinking of breaking away from the Indonesian republic.
The regions of Malukus, Poso in Sulawesi, Kalimantan on the island of Borneo and Jakarta itself a few years ago, have seen battles between groups that used religion as their main argument for violence.
Muslims, who constitute 85 to 90 percent of the population in Indonesia's 15,000 islands, have been victims of attacks by Christian and other religious groups in several parts of Indonesia.
Present at the ceremony with Megawati were some of the country's high-ranking officials, including House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung and several Cabinet ministers.
The daily newspaper, The Jakarta Post, said most of the officials were impressed by a speech made by Abdullah Gymnastiar from Daarut Tauhid Islamic Boarding School in Bandung, West Java, who underlined the importance of living in peace and simplicity.
The preacher said that the country's leaders should set an example of living a simple life and place their desire for wealth and position behind them.
"It is very important for people to change themselves first before they start to change the world, as leaders should set an example for the people they lead," the preacher said.
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