Comments: Religion, juggernauts and street violence

Jan. 27, p. 6

The fatal car crash in Gambir, Central Jakarta, on Sunday gives us a vivid illustration that can help us understand the nature of religious freedom in Indonesia.

A driver, intoxicated after consuming alcohol and crystal methamphetamine, has been implicated in the wrongful death of nine people after she allegedly lost control of her car and crashed into a crowd of people.

Many others, however, drunk on religion, have “crashed” into more people just as brutally throughout the country. (By Moh. Yasir Alimi, Semarang).

Your comments:

“The public should realize that using faith creates larger brutality and more suffering than the Tugu Tani car accident.”

The public will realize this when they are told so by the authorities, be them the government and/or respected moderate clerics, on TV, radio, in mosques, seminaries, schools, universities and newspapers every day. The public is a herd of peace seeking people, trying to survive, work and educate their children. They learn from childhood to respect and follow the law and political and religious authorities.

But if the latter are corrupt, cowards (politicians) full of hatred (deviant clerics) and have no empathy for the rest, then we get the actual unstable situation seen in Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, Nigeria, Pakistan and, sadly enough, Indonesia. This government will go into history as one allowing the destruction of Pancasila, the change of a rich culture into a violent abomination and the dictatorship of ignorant foreigners who control religion.

Poor Indonesia, poor Indonesians.
Bona
Jakarta

The fact remains that if people have employment, and more importantly a sense they are functioning members of society, they do not commit acts of violence like this for religious or any other reasons.

Unfortunately, these violent acts continue to occur because millions of rural Indonesians are marginalized by the rapid growth of industry and big corporate capitalism. They are not part of either of these things. They are, in fact, seen as an obstacle to growth — something to be bought off and brushed aside as an inconvenience.

Indeed, it can be said that in our sad heartless modern society, the rural poor do not belong to anything much except their kampung and their religion. So no wonder they cling onto those things for identity. What do they have left?
Andrew Stephens
Tangerang, Banten

This author never ceases to amaze me just how useful he is to keep reminding me how “smart” he is. His first article was about Gus Dur being a man of God, the second article about Jokowi and friends, and now the third one is the most ridiculous article I’ve ever read here.

I mean how does the Tugu Tani accident have anything to do with religious freedom in the first place? Only demented and delusive people connect that accident with religion.

The good people of Cikeusik were not drunk, for if they had been, they wouldn’t have been able to do what they’ve done. One thing for sure is that you were drunk when penning this meaningless article.

“Both religious violence and the fatal Jakarta crash were caused by lawlessness.”

Wrong. What lawlessness? We have police officers here. What do you actually expect from those officers? That they have the ability to foresee and therefore prevent any accidents?

“The public should realize that using faith creates larger brutality and more suffering than the Tugu Tani car accident.”

Then can I assume you have no faith? Then can I say you are an atheist? Even Bon Jovi is better than you are, for he once said in one of his songs that we should keep the faith.

I agree with a friend of mine, who once said that gifted fingers on the computer keyboard can produce good books or articles; drunk fingers on the computer keyboard, on the other hand, can produce only laughing-stock books or articles.
Cepot Sanwani
Jakarta