Issues: ‘PM Gillard and the politics of faith’

Julia Gillard is the first female prime minister of Australia, the first unmarried prime minister and has publicly declared herself as a nonreligious person. In many countries, gender, status and religion are hot issues in politics, but Gillard seems to have broken all those taboos.

While the first two issues might no longer be taboo in Western politics, the status of religion is still a crucial issue. We can’t forget how Barack Obama’s religion was questioned during his presidential campaign.

He had to assure the American public that he was neither an atheist nor a Muslim. Religion does matter in the US. In matters of religion and politics, Australia follows the European rather than the American model.

Although some Australians were caught by surprise when Gillard announced her religious convictions on ABC Radio last week, the general public seems to be on her side. A website poll conducted by The Australian last week tells us more. Two days after Gillard’s statement, the poll said that 66 percent of 17,310 respondents did not care about Gillard’s faith. Only 34 percent said that they were concerned about Gillard’s lack of religious faith. (By Luthfi Assyaukanie, Leiden)

Your comments:

I enjoyed reading Lufthi’s opinion. Religion and faith have nothing to do with someone’s performance.

Mixing religion and government is a recipe for disaster. Indonesia will head straight to hell if we do not do anything about it. What about starting by abolishing the Religious Affairs Ministry?

Then we can remove “religion” part of national ID cards (KTP), get rid of mosques and churches in public institutions, stop quoting doa (prayers) in public speeches and stop religious education in the schools. Children instead can be taught the history of religions.

M. Karto
Jakarta

The main problem we have in Indonesia is we often fail to accept people the way they are. You need to open your mind and start accepting people’s opinions, especially from those who have done better than us. There must be something they have learned that we missed. Don’t be provoked by people who use religion to control your opinion. Saying such things will only make you look and sound stupid.

Julia
Melbourne

I am very happy with Julia as our interim Prime Minister. I just hope she has some elocution lessons as hearing her speak makes me shudder: Her Australian accent has a horrible drawl.

I don’t care about her sex, her marital status or religious beliefs.
I am especially happy that she doesn’t care either and focusing on the job. That’s what we pay her for, right?

Iain
Jakarta

It is worrisome that 34 percent of Australians are concerned with Gillard’s religious beliefs. It’s an utterly personal matter and she should never have even been asked about it.

If it’s about getting “God’s blessing” to make our country better why would we even need politicians? Religious leaders should keep their mouths shut on matters of politics and likewise politicians should not comment on religious matters. Following these simple rules will give us a greater nation than God’s blessing ever will.

Simon
Australia

The concept of secularism is the non-negotiable, sacred basis of the whole Western civilization. This concept is valued so much by Europeans because without it they would still be groping in darkness.

However, it is impossible to sell this idea of secularism to Indonesia, which is predominantly Muslim. Muslims, in 13 long centuries of history and until the fall of the Ottomans in 1924, have always found glory in allowing Islam define their political life. This concept of secularism is completely alien to the Muslim’s intellect.

Muslims believe that Islam is a comprehensive way of life given to them by God. It is not just possible for someone to be a Muslim and a secularist at the same time. I just cannot see how Indonesia will ever adopt secularism.

All Indonesians, both Muslims as well as non-Muslims, must seek greatness in denouncing secularism and choosing Islam as the state ideology.

Abdullah
Sri Lanka