Social responsibility

Democracy is a shared responsibility and there cannot be any democracy without societal responsibility. Indonesia is still a long way from calling itself a democratic country or democratic society. Most people do not even understand what democracy means. Some cannot even tell the difference between democracy and anarchy.

In my humble opinion, intolerance (and violence associated therewith) will continue to plague Indonesia so long there is no clear separation between government and religion. Let's face it, Indonesia implements Pancasila as its state ideology and the constitution whereby both embraces freedom of religion. Yet there is a Ministry of Religion (which is an oxymoron). Granted inside the ministry 'some religions' are represented however, in reality it is a sham as it is hijacked by Islam. The government through the ministry of religion spends hard-earned tax money to print Qurans. I wonder if any funds are also available for printing the Bibles. Inter-faith marriages must go through the ministry of religion meaning the government through the Court of Religion (again a violation of Pancasila and the constitution) and the government has conveniently closes its eyes when tax-funded schools are forcing their students to wear Islamic garbs. Further, the ministry of education, another tax-funded institution, is promoting Islam in its curriculum (another violation of Pancasila and the constitution).

As to the implementation of Pancasila and the Constitution, most government officials under SBY are either ignorant or simply ignoring these basic tenets. The Aceh government is requiring its representatives to be able to read and recite Quranic verses (most of them failed anyway), decisions from the supreme courts are conveniently ignored as evidenced by the closure of some Christian churches although the ruling from the supreme court has been in favor of those churches. Local government officials apparently cajoled hard-liners to garner votes while ignoring the facts that their utmost duty is to uphold the laws and to defend the constitution. Then there is Council of Ulama (supposedly a nonb-profit, religion-based organization) that work together with the ministry of religion, ministry of health, etc. to sell 'halal stamps'. In reality, they are strong-arm eating and drinking establishments and F&B (Food and Beverage) companies to put the 'halal' logo on their products and thereby paying the MUI for such a stamp. Clearly, this is a business by hiding behind the ministries and the religion. Even if the 'halal' stamp is to be implemented based on free-will it is still a farce since the council has no laboratory to determine whether or not the products are actually halal. It is a complete sham and mafia-style pressure on the economy.

Should outsiders be involved? I wonder who would be considered outsiders? What about Indonesian Diaspora members? Would they be considered outsiders? What about former Indonesian citizens or even the citizens of Indonesia residing abroad who have better understanding of what democracy means. Would they also be considered outsiders? Robert Kennedy once asked his brother, John, prior to the latter running for president. "If not now, WHEN? If not you, WHO? It is obvious SBY has been silent and mute in regard to the religious intolerance (and violence) in Indonesia. Thus, ALL who cares about Indonesia and democracy in Indonesia must speak out. Otherwise, some day we will regret for not doing anything. Edmund Burke once said 'Evil can only triumph when good people see evil and decide to do nothing' while Pastor Niemoller once said 'we do not speak out when injustices fall on others ... and one day there is no one left to speak out for us). So, there is no outsider! No man is an island and borrowing the phrase from Hillary Clinton, we are all members of the Global Village. As such, we must care about each other, regardless of the geo-political designations, the skin colors, religions or other attributes. After all, free countries throughout the world, including Indonesia, are so inter-dependent and interwoven.

Back to the notion that Democracy is a shared responsibility, I aspire that members of the so-called Indonesia democracy, should join hands and reject anything deemed undemocratic. Sadly, only a few has done so. While many are expressing their criticism, only a few is willing to challenge the establishment. Democracy is not a top-down ideology and the strongest democracy is the one rooting deeply in the society. Yet, democracy has a price. Those aspiring democracy must be willing to pay that price. Martin Luther King, Jr. paid with his life. Mahatma Gandhi paid his due. Would the champions of democracy from Indonesia please step forward! All it takes is some people who truly care about democracy to do so and I am sure the (currently shy) support will come forward in droves. The time is now before Indonesia falls further into the dark ages and darkness. Regardless of what other countries think and say, democracy is a shared responsibility and the brunt is on the shoulders of the Indonesians who care.

The logic of the fiery monotheists is quite straight forward if you believe that your God is the one true God and all others are false idols. 

It runs like this: those who persecute Muslims deserve to die (see Myanmar) and those who are persecuted by Muslims deserve to die (see Indonesia). 

Those who haven't had their minds poisoned by violence rightly see such a doctrine as the absolute, insane antithesis of tolerance. But the question is, do they do anything about it? 

Recently I read something to the effect that tarring all Muslims with the terrorist brush is like tarring all Christians with the KKK brush in the US. Well of course this is true. There are millions upon millions of peaceful Muslims all over the world. Ask yourself this t

though...where are the KKK now? They are in the dustbin of history, and why? Because people (whites included) fought and died for civil rights. 

Of course the US is not a racial paradise but it civilized itself (internally at least, foreign policy is another question) through struggle and blood and this was achieved through a doctrine of non-violence. And here? Well, who will stand up and fight for justice? It'll take real bravery, make no mistake.

Only in Aceh, things are so out of human normality. Never wish for the rest of Nusantara copying what Aceh sickening minded has.

Wonder why every time I hear the word "Aceh" , I have always goose bumps.

Please don't twist the facts

The early Muslims produced great mathematicians and scientists, scholars, physicians and astronomers etc. and they excelled in all the fields of knowledge of their times, besides studying and practicing their own religion of Islam. As a result the Muslims were able to develop and extract wealth from their lands and through their world trade, able to strengthen their defenses, protect their people and give them the Islamic way of life, Addin, as prescribed by Islam. At the time the Europeans of the Middle Ages were still superstitious and backward, the enlightened Muslims had already built a great Muslim civilization, respected and powerful, more than able to compete with the rest of the world and able to protect the ummah from foreign aggression. The Europeans had to kneel at the feet of Muslim scholars in order to access their own scholastic heritage. 

But halfway through the building of the great Islamic civilization came new interpreters of Islam who taught that acquisition of knowledge by Muslims meant only the study of Islamic theology. The study of science, medicine etc. was discouraged.

Intellectually the Muslims began to regress. With intellectual regression the great Muslim civilization began to falter and wither. But for the emergence of the Ottoman warriors, Muslim civilization would have disappeared with the fall of Granada in 1492.

The early successes of the Ottomans were not accompanied by an intellectual renaissance. Instead they became more and more preoccupied with minor issues such as whether tight trousers and peak caps were Islamic, whether printing machines should be allowed or electricity used to light mosques. The Industrial Revolution was totally missed by the Muslims. 

Nowadays the Muslims are providing the perfect example of the way of thinking responsible for the poverty, repression and strife endemic to the Islamic world.

They speak about the "humiliation and oppression" suffered by Muslims at the hands of non-Muslims and the need for Muslims to "regain their dignity." The inability to accept responsibility and the need to see every set-back and frustration as an affront to honor inflicted by Islam's perceived enemies is pervasive, juvenile and crippling. In an individual it would be symptomatic of pathological insecurity.

Yet where in the non-Islamic world to Muslims face the discrimination experienced by non-Muslims in Islamic countries? If Muslims find themselves condemned as terrorists, perhaps it is because so many of them have embarked upon killing innocents in the name of their God. And if, throughout the world, they find themselves unable to live peaceably with their non-Islamic neighbors, perhaps the fault lies within.

The primary enemy is, of course, "the Jews." Antisemitism has become part and parcel of Islam and entirely ignores the fact that the Arab-Israeli conflict continues to exist, not because of Jewish designs upon Islamic lands, but because a substantial majority of Muslims aspire to the eradication of the Jewish state. But the Jews are not the only enemies of Islam, in the eyes of the mainstream Muslims, Islam's enemies include pretty much the whole non-Islamic world, or at least those parts of it that have to misfortune to abut or interact with the ummah. 

Their insistence on identifying plots and conspiracies and enemies, their excusing of Muslim aggression as defense, is a manifestation of the disease that consigns Islamic society to the world's sickbed. In nearly every instance, Muslims could peaceable co-exist with their neighbors were they to resolve to live peaceably. 

Sadly, live-and-let-live, is not an tenet of Islam. That the most Muslims are not able to understand this, does not bode well for the future.

Downhill?

The evolution where Indonesia is heading depends on the political program of the 2014 government, if , they continue the SBY way of rule, Indonesia, I think will not become a prosperous nation.

The core of the problem lie in the so called the islamination of knowledge. The Sharia is not based on liberalism, secularization & pluralism. The radicalization begin with the rejection of ALL moral, theories, not written in the Sharia. Which science are on offer in the Quran , I do not know. As whatever science are on offer in the Bible, excepting moral guidance, I honestly don't see a scientific program in the Bible either.

Does the devout Muslim community dare to reform, to study the western secular science ?? If the devout Muslim do not want the sciencefication of Islam, to accept, to objectify the other theory or view, but devoutly believing only the words as written by Prophet Mohammed or the Quran,then whatever , knowledge, moral,there are to be taken to form the integration/ the acceptance, all will be in vain.

We specifically refer to the younger generation to hopefully form a more liberal Islam, these are the youth that are probably willing to cross over from the traditional Islam to more accepting the contemporary issues such as, The Equal right of WOMEN, a non-Muslim human right and a cross religion integration.

There is No liberalism in the filthy rich Saudia Arabia.

You just cannot make this up

"Short of Pilots, Government Turns To Civil Servants to Fill Gap"

1 year ago
1. We don't want foreign pilots they take our jobs, steal our women and get better T&C
2. We have too many officials, 80% of regional budgets go on salaries and perks, leaving not much for parties or even public services like roads or schools – moratorium on hiring, borrow money from ADB to fund govt services (hidden state debt)

10 months ago
We will sack all foreign pilots and establish a training school
Still recruiting govt officials, still borrowing, 100 pilots to be available by year end.
Last month
We are building a school and it will be online in 2015
Still recruiting officials, no pilots yet

Today
We have not got enough pilots and yes!! we are still recruiting for govt officials :)
and no trained pilots ….
You just cannot make this up

Did you know the govt set aside $20 million for the training school. I wonder where it is?

Personally I envisage a lot of Indonesian aircraft smacking into mountains and plunging into the sea in the future.

From now on compulsory item to take on board.
S.A.S survival handbook.
A rubber inflatable dinghy.
A compass.
A parachute to bail out, if possible.
Triple your life insurance.