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Letter: Prejudice against Islam
Thu, 07/10/2008 10:13 AM | Reader's Forum
As someone working professionally on intercultural and interfaith dialogue -- and as a critic of my own society, the United States -- I have to say that I disagree with the opinions expressed by Bramantyo Prijosusilo in his article titled "What can NU offer to mitigate prejudice against Islam in the West?" (The Jakarta Post, July 7, p. 6).
First of all, one of the primary goals of pro-social communications is to break down stereotypes. By saying Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) can "demonstrate what Islam has to offer" to the United States, the author is making Islam a monolithic, stereotyped entity.
What we needs to be taught to people in the United States is that Indonesia has its own cultural and religious identities. NU is but one of them. NU could teach Americans something about one stream of Indonesian Islam, which by itself is worthwhile.
Americans have other sources of information about Islam, not least of which are Muslims from many parts of the world who live and worship there. NU should not and cannot assume the mantle of representing Islam as a whole.
Second: I agree that greed is far too prevalent in the United States and that the possibility of self-destruction is increasingly greater. But all one has to do is look around Jakarta to see that this is not uniquely, or even originally, Western.
Have the oligarchies and robber barons of Indonesia, the Philippines and various African countries all learned their avarice from the West? I doubt it.
Capitalism does push individual achievements to an extreme, including the accumulation of wealth. But it is incorrect and misleading to contrast the East as utterly modest and the West as utterly greedy.
It would be more beneficial for everyone were it possible for Americans to truly understand and appreciate some aspect of Indonesia's heritage, whether Muslim, traditional Javanese or any other.
The same is true for Indonesians, who truly need to understand and appreciate that the United States cannot be reduced to George Bush's politics or Bill Gates' money. Both sides are more complicated and, regrettably, neither side is sufficiently aware of that.
ERAN FRAENKEL
Jakarta
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Ng Swee Ching (not verified) — Fri, 07/11/2008 - 10:30am
If only Islam can accepted the fact that religion is a personal matter between mortal and God then most of the major issues will be solved.
Religion cannot and should not enforced laws on mortals. Religious people stretching form the ancient to now have time and time again proof that religious authorities are just as human as any originary people walking in the streets.
Catholic priest are known to commit sexual acts so very often. So were Buddhist priest and ulamaks.
Yes those who cause harm to the society must be disciplined by the law of the community which are formulated according to the culture and norms of the community. As for laws against gods, let God enforce it himself.