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Your letters: Tolerance a must in a diverse society
Pluralism: Former chairman of the countryâs second-largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, Ahmad Syafii Maarif, delivers an address during celebrations for Indonesiaâs 70th Independence Day and the 60th anniversary of Sanata Dharma University, in Yogyakarta on Saturday
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Pluralism: Former chairman of the countryâs second-largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, Ahmad Syafii Maarif, delivers an address during celebrations for Indonesiaâs 70th Independence Day and the 60th anniversary of Sanata Dharma University, in Yogyakarta on Saturday. He called on all elements of the nation to cement religious tolerance and support the government to improve peopleâs social welfare.(Courtesy of Sanata Dharma University) (Courtesy of Sanata Dharma University)
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span class="inline inline-center">Pluralism: Former chairman of the country's second-largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, Ahmad Syafii Maarif, delivers an address during celebrations for Indonesia's 70th Independence Day and the 60th anniversary of Sanata Dharma University, in Yogyakarta on Saturday. He called on all elements of the nation to cement religious tolerance and support the government to improve people's social welfare.(Courtesy of Sanata Dharma University)
Delivering his address as keynote speaker at the celebration of the 70th Independence Day and the 60th anniversary of Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta on Saturday, the former chairman of Muhammadiyah, the country's second-largest Muslim organization, Ahmad Syafii Maarif, placed strong emphasis on the importance of promoting tolerance and mutual respect among religious communities.
Syafii, called Buya Maarif, threw his calm smile in opening his speech. As a person living before and after the independence of this country, he said he was a man with a life-long dream for this nation. Being 10 years older than the independent Indonesia, he presented the audience with some evaluations about this country.
'It was not the age that matters in a country; it was the maturity of the people in valuing the independence of a country that mattered,' said Syafii. He mentioned that nowadays people are colonizing their own nation with their own colonialist minds and actions. The government creates a dependent society with its education system. The old age of the country does not mature people's minds, so discrimination is still everywhere.
Underlining the fact that Indonesia is well known for its diversity, such as in religion, he shared his insight that in the diverse religions we have there is a huge amount of similarity, but people really love to see the differences, as if they want to monopolize heaven just for themselves. Furthermore, he invited young people to show their very best contributions for this lovely nation by upholding the values of tolerance and respect for each human being regardless of their faith or belief and other background.
Syafii, also active in the anticorruption movement, inspired people there to not only criticize or blame the government, but to come and act as good citizens. When age is not in line with maturity, harmony is far from true.
Liliana
Yogyakarta
