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Editorial: For Muslims only
Sat, 06/27/2009 11:03 AM | Opinion
Many of us Jakartans probably don't realize the danger of the tendency toward segregation in Greater Jakarta, where people choose to live in exclusive areas for those of the same religion. It is very likely that in other cities, it is becoming easier to find residential areas that are provided exclusively for certain groups.
All stakeholders in this city need to wake up to this unhealthy trend before it's too late, when people will want to live, work and socialize only with people come from same religion, ethnicity or social and economic backgrounds.
This newspaper in its City page (page 21) ran a report about the growing preference of Muslims in Depok to live in exclusive Islamic residences. Such residential areas include Permata Darrusalam, Pesona Madani and Mawar Residence. Such residential areas can also be found elsewhere in Greater Jakarta, like in Tangerang, as well as in neighboring Banten, which boasts the Islamic Village and Villa Ilhami. The residents argue they like to live in such "enclaves" because they want to live in an Islamic atmosphere. It means they want to make sure their children grow up, socialize and are educated in purely Islamic ways.
Property developers see this trend as a lucrative business opportunity. But it is hard to understand why the government does not take strong action to discourage this trend. The city administration has the obligation to make sure people are restricted to living in an area just because they are different from their neighbors. It is disappointing that the government allows this negative trend.
It is not impossible that Nahdlatul Ulama or Muhammadiyah members only want to live among fellow members. It can also happen with people from other religions. Do we want to see exclusive residential areas for Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists or Hindus, or exclusive housing complexes for Javanese, Bataks, Sundanese or Chinese? In the past, there are many complaints that our Chinese compatriots preferred to form enclaves for themselves, like the housing compounds in West Jakarta and North Jakarta -Kelapa Gading, Pluit and Pantai Indah Kapuk.
It is really a setback because it occurs despite our efforts to create a modern and pluralistic society, which was introduced by our founding fathers and had become their commitment long before they declared the establishment of this country.
Therefore, all parties who believe that unity in diversity is a really fitting slogan for our country should do something to prevent such a trend from growing.
And because Islam is the religion of the majority of this population, we wonder why there are Muslims who feel insecure living alongside people of other religions. The government and all stakeholders are responsible for making sure the state treats all Indonesians equally. But is the government aware of the threat of segregation?
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Shah Baten (not verified) — Sat, 07/04/2009 - 1:21am
Dear sir,
Your editorial entitllled, "Muslim Only" can not any more silly, laughable and utterly prepoterous. You dont have any idea about what you are talking about. 86% of Indonesians are Muslim, that means 9 out of 10 people in the street is a Muslim. Muslims may want to live in a nice neighborhood. You calling that "unhealthy trend" is totally wrong.
The country where 86% of people are Muslim and the neighborhood that they live you term them as "enclaves" proves that you dont know the meaning of the word. What I say to the editorial board is, you are bunch of half educated people trying publish an english daily. Either this newspaper is owned by the enemies of Indonesia or the newspaper is run uneducated foreign subeditors and Indonesian owner-editors dont know what kind of rubbish is published in their name.
Hersumpana (not verified) — Sun, 06/28/2009 - 4:06pm
Indeed, the growing trends of the exclusive enclave today is a setback and a dangerous game. But, the practice of "flagging religious color" amidst society seemed to be a fashionable moral symbol which effectively followed by the people and the government even permitted and proud of it. Not only for the specific residential enclaves, in Yogyakarta we can find easily the specific rented room for student which placated obviously : Just for Muslim.
The fashionable trend to use religious symbols is not only for Muslim. In part of Yogyakarta resident enclave, there is also another enclave uses the other name referred to ordinary names use by christian, such as Jl. Yerusalem, Jl. Nasareth, ect. I have a big question in mind, why modern and educated people like much to put the religious symbol for their identity? Is it really rooted in the religious base or political trend which exploits the religious symbols for their interest?
But, the fast growing the religious symbols is also strongly related to the market reason, not only politics. The marriage of market, politic and religious matter could be a serious problem for Indonesian people as a nation, if we neglect our founders to be united in a nation, because of one course "to be free from any oppression and colonized acts and beyond the difference social ethnics, cultural and religious demarcation".
Siswasudarma
Yogyakarta
Tami Koestomo — Sun, 06/28/2009 - 10:48am
Tami Koestomo
Your excellent editorial “For Muslims Only” should be taken as a most serious warning for all those wanting to be elected our country’s next leaders.
So far, I’m very disappointed in the quality of the debates of those aspiring to be the next president and vice-president.
I’m also very disappointed with what appears to be their irresolute and “personal safety seeking” stand regarding the brutal persecution of religious minority groups such as the Ahmadiyah by extremist groups such as the FPI (Islamic Defenders Front); the oppression of Christians by the prohibition to build churches, such as in Depok; the torching and destruction of places of worship other than “the accepted Muslim” ones, and countless similar cases in which the current government has abysmally failed to defend Indonesian citizens whose human rights were brutally trampled underfoot. Not to mention the disgraceful failure to grant justice to the victims of the Lapindo Brantas disaster.
Our country needs truly dedicated and brave saviours, and it needs them right now.
We Indonesians do not need hypocritical leaders who are obviously self-serving and who, in spite of their honeyed promises, in reality do not care a damn about the welfare of the Indonesian people. Our country's best interests will not be truly served by leaders who, in obvious cowardice and eagerness to save their own skins, deliberately refrain from strongly acting against injustices that are happening right in front of their own eyes.
We urgently need leaders with powerful and clean characters who are truly attuned to God, who are brave enough to see what needs to be done to make a truly modern, MATURE, pluralistic and safe Indonesian society, who dare to speak out bluntly against those engaged in intimidating and oppressing fellow Indonesian citizens, and who have the courage to immediately act against and punish those who deliberately and flagrantly engage in grievous wrong-doing – even if these wrong-doers claim to be Muslims and wear Muslim attire.
For it is universally known that the person who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it. Furthermore, our current and next leaders should realize that every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it.
Tami Koestomo, Bogor, West Java.
Djaka (not verified) — Sat, 06/27/2009 - 3:17pm
Huh, this trend has happened already in Yogya 20 years ago, where there were "kos2an khusus muslim" and the so called "green house" (sic!) which are housing for muslims only. And The Jakarta Post is now reporting, only as they are now happening in Jakarta, and got alarmed ?? By saying "before it is too late", well, WE ARE NOW REALLY TOO LATE. I still do not get, why only when things happen in Jakarta, then they are considered national issues.