National brotherhood has been ignored, says NU chairman

Jakarta, NU Online
The Indonesia's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) is deeply concerned about various emerging social conflicts in the country. Culture of tolerance among religious adherents which is the character of the nation has recently been ignored from daily life practices. The condition will In turn create an uncondusive religious life.

General chairman of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) KH Said Aqil Siradj made the statement as he met with president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono here on Friday.<>

Said and his entourage came to the Presidential Palace for being asked to give feedback and suggestions to the president. In the meantime, the president was accompanied by such ministers as Sudi Silalahi, Suryadharma Ali and Hatta Radjasa.

"Religious diversity is a wealth. So it is an irony if social conflicts which have occurred recently are based on religion. We are embarrassed to be religious adherents," Said said adding tha the values of brotherhood among people of the same nation (ukhuwah wathaniyah) had been in a serious concern.

Separately, chairman of lawmaking "Syuriyah" body of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) KH Hasyim Muzadi said recently that religious conflict "is not the character of Indonesia. Rather, it is due to a truly global conflict between the West and the East following the Cold War era."

"War against terrorism has resulted in significantly greater average spread of terrorists to, among others, Indonesia and fighting against the West from Indonesia," the president of World Conference of Religions for Peace said.

Hasyim said that any emerging mass conflict had occurred because of uncontrolled system, weak leadership, and the disturbance of justice and exemplary.

"In Indonesia, before the reform there had been no religious war in nature, but independence war," the secretary general of the Nahdlatul Ulama-sponsored International Conference of Islamic Scholars (ICIS) said. (hmz)