[Indonesia] Society & Cultural Issues Thread [Archive] - Page 2

Zorobabel

November 12th, 2005, 11:26 PM

Time to start over on your theories. Not who they thought it was...

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Indonesia releases 5 men detained over beheading of 3 girls

(Kyodo) _ Indonesian police on Saturday released five men, who had been detained on suspicion of involvement in the beheading of three Christian girls in the sectarian conflict-torn Central Sulawesi Province, a local police chief said.

Rudi Suhfariadi, police chief in the town of Poso, said they were released because police have not been able to find evidence to link them to the incident that occurred in the town.

"But they must come to the police station twice a week just in case we still have any questions or find evidence," Suhfariadi said.

According to the country's law, police can only hold a detainee for seven days before officially arresting him or her. If seven days have passed and no evidence is found, the detainee must be released. He or she, however, can be arrested at any time if evidence is found later.

The five men include a 51-year-old former military policeman, who is a Christian. The other four, between 18 and 25 years old, are Muslim civilians. Two of them worked as security guards at a local hospital.

The five men were detained last Sunday after military officers on patrol found traces of blood leading to their houses.

The three high school girls, all 15-year-olds, were beheaded Oct. 29 in Poso, which is predominately Muslim.

The heads of two of the girls were found separated from their bodies by a few kilometers away, while that of the third victim was put in front of a Protestant church, police said. It raised speculation that the perpetrators might have been Muslims.

On Tuesday evening, less than two weeks after the incident, two 17-year-old girls were shot by two unidentified men.

The girls -- one from an economics-focused senior high school and the other from a Christian senior high school -- were shot by a man riding a motorcycle in Poso when they were on their way home after watching a badminton match at a nearby sports stadium. One victim was a Muslim and the other a Christian.

The two were shot in the cheek, and both underwent surgery.

A few hours after the incident, the military detained a man in his 30s over his involvement in the shooting after receiving tip-offs from witnesses who had spotted the police number of his motorbike.

Riots in Poso from 1998 to 2001 between Christians and Muslims claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people, while 100,000 fled their houses, many of which were torched along with scores of churches and mosques.

Religious tension eased in 2002 after peace talks in late 2001 mediated by then Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla, now the country's vice president, led to a peace agreement.

Bombings and killings, however, still occur sporadically.

The most recent sectarian violence occurred in late May when a market was bombed. Twenty-three people were killed and 73 others injured in the bombing.

Ara

November 13th, 2005, 09:00 AM

I actually surprise he said that, but i am still wondering why Hidayat is still not make any comment regarding poso.

cheers
He's too busy trying to find a foreign scapegoat. Maybe a competing resort island?

macgyver

November 13th, 2005, 04:11 PM

Sebuah survei belum lama ini menyatakan Indonesia termasuk negara yang penduduknya paling lama melepas keperawanan. Berapa umur orang Indonesia ketika melepas keperawanannya? 19 tahun!

Survei yang diadakan oleh kondom Durex itu diikuti 317 ribu orang berusia 16-55 tahun dari 41 negara. Sejak tahun 2001, merek kondom tersebut rutin melakukan survei yang diberi tajuk 'Durex Global Sex survei'. Untuk tahun 2005 ini, Indonesia bersama Cili adalah dua negara pendatang baru.

Indonesia sebagai new comer menyumbangkan 1112 responden. Dari jumlah tersebut, 923 orang berjenis kelamin pria dan 189 wanita. Survei dilakukan sejak Mei-Juli 2005 lalu.

Dari hasil survei tersebut, Indonesia dinyatakan sebagai salah satu negara yang penduduknya jarang berhubungan seks. Negara beribukota Jakarta ini berada di urutan keempat. Tempat pertama diduduki oleh Jepang. Orang Jepang berhubungan seks 45 kali dalam setahun atau kurang dari satu kali dalam seminggu.

Sedangkan negara yang penduduknya paling sering melakukan hubungan seks adalah Yunani. Dalam setahun paling tidak mereka berhubungan intim sebanyak 138 kali dalam setahun atau sekitar tiga kali dalam seminggu.

Soal melepas keperawanan, Indonesia berada di urutan ketiga negara yang penduduknya tergolong paling lama melakukannya. Orang Indonesia melakukan hubungan seks pertamanya saat berumur 19 tahun satu bulan. Berturut-turut di tempat pertama dan kedua negara yang penduduknya paling lama melepas keperawanan adalah India (umur 19 tahun 8 bulan) dan Vietnam (umur 19 tahun 6 bulan).

Mayoritas peserta survei Indonesia juga menyatakan bahwa sebaiknya seseorang tidak melepas keperawanannya sebelum menikah. Dari 1112 orang Indonesia yang mengikuti survei, ada 54 persen yang meyakini hal itu.

Jika Indonesia termasuk negara yang paling lama melepas keperawanan, negara manakah yang penduduknya paling dini melepaskan hal suci itu? Jawabannya adalah Islandia. Menurut hasil survei tersebut, penduduk Islandia melakukan hubungan seks pertamanya saat berusia 15 tahun.

Dari hasil survei itu juga bisa dilihat, saat ini makin muda saja usia seseorang melepas keperawanannya. Tak heran jika 317 ribu responden sepakat sebaiknya pendidikan seks diberikan sedini mungkin. 98 persen pengikut survei menyatakan sebaiknya pendidikan seks diajarkan sebelum seseorang mencapai usia 16 tahun.
http://www.detikhot.com/index.php/lo...60/idkanal/227

Kenapa ya
aku justru berpikir kalo ada pendidikan sex itu justru membuat orang penasaran untuk melepas keperawanan lebih cepat.

Mungkin aku orang kolot ... still I think the bext sex xeduator ix youx moxter :-p

sanhen

November 14th, 2005, 01:00 AM

kayanya pendidikan sex biar kalo lagi have save do it in a save way deh.... (eg. jauh2 dr orang tua... diem2 dari orang tua... di hotel... heheheh j/k)

Fir3blaze

November 14th, 2005, 02:25 AM

LOL...sanhen, now we know what u've been doing! :jk:

Secara pribadi, menurutku pendidikan seks itu penting. Lewat situ, seorang anak bisa diberi pengetahuan ttg fungsi organ2 seksual mereka, termasuk bahayanya jika mereka menyalahgunakan fungsi2 tersebut (penyakit, kehamilan diluar nikah, dsb).

Anyway, waktu pubertas anak2 bakal merasakan keingintahuan tentang seksualitas mereka (karena pertumbuhan fisik dan dorongan hormon), ini tidak bisa dihindari. Jadi daripada mereka coba coba sendiri atau belajar dari sumber2 lain (teman, porno, dsb.) yang kemungkinan tidak akurat dan mendidik, lebih baik kalau materi ini diajarkan lewat sekolah kan?

macgyver

November 15th, 2005, 10:20 AM

Just for giving you some insights information.

The person's writing is mostly a reference of some major Indonesia's moslem oppinion.

I don't have any intention to do anything here , just to give you some information , from the other side . OK ....
So that maybe some of you can have a broaden horizon abt the matter.

‘Studi Islam’ untuk Kepentingan Siapa ?

Kaum Orientalis dan mendirikan pusat-pusat studi Islam. Para ilmuwan Indonesia berguru ke sana. Pulangnya bukan semakin baik, justru memusuhi Islam. Baca Catatan Akhir Pekan (CAP) Adian Husaini ke-122

Selasa, 15 November 2005
Oleh: Adian Husaini
Sejak Perang Salib berlangsung, ada sebagian tokoh Kristen yang menilai Perang Salib merupakan cara yang tidak tepat untuk menaklukkan kaum Muslim. Salah satu tokoh terkenal adalah Peter The Venerable atau Petrus Venerabilis (1094-1156M). Peter adalah tokoh misionaris Kristen pertama di dunia Islam, yang merancang bagaimana menaklukkan umat Islam dengan pemikiran, bukan dengan senjata. Ketika itu, ia seorang kepala Biara Cluny, Perancis – sebuah biara yang sangat berpengaruh di Eropa Abad Pertengahan.

Sekitar tahun 1141-1142, Peter mengunjungi Toledo, Spanyol. Di situ ia menghimpun sejumlah cendekiawan untuk menerjemahkan karya-karya kaum Muslim ke dalam bahasa Latin. Terjemahan itu akan digunakan sebagai bahan untuk misionaris Kristen terhadap dunia Islam.

Salah satu sukses usaha Peter adalah terjemahan Al-Qur'an dalam bahasa Latin oleh Robert of Ketton (selesai tahun 1143), yang diberi judul “Liber Legis Saracenorum quem Alcorant Vocant” (Kitab Hukum Islam yang disebut Al-Qur'an ).

Inilah terjemahan pertama al-Quran dalam bahasa Latin, yang selama beratus-ratus tahun menjadi rujukan kaum Kristen di Eropa dalam melihat Islam. Barulah pada tahun 1698, Ludovico Maracci, melakukan kritik terhadap terjemahan Robert of Ketton dan menerjemahkan Al-Qur'an sekali lagi ke dalam bahasa Latin dengan judul “Alcorani Textus Receptus”.

Menurut Peter Venerabilis, pengkajian Islam (Islamic Studies) perlu dilakukan oleh kaum Kristen, agar mereka dapat “membaptis pemikiran kaum Muslimin”.

Jadi, kaum Muslim bukan saja perlu dikalahkan dengan ekspedisi militer, melainkan juga harus dikalahkan dalam pemikiran mereka. Di tengah berkecamuknya Perang Salib, Peter membuat pernyataan: “… aku menyerangmu, bukan sebagaimana sebagian dari kami [orang-orang Kristen] sering melakukan, dengan senjata, tetapi dengan kata-kata, bukan dengan kekuatan, namun dengan pikiran; bukan dengan kebencian, namun dengan cinta…”

(But I attack you not, as some of us [Christians] often do, by arms, but by words; not by force, but by reason; not in hatred, but in love…).

Petrus Venerabilis mengajak orang Islam ke jalan keselamatan Kristen dengan cara mengalahkan pemikiran Islam. Ia berangkat dari kepercayaan Kristen bahwa di luar Gereja tidak ada keselamatan (extra ecclesiam nulla salus).

Islam, menurutnya, adalah sekte kafir terkutuk sekaligus berbahaya (execrable and noxious heresy), doktrin berbahaya (pestilential doctrine), ingkar (impious) dan sekte terlaknat (a damnable sect); dan Muhammad adalah orang jahat (an evil man).

Selain menugaskan para sarjana Kristen menerjemahkan naskah-naskah bahasa Arab ke dalam bahasa Latin, Peter juga menulis dua buku yang menyerang pemikiran Islam. Tentang Al-Qur'an Peter menyatakan, bahwa Al-Quran tidak terlepas dari para setan. Setan telah mempersiapkan Muhammad, orang yang paling nista, menjadi anti-Kristus. Setan telah mengirim informan kepada Muhammad, yang memiliki kitab setan (diabolical scripture). (Riset yang serius tentang Peter Venerabilis ini bisa dibaca dalam buku Adnin Armas, Metodologi Bibel dalam Studi Al-Qur'an, (Jakarta: GIP, 2005).

Strategi Peter Venerabilis ini kemudian menjadi rujukan kaum misionaris Kristen terhadap kaum Muslimin. Henry Martyn, tokoh misionaris berikutnya, juga membuat pernyataan, “Aku datang untuk menemui ummat Islam, tidak dengan senjata tapi dengan kata-kata, tidak dengan kekuatan tapi dengan logika, tidak dalam benci tapi dalam cinta.”

Hal senada dikatakan tokoh misionaris lain, Raymond Lull, “Saya melihat banyak ksatria pergi ke Tanah Suci, dan berpikir bahwa mereka dapat menguasainya dengan kekuatan senjata, tetapi pada akhirnya semua hancur sebelum mereka mencapai apa yang mereka pikir bisa diperoleh.”

Lull mengeluarkan resep: Islam tidak dapat ditaklukkan dengan darah dan air mata, tetapi dengan cinta kasih dan doa.

Ungkapan Lull dan Martyn itu ditulis oleh Samuel M Zwemmer, misionaris Kristen terkenal di Timur Tengah, dalam buku Islam: A Challenge to Faith (1907). Buku yang berisi resep untuk “menaklukkan” dunia Islam itu disebut Zwemmer sebagai “beberapa kajian tentang kebutuhan dan kesempatan di dunia para pengikut Muhammad dari sudut pandang missi Kristen”.

Strategi penaklukan Islam melalui pemikiran ini kemudian dikembangkan oleh para orientalis Barat. Sebagian dari mereka memang membawa semangat lama kaum misionaris, sebagian lagi melakukannya untuk kepentingan penjajahan (kolonialisme) dan sebagian lagi bermotifkan semata-mata untuk kajian ilmiah.

Kini, setelah beratus-ratus tahun, kaum Orientalis telah berhasil meraih sukses besar dalam bidang studi Islam. Bukan saja mereka berhasil mendirikan pusat-pusat studi Islam di Barat dan enerbitkan ribuan buku tentang Islam, tetapi mereka juga berhasil menghimpun literatur-literatur Islam dalam jumlah yang sangat besar.

Tidak hanya sampai di situ, kerja keras mereka pun kemudian membuahkan hasil yang lebih mengagumkan, yaitu terciptanya kader-kader cendekiawan dan pemikir dari kalangan Muslim, yang getol sekali mengais-ngais dan membongkar serta menyerang bangunan pemikiran Islam dan umat Islam.

Apalagi, dengan cara itu, mereka juga mendapatkan berbagai keuntungan duniawai: popularitas dan berbagai kenyamanan hidup diuniawi.

Dulu, di zaman penjajahan fisik, para pengkaji Islam dari kalangan misionaris menjadi bagian dari semangat penjajahan bersemboyan ‘Gold, Gospel, dan Glory’. Mereka mengkaji masalah ketimuran, khususnya Islam, bukan dalam ruang yang kosong, tetapi menjadi bagian dari proyek untuk menaklukkan Islam dan dunia Islam.

Kini, di zaman modern, Orientalisme juga tidak terlepas dari kepentingan Barat dalam mengokohkan hegemoninya. Para akademisi muslim harusnya sadar akan hal ini. Jika mereka menerima “cinta kasih” dari Barat berupa bantuan beasiswa untuk meneliti tentang Islam, mereka harusnya sadar, siapa mereka, dan siapa yang membantu mereka. Untuk apakah semua bantuan itu diberikan? Seperti halnya utang luar negeri yang dikucurkan kepada negara-negara berkembang.

Apakah semua utang itu diberikan secara gratis dan merupakan program amal semata? Tentu tidak demikian. Semua itu ada tujuannya. Ini bukan untuk bersikap a priori, membabi buta menolak apa pun yang datang dari Barat.

Karena harus diakui, banyak hal saat ini harus dipelajari dari Barat, termasuk beberapa bagian dalam studi Islam. Tetapi, semua itu perlu dilakukan dengan Hati-hati dan sikap kritis.

Para akademisi Muslim yang tidak berhati-hati dan tidak memiliki ilmu yang memadai, bukan tidak mungkin akan terjerumus dalam jebakan untuk memecah belah umat Islam, memojokkan kelompok Islam tertentu yang tidak mau mengikuti pola pikir sekular-liberal Barat.

Kelompok-kelompok yang ingin bertahan dengan identitas dan pandangan hidup Islam, dicap dan diberi istilah-istilah yang peyoratif, merendahkan, dan memojokkan, semisal istilah “radikal”, “fundamentalis”, “militan”, “eksklusif”, “literalis”, dan sebagainya.

Sebagai contoh, pada bulan Januari 2002, ada seorang dosen Universitas Islam Negeri Yogyakarta (dulu: IAIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta), pernah mewawancarai saya tentang hubungan Islam-Kristen di Indonesia. Namanya Fatimah Husein.

Wawancara itu dilakukan untuk melengkapi bahan disertasi doktornya di Melbourne University, Australia. Dalam menyelesaikan studinya, ia dibiayai oleh berbagai lembaga Australia, antara lain The Australian Agency for Intenational Development (AusAID).

Tahun 2004 Fatimah menyelesaikan gelar doktornya. Baru-baru ini, ia menerbitkan disertasinya dengan judul “Muslim-Christian Relations in The New Order Indonesia:The Exclusivist and Inclusivist Muslims’ Perspectives”.

Ketika wawancara, saya sudah menolak penggunaan kategorisasi “Eksklusif dan Inklusif” untuk memetakan persepsi kaum Muslim terhadap masalah hubungan Islam-Kristen di Indonesia. Saya mengajukan istilah “Muslim Komprehensif” dan “Muslim Reduksionis”. Tapi, Fatimah menolak menggunakan sebutan itu. Ia tetap berpegang pada kategorisasi yang diajukannya. Akhirnya, ia terjebak ke dalam kesalahan yang fatal dalam kategorisasi kaum Muslim yang dia teliti.

Sebagai contoh, ia menyebut organisasi-organisasi eksklusivis di Indonesia adalah Dewan Dakwah Islamiyah Indonesia (DDII), Komite Indonesia untuk Solidaritas Dunia Islam (KISDI), Front Pembela Islam (FPI), dan Laskar Jihad. Orang-orang yang dia cap sebagai eksklusivis diantaranya adalah Husein Umar, Ahmad Sumargono, Adian Husaini, Habib Rizieq Shihab, dan Ja’far Umar Thalib.

Sedangkan tokoh inklusivis adalah Nurcholish Madjid, Zainun Kamal, Azyumardi Azra, Budhy Munawar Rahman, dan sebagainya.

Diantara ciri-ciri kaum eksklusif, menurut dia;

(1) mereka menerapkan model penafsiran literal terhadap Al-Qur'an dan Sunnah dan berorientasi masa lalu. Karena menggunakan pendekatan literal, maka ijtihad bukanlah hal yang sentral dalam kerangka berpikir mereka; (2) mereka berpendapat bahwa keselamatan hanya bisa dicapai melalui agama Islam. Bagi mereka, Islam adalah agama final yang datang untuk mengoreksi agama-agama lain. Karena itu mereka menggugat otentisitas Kitab suci agama lain.

Sedangkan yang dia masukkan sebagai kaum Inklusif, memiliki ciri-ciri:

(1) Karena mereka memahami Islam sebagai agama yang berkembang, maka mereka menerapkan metode kontekstual dalam memahami al-Quran dan Sunnah, melakukan reinterpretasi teks-teks asas dalam Islam, dan ijtihad beperan sentral dalam pemikiran mereka (2) Kaum Inklusif memandang, Islam adalah agama terbaik bagi mereka; namun mereka berpendapat bahwa keselamatan di luar agama Islam adalah hal yang mungkin.

Kategorisasi sang doktor dari Melbourne tentang Islam Eksklusif dan Islam Inklusif itu jelas-jelas kacau dan semaunya sendiri. Dia sudah terjebak dalam pola berpikir dikotomis “literal-kontekstual” dalam metodolgi tafsir Bible. Padahal, tidak mungkin seorang Muslim dalam berijtihad terlepas dari teks dan sekaligus dari konteks.

Jika dicermati sejumlah tulisan Nurcholish Madjid dan Budhy Munawar Rahman, mereka sudah masuk kategori Pluralis – yang menyatakan semua agama sama-sama benar dan sebagai jalan yang sah menuju Tuhan – dan bukan inklusif lagi.

Menuduh kaum yang disebutnya sebagai ‘Islam eksklusif’ tidak menjadikan ijtihad sebagai sentral berpikir mereka, adalah tuduhan yang kurang ajar dan sama sekali tidak ilmiah. Sebaliknya, menyebut pemikiran-pemikiran Nurcholish Madjid, Azyumardi Azra, Budhy Munawar Rahman sebagai bentuk ijtihad, juga merupakan cara pandang yang sembrono dan amburadul.

Hingga kini, orang-orang itu belum menulis satu buku pun tentang metodologi ijtihad, dan belum layak mendapat gelar “mujtahid”. Hanya karena berpikir sesuai dengan selera ‘liberal-sekular’ lalu dibilang “berijtihad”.

Selain itu, jika si doktor itu membaca kembali diskursus tentang “keselamatan” di kalangan para ulama ushuluddin, maka tidak perlu menulis kriteria seperti itu. “Kebenaran” Islam dan “keselamatan” pemeluk agama Islam atau non-Islam adalah dua masalah yang berbeda.

Dalam diskusi tentang “fathrah”, hal ini banyak dibahas. Tetapi, sejak dulu, para ulama Islam tidak pernah berbeda pendapat bahwa Islam adalah satu-satunya agama yang benar. MUI sendiri, dalam fatwanya tentang Pluralisme Agama, menegaskan, bahwa dalam masalah aqidah dan ibadah, umat Islam wajib bersifat eksklusif.

Secara ilmiah, kategorisasi Islam eksklusif-Islam Inklusif model dosen UIN Yogya itu kacau-balau. Kategorisasi ini lebih bisa dimengerti dalam konteks proyek pesanan untuk melakukan stigmatisasi terhadap kelompok atau orang Muslim tertentu yang tidak disukai oleh ‘sang donor ‘penelitiannya, sehingga diberikanlah cap-cap dan sifat negatif serta peyoratif kepada kaum Muslim tertentu yang tidak disukainya.

Kita paham dengan pola kajian Orientalis semacam ini. Sayangnya, mengapa ada ilmuwan dari kalangan Muslim yang mau melakukan hal semacam ini, dengan imbalan duniawi yang sangat murah – sekedar beberapa keping dolar dan gelar doktor.

Harusnya, para cendekiawan yang mendapat kesempatan studi Islam di Barat memanfaatkan kesempatan itu sebaik-baiknya untuk kepentingan Islam. Bukan malah sebaliknya, terjebak dalam kerangka pikir Orientalisme untuk menghancurkan Islam. Na’udzubillah. (Jakarta, 11 November 2005/hidayatullah.com).

Catatan Akhir Pekan (CAP) Adian Husaini adalah kerjasama Radio Dakta 107 FM dan www.hidayatullah.com

David-80

November 15th, 2005, 05:14 PM

The writer is not fair, he only focusing on Islam inklusif, which in these matters are Alm Nurcholish majid and his friend but failed to focus on Islam ekslusif, which in these matters are FPI and Laskar Jihad. He failed to explain for the broader muslim and non muslim community about the action of some ekslusif, which in the public eye, has been very negative. He needs to explain why the action of some ekslusif muslim is so radical and seemingly very rude towards non-muslims (with the closure of some churchs, trying to destroy cafes, restaurant during the fasting month and etc). It looks like the writer thinks if the eksklusif islam is the right thing by not giving any explanation about the action of its intended parties catagorised as eksklusif. While MUI, NU,Muhammadiyah and almost the whole islamic countries in OKI (Islamic countries organisation) are advising the opposite thing from the action of some "eksklusif" islam as explained by the writer.

Also what bothered me is cak nur never said if any religion is the same, what he meant was every religion is good regarding their own followers. That doesnt mean if every religion is the same.

just my opinion :)

cheers

Alvin

November 16th, 2005, 01:41 AM

I think it's rude and inappropriate how the author suggests that the writer of that thesis on exclusive and inclusive islam was just doing it for 'a few dollars' and a 'doctorate degree'. He has to accept that even within Islam itself, there's a divergence of views.

indistad

November 16th, 2005, 07:11 PM

Its obviously another reiteration of that worn out paranoia that muslim fundies seems so gripped with: that they are under attack by non-muslim. Now, this has been extended to include 'pseudo-muslims?'

Personally, I think the works of Cak Nur and Jaringan Islam Liberal has been weak in communicating with the general (thus stupider) Indonesian muslim community. With the increasing fanaticism of many Indonesian muslim, there needs to be more effort of educating these people. They need to understand that the world isn't purely meant for muslim only and that Islam is only truthful for them and not necessarily for everyone else. They need to get their head out of the paranoia that Indonesia is being christianized, that they are under attack from Christians, the west, Hindus, Chinese, intellectuals you name it...

Islam has a very big job of convincing non-muslim that it is a good religion. Personally, I am disgusted by the incapability of moderate and liberal islamic leaders in fighting off this resurgence of stupidity that is fanaticism. I just wish people'd start becoming agnostics and focus more on reading science and other useful matters instead of pop fanaticism books found all over the place these days..

macgyver

November 17th, 2005, 10:41 AM

Also what bothered me is cak nur never said if any religion is the same, what he meant was every religion is good regarding their own followers. That doesnt mean if every religion is the same.

cheers

Unless I am mistaken, this is the one that some major moslem scholar is not allign with Cak Nur.
While ... the moslem say ... the true religion is Islam. AND . Other religion is true for their follower.

New generation of JIL maybe some of you know ... Sukidi ? now doing PHD in ( was is Boston ? ) ... is very proud of saying that every religion is the same.
he analogize the religion as a light which is Ultra Violet ... then dispersed to Red-Orang-Yellow ( the rainbow ). the colour is the religion. the religion is the same ( from ultra Violet ).

He he he .. just don't want to argue :-)
so that is the oppinion in some / many moslem in Indonesia.
so that we have a broaden horizon from the other side.

What I can say is ....
" Unity in Diversity " ... which is maybe our weakest link.
Let's tight it together .....

macgyver

November 19th, 2005, 10:32 AM

Fatwa MUI: Terorisme dan Bunuh Diri Diharamkan Agama

JAKARTA--MIOL: Ketua Komisi Fatwa Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), KH Ma'aruf Amin, menegaskan kembali fatwa majelis tersebut bahwa terorisme dan bunuh diri merupakan tindakan yang diharamkan oleh agamaIslam dan tindakan serangan dengan cara bunuh diri yang dilakukan di Indonesia tidak dapat digolongkan sebagai 'jihad'.

"Apa yang dilakukan di Indonesia adalah terorisme dan bunuh diri... bunuh diri itu haram," kata Ma'aruf, usai melihat rekaman video pengakuan tiga pelaku bom bunuh diri Bom Bali II seperti yang ditayangkan di kediaman Wakil Presiden Jusuf Kalla di Jakarta pada Kamis malam.

Sehari setelah mengundang 12 orang kiyai dari Jawa Timur, Wakil Presiden Jusuf Kalla Kamis malam kembali mengundang pimpinan Ormas-Ormas Islam di kediamannya Jalan Diponegoro, Jakarta Pusat untuk berdiskusi dan menyaksikan pemutaran video pengakuan tiga pelaku pembom bunuh diri di Pulau Bali pada 1 Oktober 2005.

Di antara para tokoh Muslim yang hadir itu adalah Ketua Umum Pimpinan Pusat Muhammadiyah, Dr Din Syamsuddin, pimpinan PB Nahdlatul Ulama, Rozi Munir dan Ahmad Bagja, pimpinan Majelis Ulama Indonesia, seperti Umar Sihab, KH Ma'ruf Amin, Amidhan, dan Ichwan Sam, serta cendekiawan Muslim Azyumardi Azra, Syafii Ma'arif dan Komaruddin Hidayat.

Juga hadir dalam kesempatan tersebut, Menteri Agama Maftuh Basyuni dan tokoh pendidik Arif Rahman.

Dalam rekaman VCD, para pelaku menyatakan alasan mengapa mereka melakukan bom bunuh diri, juga menyampaikan pesan-pesan kepada keluarga mereka, serta menyatakan bahwa mereka akan masuk syurga dengan melakukan aksi yang mereka sebut sebagai 'jihad'.

Ma'aruf mengungkapkan, MUI sebelumnya telah mengeluarkan fatwa yang mengharamkan perbuatan terorisme, yaitu pada akhir tahun 2003.

Indonesia, kata Ma'aruf menekankan, bukanlah wilayah perang, melainkan daerah aman, damai dan wilayah dakwah, yang karena itu tidak ada alasan untuk mendapat serangan bom bunuh diri.

Sasaran pemboman bunuh diri juga tidak jelas, ujarnya, karena korbannya bukan pihak-pihak yang dianggap musuh, melainkan orang-orang yang tidak berdosa.

Ketika ditanya mengapa serangan bunuh diri masih terjadi padahal fatwa haram sudah dikeluarkan, Ma'aruf mengatakan bahwa sebenarnya fatwa berfungsi sebagai kaidah atau pegangan bagi pemerintah untuk melakukan upaya-upaya penegasan pemahaman bahwa tindakan para teroris yang mengatasnamakan 'jihad' adalah keliru.

Sedangkan para teroris itu sendiri dinilainya sebagai insan-insan yang memang tidak mau mendengarkan fatwa.

"Ya tentu saja karena teroris itu kan bukan anak baik-baik, bukan santri yang baik, yang begitu mendengarkan fatwa langsung patuh," tukasnya.

Fatwa juga, katanya, dikeluarkan dengan maksud untuk memagari umat agar tidak terpengaruh dengan aksi-aksi yang dilakukan oleh kelompok teroris dan karena itu MUI terus melakukan penyadaran kepada umat Islam melalui berbagai bentuk sosialisasi.

Sekretaris Umum MUI, Ichwan Sam, menambahkan bahwa MUI telah melakukan rapat kerja internal untuk membahas masalah terorisme.

Ia mengungkapkan bahwa pada 2-4 Desember mendatang, MUI akan mengundang para pengurus MUI seluruh Indonesia, pimpinan Ormas Islam dan pimpinan pondok pesantren untuk membicarakan upaya-upaya meluruskan pemahaman tentang ajaran Islam dan mencegah tindakan-tindakan terorisme.

Sementara itu, mantan Ketua Umum PP Muhammadiyah, Syafi'i Ma'arif, menganggap konsep jihad seperti yang dinyatakan oleh para pelaku pemboman bunuh diri Bom Bali II merupakan salah satu kenyataan bahwa ada krisis yang sangat dalam yang dialami oleh umat Islam.

Tindakan serangan bunuh diri sebagai jihad, tegasnya, merupakan pemahaman yang sangat keliru tentang ajaran Islam dan justru menodai Islam.

Ia juga menyatakan merasa kasihan terhadap para pelaku bom bunuh diri yang menyatakan bahwa mereka akan masuk syurga.

Syafi'i menganggap pernyatan tersebut sama saja dengan telah mengambil peran Tuhan, satu-satunya pihak yang berhak menentukan apakah seseorang berhak masuk syurga atau tidak.

"Islam ditafsirkan secara nekad oleh mereka (teroris, red)," katanya.

Bom bunuh diri yang dilakukan para teroris, menurutnya, juga tidak jelas tujuannya seperti kenapa dilakukan di Indonesia dan korbannya juga umat Islam.

Ia membandingkan dengan di Palestina, yang musuh bagi pelaku "bom syahid" sudah jelas.

"Mereka (teroris, red), berani mati, tetapi tidak berani hidup," kritiknya lagi terhadap para teroris.

Sementara itu ia menyatakan keinginannya agar pihak kepolisian RI semakin meningkatkan komunikasi untuk saling bertukar informasi dalam upaya untuk mencegah kemungkinan terjadinya tindakan terorisme.

"Kadang-kadang polisi juga tidak mau mengajak kita bicara," keluhnya.

Menyusul keberhasilan kepolisian RI membekuk kelompok teroris di Malang, Jawa Timur, pada 9 November lalu yang berakhir dengan kematian pimpinannya, Dr Azahari, Syafi'i menyatakan harapannya agar teroris-teroris lainnya dapat ditangkap dalam keadaan hidup-hidup.

Aparat keamanan, ujarnya, harus bekerja lebih keras agar dapat mengorek informasi tentang maksud dan tujuan sebenarnya dari tindakan-tindakan terorisme yang dilakukan para teroris. (ant/OL-1)

Blue_Sky

November 20th, 2005, 04:00 AM

SBY: Indonesia Butuh 15 Tahun untuk Bebas Korupsi
Luhur Hertanto - detikcom

Busan - Entah ini kabar baik atau buruk bagi Anda. Birokrasi Indonesia bisa terbebas dari budaya korupsi dalam waktu 15 tahun. Dengan cacatan, perang melawan korupsi yang dilancarkan pemerintah didukung penuh oleh rakyat.

Ini bukan komentar pengamat hukum, tapi Presiden Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. "Hong Kong butuh waktu 12 tahun untuk terbebas dari korupsi. Saya perkirakan untuk Indonesia butuh sekitar 15 tahun," ujar SBY di Kantor Konsulat Kehormatan RI, Busan, Korea Selatan, Sabtu (19/11/2005) malam.

Dilaporkan oleh wartawan detikcom yang meliput lawatan Presiden SBY ke Busan, pernyataan ini disampaikan presiden dalam temu wicara dengan ratusan WNI yang tinggal di Korea Selatan. Saat itu presiden menanggapi ketakutan seorang TKI pulang ke Tanah Air akibat pungutan liar (pungli) di Bandara Sukarno-Hatta, Cengkareng.

Kepada para hadirin, SBY menjelaskan pemberantasan korupsi dan pembangunan pemerintahan yang bersih merupakan salah satu program utama kabinet yang tengah ia pimpin. Meski hasil pelaksanaannya setahun terakhir masih jauh dari harapan rakyat, namun memberi tanda menggembirakan

Maka untuk lebih mengefektifkan langkah di masa mendatang, pemerintah bermaksud belajar dari pengalaman Hong Kong dengan mengundang tim ahlinya memberi pelatihan. Pada saat bersamaan, sebuah tim terpadu Indonesia dikirim ke sana untuk mempelajari sistem yang ada.

"Setelah berhasil membersihkan birokrasinya dari korupsi, Hong Kong lepas landas luar biasa. Kita perlu belajar dari mereka," ujar SBY.

Mengenai ketakutan terhadap ancaman pungli, SBY minta para TKI untuk tidaksegan-segan melaporkan langsung kejadian melalui SMS 9924 atau Kotak Pos 9949 JKT 10000. "Gampang kan? Kalo nanti terbukti (laporannya) benar, pasti kami tindak lanjuti," janji SBY. (gtp)

gw seeeh loe korupsi apa kaga seeh kaga peduli gw yg penting KERJA YG BENERR!!!!!!!! taek kucing!!! kalo kerjaan bener korupsi dah tuuh sono since gaji loe emank kecil di compare sama pejabat2x di negara laeen!!!!!

Blue_Sky

November 20th, 2005, 04:03 AM

Gila, Pesta Seks di Kelas
Libatkan Oknum Guru

Wooow, beberapa siswa sebuah SMA Negeri di Cianjur nekat berbuat mesum di dalam kelas. Adegan panas itu kemudian direkam dengan menggunakan kamera handphone. Perbuatan bejat itu akhirnya terbongkar.

Belakangan diketahui, ternyata aksi itu melibatkan seorang oknum guru pula. Kini, seluruh siswa yang terlibat sudah dipecat sedangkan oknum guru tersebut sedang dalam proses pemberian sanksi oleh Dinas Pendidikan Kabupaten Cianjur.

Salah seorang guru yang ditunjuk menjadi ketua tim pengusut, Ella Laelasari, membenarkan adanya kejadian itu. Menurut dia, ada 11 siswa yang dipecat karena melakukan pelanggaran berat. Mereka terlibat dalam kegiatan yang dilarang oleh agama maupun hukum negara yakni melakukan hubungan di luar nikah dan narkoba.

Secara rinci, Ella yang dihubungi di rumahnya Sabtu (19/11) malam mengatakan, dari 11 siswa itu, delapan wanita dan tiga orang laki-laki. Yang terlibat dalam adegan mesum di kelas jumlahnya empat orang. Namun keempatnya ini merupakan kelompok dari 11 siswa yang sering melakukan pesta seks dan pesta narkoba.

Ke-11 pelajar itu terdiri dari delapan siswi dan tiga siswa masing-masing berinitial, CN, siswi kelas 2, IM (kelas 3), YN (kelas 2), YLN (kelas 2), WD kelas 3, AN kelas 1, DT kelas 2, SHR kelas 3 dan DCK kelas 2, TM kelas 3 dan RY kelas 1. Sedangkan oknum guru berinisial DD.

Para siswa wanita itu ditengarai sering menjadi wanita panggilan. Istilah Ella terlibat hubungan seks di luar nikah. Ada pun keterlibatan oknum guru, yakni menjadi perantara para siswa dengan laki-laki hidung belang. "Untuk guru saya tidak mau berkomentar karena bukan wewenang saya," katanya.

Namun dia menyebutkan, oknum guru itu terungkap karena adanya pengakuan dari salah seorang siswa. "Ketika diperiksa, siswa itu menyebutkan bahwa ada guru yang terlibat," katanya.

Dari hasil pemeriksaan diketahui bahwa para siswa melakukan tiga pelanggaran berat yakni penggunaan narkoba, menjadi germo dan melakukan prostitusi terselubung dan melakukan degan mesum di dalam kelas. "Atas dasar pengakuan tersebut, pihak sekolah meminta mereka mengundurkan diri. Para orang tua mereka akhirnya menyadari, bahkan salah seorang wali murid berniat menuntut oknum guru tersebut. Itu hak mereka," kata Ella.

Kronologi

Menurut Ella Laelasari, terungkapnya kasus tersebut bermula ketika seorang wali kelas memproses kasus dua siswi, CN dan YN. Keduanya sudah berulangkali mendapat peringatan keras akibat merokok di sekolah. Kesalahan mereka sudah masuk katagori berat karena poinnya sudah mencapai 500.

Dalam peraturan, jika sudah melanggar dengan total poin 500, siswa itu harus dikeluarkan. "Mereka bersedia dikeluarkan dengan syarat agar teman-teman mereka, termasuk seorang oknum guru juga harus ikut dikeluarkan," kata Ella.

Pada akhirnya kedok para siswa dan guru terbongkar. Ternyata bukan hanya satu atau dua siswa tetapi dilakukan dengan teman-teman lainnya, termasuk sang guru. Dari hasil pemeriksaan tim guru tadi, empat siswi, masing-masing CN, YN, IM dan YLN mengaku pada 1 Oktober 2005, masih berseragam sekolah dibawa seorang pengusaha setempat dan oknum guru DD ke sebuah vila di Cipanas. Di tempat rekreasi itu mereka melakukan pesta narkoba.

"Selanjutnya mereka masing-masing dikerjai sebanyak sembilan kali, tanpa dibayar. Dua di antaranya diturunkan di depan kantor BRI Cianjur, seorang lainnya dalam keadaan mabuk berat diantar temannya pulang," kata Ella.

Yang mengagetkan Ella, mereka mengaku sudah terbiasa melayani para lelaki hidung belang dengan bayaran Rp 500 ribu hingga Rp 800 ribu.

Belakangan Ella mengetahui kalau adegan bejat para siswanya itu sudah beredar ke mana-mana. Siswa lain bahkan masyarakat umum yang memiliki telepon seluler berkamera banyak yang memiliki film adegan mesum para siswa itu.

Menurut Ella, beberapa siswa mengaku pernah pernah digerebek aparat kepolisian ketika melayani pengusaha asing di sebuah kompleks perumahan di Cianjur. Kejadian itu berlangsung pada awal Oktober.

Humas Dinas P dan K Kabupaten Cianjur, Asep Sobandi yang dihubungi mengatakan, telah menerima laporan itu. "Kami sangat menyesalkan peristiwa itu, dan laporan itu sedang kami proses." (tribun jabar/tat)

KOMPAS (http://www.kompas.com/utama/news/0511/20/054253.htm)

kok gue blum dapet?

sanhen

November 20th, 2005, 01:39 PM

^^ Hahaha. Funniest word of the day.

cOcO_cHaneL

November 20th, 2005, 03:01 PM

parah abiess

Fir3blaze

November 21st, 2005, 08:51 AM

Gila deh..Gitu muridnya udah dipecat, tapi gurunya masih 'dalam proses pemberian sanksi oleh Dinas Pendidikan Kabupaten Cianjur'. :bash: :bash:

Blue_Sky

November 21st, 2005, 09:49 AM

Hermas E Prabowo

Jasin, kota kecamatan yang berjarak 19 kilometer dari pusat kota Melaka, Malaysia, tak ubahnya seperti Malimping dan Labuan di Banten. Ketiga wilayah dari dua negara serumpun itu sama-sama pernah ”melahirkan” sosok teroris yang rela mati.

Teriakan ”Allahu Akbar” semula terdengar ragu dari seorang lelaki muda bercambang yang turut menyambut kedatangan jenazah teroris asal Malaysia, Dr Azahari bin Husin, Kamis (17/11), yang dalam lima tahun terakhir aktif melakukan serangkaian peledakan bom di Indonesia. Keraguan itu wajar karena tak jauh dari pemuda tersebut berdiri puluhan Polisi Diraja Malaysia yang tengah melakukan pengawalan dan penjagaan di sekitar Masjid Jamek Jasin, tempat pertama kali keranda jenazah Azahari diturunkan setelah sebelumnya diterbangkan dari Jakarta ke Kuala Lumpur.

Hanya berselang sekejap, teriakan lirih ”Allahu Akbar” itu bersambut. Mulai dari depan masjid hingga ke dalam.

”Tidak biasa kedatangan jenazah disambut dengan teriakan semacam ini. Kalau ada orang meninggal, ya biasa saja,” kata Tholib, warga Jasin, kepada Kompas. Tholib hadir dan mengiringi penguburan Azahari.

Menurut lelaki bertubuh kurus tersebut, keraguan teriakan sebagai simbol solidaritas itu wajar terjadi karena warga Jasin khususnya dan Malaysia pada umumnya sekarang ini takut terhadap aparat intelijen Malaysia. Warga takut bila sewaktu-waktu ditangkap karena dinilai mendukung jaringan terorisme. ”Di sini ada ISA (Internal Security Act). Orang bisa ditangkap kapan saja dan tidak bisa pulang kalau pemerintah menganggap terlibat,” kata Yusuf, warga lain.

Di Malaysia, ISA boleh dikatakan sebagai momok bagi simpatisan ataupun jaringan terorisme di Malaysia. Belum sampai pada taraf gerakan, anggota kelompok sudah ditangkap dan ditahan untuk jangka waktu tak tentu. Pemerintah akan melepas ”tahanan makar” tersebut bila mereka bersedia bekerja sama.

Potensi teroris

Memang tidak semua warga menyetujui langkah yang diambil Azahari, tetapi tidak sedikit pula yang bersimpati kepadanya. ”Saya kagum dengan sikapnya yang teguh untuk memperjuangkan kaumnya,” kata Faiz, mahasiswa sebuah perguruan tinggi di Johor Bahru yang ditemui di tanah pekuburan Jasin. Faiz mengaku tidak pernah bertemu almarhum.

Bagi Faiz dan temannya, Sali dan Ali, ”perjuangan” Azahari patut dikagumi. ”Dia berani meninggalkan anak-istrinya serta kehidupannya yang mapan untuk membela kaumnya. Saya kira ini pilihan pribadi dia yang harus kami hargai. Dia memang bercanggahan (bertentangan) dengan hukum, tetapi apa yang dia rasakan kami rasakan juga,” kata Faiz, yang dibenarkan kedua rekannya .

Mengapa yang menjadi sasaran Indonesia? Baik Faiz, Sali, maupun Ali tidak langsung menjawab. Mereka sejenak berpikir lalu berkata, ”Di Indonesia ada Bali (tempat wisata yang banyak dikunjungi turis asing).”

”Bukankah di Malaysia juga ada Bukit Bintang yang juga banyak warga asing?” Mereka menjawab singkat, ”Itu adalah pilihan pribadi Dr Azahari.”

Tak beda dengan Bali, Bukit Bintang juga menampilkan kemewahan duniawi yang amat kentara. Di sana juga terdengar dentuman house music serta wanita-wanita seksi yang siap melayani turis-turis asing. Pada malam liburan, misalnya, dunia malam di sana menggeliat dengan musik berdentam-dentum hingga pukul 03.00.

Terlepas dari persoalan gemerlap malam, Malaysia juga memiliki potensi teroris dan simpatisannya. Mereka umumnya bergerak dalam suasana ketakutan dan ketidaknyamanan karena adanya ISA, semacam undang-undang (UU) subversif di Indonesia pada masa pemerintahan Orde Baru. Bedanya, ISA digunakan untuk meredam berbagai aksi makar dan gerakan teroris, sementara UU subversif lebih digunakan untuk membasmi lawan-lawan politik pemerintahan Soeharto.

Kota kecamatan yang maju

Sebagai sebuah kawasan, Jasin yang merupakan kota kelahiran Azahari sekarang ini berkembang menjadi kota kecamatan yang maju. Jalan desa ataupun jalan kelas kampung beraspal halus. Lebar jalan kecamatan ada yang sampai 10 meter. Akses ke ibu kota kabupaten hanya 45 menit dengan kendaraan pribadi. Bangunan-bangunannya juga tertata rapi.

Lihat saja bangunan Pasar Jasin yang sudah berusia sekitar 80 tahun, masih tampak bersih dan kokoh.

Di wilayah Jasin tidak terlihat bangunan industri. Hanya hamparan kebun kelapa sawit berhektar-hektar yang tampak. Jalan menuju perkebunan juga bisa dilalui kendaraan pribadi jenis sedan. Warga Jasin secara ekonomi juga memiliki pendapatan yang cukup. Hampir setiap keluarga mempunyai kendaraan pribadi lebih dari satu.

Kondisi ini jauh berbeda dengan wilayah Malimping (Banten), daerah asal kelahiran Arnasan alias Iqbal, pelaku bom bunuh diri di Bali tahun 2002. Atau wilayah Labuan, tempat Iwan Dharmawan alias Rois— yang sudah dihukum dalam kasus peledakan bom di depan Kedutaan Besar Australia, Jakarta tahun 2004—dibesarkan.

Di dua wilayah Indonesia itu kemiskinan ada di mana-mana. Petani yang merupakan mayoritas penduduk sudah enggan menanam padi atau tanaman lain karena sulitnya jalur distribusi dan rendahnya harga hasil pertanian.

Di wilayah Jasin khususnya dan Malaysia pada umumnya, perdebatan dan penderitaan warga sehubungan dengan kesulitan hidup tidak mendominasi persoalan warga. ”Pemerintah sangat memerhatikan rakyat di sini. Tidak ada alasan untuk berlaku menyimpang,” kata Buyung, seorang pedagang.

Buyung menceritakan, di Malaysia warga tidak ada kesulitan untuk mendapatkan penghasilan cukup asal mau bekerja. Bila musim durian tiba, biasanya selama 40 hari, seorang pedagang durian musiman bisa mengantongi untung bersih 500–1.000 ringgit Malaysia. Dalam 40 hari berdagang, minimal Rp 25 juta di tangan.

Dinikmati bersama

Mudahnya mencari uang di Malaysia membuat kemakmuran juga dinikmati bersama, sampai ke rakyat kecil sekalipun. Lalu, ”Untuk apa lagi kami macam- macam. Semuanya sudah cukup,” kata Ibrahim Kuantan, yang pada Jumat sore lalu melayat ke keluarga Azahari.

Selain masalah kemakmuran rakyatnya, Pemerintah Malaysia juga pandai ”menghibur” warganya yang berpotensi militan. Pada hari pertama pascapenguburan jenazah Azahari, misalnya, Perdana Menteri Malaysia Abdullah Badawi bertemu Presiden Amerika Serikat (AS) George W Bush. Dalam pertemuan itu, PM Malaysia antara lain meminta AS meredakan konflik dengan meminta Israel melemah.

Apa yang dilakukan PM Malaysia sepintas memang tidak berarti banyak. Namun, dalam sebuah komunikasi politik, apa yang dilakukan PM Malaysia merupakan ”pelipur lara”. Buktinya, tak banyak warga Malaysia yang menokohkan Azahari.

Potensi teroris di Malaysia dan Indonesia sebenarnya boleh dikatakan sama besarnya. Yang berbeda, di Malaysia rakyatnya lebih makmur, pemerintah bisa dikatakan tidak korupsi, hukum ditegakkan, sedangkan di Indonesia?

Oleh karena itu, dalam menangani terorisme, tidak ada salahnya Indonesia belajar dari Malaysia....

Blue_Sky

November 22nd, 2005, 04:11 PM

Kasus Pornografi

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/4623/171105bporno0ez.jpg
Empat pasangan muda yang tertangkap.

17/11/2005 13:18
Empat pasangan muda mendokumentasikan hubungan intim mereka lewat telepon genggam pinjaman di hotel melati di Kota Padang, Sumbar. Dua di antaranya mengaku mahasiswi salah satu akademi perawat di Padang.

Liputan6.com, Padang: Personel Satuan Polisi Pamong Praja Kota Padang, Sumatra Barat, menggerebek sebuah hotel di Kota Padang, Rabu malam. Di tempat penginapan kelas melati ini, empat pasang remaja tertangkap tangan sedang berpesta seks. Bukan cuma itu, pasangan muda ini juga sengaja merekam adegan intim melalui tiga buah telepon genggam.

Dari rekaman gambar terlihat adegan ranjang ini terjadi pada 16 November. Setelah diperiksa sejak tadi malam, keempat pasangan itu Kamis (17/11), telah dilepas kembali.

Di depan Satpol Pamong Praja Padang, dua tersangka mengaku mahasiswi salah satu akademi perawat. Salah seorang tersangka mengaku berhubungan seks dengan calon suaminya. Sedangkan tiga pasangan lain mengaku beradegan mesum karena iseng. Mereka ingin merekam persetubuhan itu untuk koleksi pribadi.

Tapi, keterangan keempat pasangan ini agak meragukan. Sebab, adegan-adegan panas direkam oleh telepon genggam milik temannya.(IAN/Aldian)

Berita & Politik (http://www.liputan6.com/view/11,112626,1,0,1132210272.html)

Blue_Sky

November 23rd, 2005, 01:16 PM

Nov 23 11:33

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Para wanita berkewarganegaraan China yang berusia di bawah 30 tahun akan dibatasi dan diperketat izin masuknya ke wilayah Indonesia, kata Menteri Hukum dan Hak Asasi Manusia, Hamid Awaludin, di DPR Rabu.

"Dari 1.901 orang asing yang dideportasi dari Indonesia, sebagian besar adalah wanita berusia di bawah 30 tahun dari China. Ketika digerebek, para wanita muda dari China ini bekerja sebagai pekerja seks komersial," kata Hamid dalam rapat kerja dengan Komisi III DPR yang dipimpin ketua-nya, Trimedya Panjahitan dari FPDIP.

Hamid menambahkan berdasarkan temuan itu, pihaknya memerintahkan Ditjen Imigrasi agar memperketat persyaratan bagi warga negara China wanita berusia di bawah 30 tahun yang akan masuk Indonesia.

"Mereka untuk mendapatkan visa masuk ke Indonesia dengan tujuan kunjungan wisata harus punya bukti bahwa mereka benar-benar akan bekerja di bidang seni," katanya.

Dalam kesempatan itu, Hamid juga mengatakan warga negara asal Nigeria juga akan diperketat untuk masuk ke Indonesia.

"Pemohon visa asal Nigeria harus melampirkan surat dari pemerintahnya yang menyatakan bahwa yang bersangkutan bebas dari perkara narkoba," katanya.

Upaya itu ditempuh untuk mencegah hadirnya orang Nigeria yang menjadi bagian dari jaringan bandar narkoba di Indonesia. (*)

Berita & Politik (http://www.antara.co.id/seenws/?id=23064)

cOcO_cHaneL

November 23rd, 2005, 01:20 PM

ck ck ck..... fer de sex partay

^^ it's getting more and more complicated to apply visa to indonesia, yeaH?

Ara

November 23rd, 2005, 02:00 PM

It's also bloody expensive for Indonesians to visit other countries. Hapuskan airport fiskal!!!!

sanhen

November 23rd, 2005, 02:01 PM

Hmmm I think indonesia visa regulation is really hard and confusing, anyway. Except those visa on arrival thingy.

Zorobabel

November 29th, 2005, 12:56 AM

If any of you hear any news about a foreigner being arrested in Surabaya/Madura let me know...

Fir3blaze

November 29th, 2005, 04:25 AM

If any of you hear any news about a foreigner being arrested in Surabaya/Madura let me know...

Zoro, why the sudden interest?

Zorobabel

November 29th, 2005, 06:45 AM

Two friends of mine were arrested about two weeks ago. One was working with an NGO on a dam project on Madura (American expatriate), the other was a teacher in a pesantren (Indonesian national). I guess they got caught up in the recent religious crackdown. They weren't evangelists or anything, just regular Christians. The rest I am just guessing on, but I think they made the mistake of not immediately telling people their religion, which led some on Madura to assume they were Muslims. Once the people they were working with found out (again, just my assumptions) they probably got angry about that. There was a village council that found them both guilty, and convinced authorities to indict them. The Indonesian national is being held without charge in Surabaya, while the expatriate is being held on falsified visa charges.

I'm pretty sure they are planning to deport the American and his family. They've devoted 20 years of their life to helping Madurese people after the ethnic violence from the Transmigration Program. The Indonesian supposedly may go to prison for a few years. He's the nicest guy I've ever known, has a great family and everything. He took me to a good restaurant once. I met him through the American who is now in prison.

David-80

November 29th, 2005, 09:25 AM

I dont get it, the Indonesian national is a christian but hes teaching in Pesantren?

I try find out for you Matt.

cheers

macgyver

November 29th, 2005, 09:34 AM

Zorobabel

November 29th, 2005, 08:18 PM

I'm sure it's very common and that agitates some people, so I do understand why they would be sensitive on the issue (I'm not pointing any fingers, as you notice). These men, however, don't do that.

The Indonesian just teaches English at the pasentren, not theology or anything. The kiai is a very interesting guy, I've met him and eaten with him. Thus, I know the situation doesn't have anything to do with him. Anyway, that's life. At least the expatriate has an apartment back in his home state.

Alvin

December 5th, 2005, 01:21 PM

Information again under the control of government

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

One may have seen it coming. Perhaps not glaringly conspicuous, but the signs where there for a return to the situation where information would be controlled and restricted by the government.

The first sign was the return of the information ministry as a portfolio ministry early this year, which was met with concern that it would operate like the information ministry during the authoritarian regime of former president Soeharto, who was ousted in 1998.

The Information Ministry during the New Order regime practically controlled all the country's media, and it had sole power to grant and revoke licenses and was thus able to meddle in editorial processes.

The second sign was the ministry's ban on all broadcasters from going to air from midnight to dawn, using the excuse of conserving energy amid ballooning global oil prices.

Criticism of this move was quick, including from the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI). However, the protests quickly dissipated.

The third sign was the controversial four sets of government regulations issued recently by the ministry to provide technical implementation of Law No. 32/2002 on broadcasting.

The four are government regulations No. 49/2005 on foreign broadcasters, No. 50/2005 on private broadcasters, No. 51/2005 on community broadcasters and No. 52/2005 on subscription-based broadcasters.

Not only did the ministry grace itself with the final say on licensing issues, but it also put boundaries on content -- a clear violation of the broadcasting law, according to experts.

Among them is the prohibition on private broadcasters to relay regular news programs from foreign broadcasters, thus limiting sources of information to the public.

Old habits die hard, media analyst Hinca Panjaitan said, referring to the irresistible desire by those in power to control the information received by the public.

"All the fears about the ministry are turning into reality. The media is supposed to control the government, but how is it supposed to do so when its life lies in a minister's hands?" he said.

Hinca said the four regulations constituted clear evidence of tight restrictions that were not supposed to be applied in a democracy, where freedom of information is constitutionally guaranteed.

Asked if the government seemed to be wayward on this issue, Hinca said the government was hiding behind the judicial review process.

"I suppose they knew criticism would come, but they just want to control. They knew a judicial review would be filed, but they knew it would take years for a verdict to be handed down," he said.

Information minister Sofyan Djalil had said, "Let (critics) file a judicial review, but these regulations will remain in force until there is a verdict".

Unlike a judicial review at the Constitutional Court, a review by the Supreme Court has no maximum period before a verdict has to be handed down.

"We'll probably be having another general election, but the judicial review will still be undecided," said Hinca.

Nonetheless, Hinca said a group of media observers were now drafting documents to file a judicial review against the "repressive regulations".

The KPI filed a judicial review on the previous regulations to the Supreme Court in July, but it remains unclear when a verdict would be delivered.

Alvin

December 5th, 2005, 01:50 PM

INDONESIA: SUICIDE BOMBINGS "NOT JIHAD" SAY HARD-LINERS

Jakarta, 5 Dec. (AKI/Jakarta Post) - Islamic hard-line groups have joined a chorus of condemnation in Indonesia and elsewhere in the world against militants who used suicide bombings to wage Jihad - or holy war - in the world's most populous Muslim country. At a seminar over the weekend, the groups called for a dialogue between them and other Muslim leaders, along with the government to discuss the issues surrounding Jihad, claiming US president George W. Bush's 'war on terror' has tarnished their image.

Suicide bombs cannot be accepted as Jihad, leaders of the Indonesian Mujahadeen Assembly (MMI), Hizb ut Tahrir, the Islam Defender Front (FPI), and several other hard-line groups agreed on Sunday.

"It's because the attackers have committed suicide in Indonesia, which is not a conflict zone," MMI leader Abu Jibril argued.

The seminar specifically discussed the series of suicide bombings in the country, blamed widely on members of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terror group.

According to Jibril, Muslims are allowed only to launch suicide attacks for self-defence.

"The recent suicide bombings were out of the context of Islamic holy war, because they (the attackers) attacked targets instead of defending themselves from threats, such as aggression," he said.

The MMI was founded by extremist cleric Abu Bakar al-Bashir, who was in April convicted of a being involved in the conspiracy that led to the 2002 bombings in Bali that killed 202 people, mostly Western tourists.

Jibril has taken over the MMI's leadership, as al-Bashir, who also heads the al-Mukmin Islamic boarding school in Ngruki, Surakarta, Central Java, is serving a 30-month jail term in Jakarta's Cipinang prison.

Police also accused al-Bashir of leading JI, but the court was not convinced.

Similarly, Achmad Junaidi Ath-Thayibiy of the Hizb ut Tahrir said the recent terror attacks in the country by suicide bombers were haram (forbidden under Islam), and could not be considered as jihad.

Once again, he stressed that Indonesia was not a conflict zone.

"The Koran sets a condition before Muslims can wage holy war and die as martyrs, namely it must be defensive, not offensive, in nature, and the target must be clear.

"If the attackers target the US and its allies as their enemies, they must not victimise women, children and other innocent people," Ath-Thayibiy told the seminar, which was also attended by former chairman of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI), Rev. Nathan Setiabudi.

Imams have also strongly condemned the suicide bombings as un-Islamic, saying the terrorists had misinterpreted Koranic verses on Jihad to launch the attacks.

Nahdlatul Ulama leader Hasyim Muzadi asked the government and Muslim leaders to sit down together to talk about the true concept of Jihad in an effort to ensure the success of the national campaign against terror.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) ended a two-day national meeting here on Sunday with a decision to strengthen its stance against terrorism.

"We are planning to facilitate a meeting of all religious groups, be they hard-line or moderate ones, to find a clear definition of Jihad. Of course, our stance is clear that we are against terror, because Indonesia is not a battle zone for Jihad or suicide attacks," MUI deputy chairman, Maruf Amin, who was appointed to lead the anti-terror task force, told The Jakarta Post.

He said the MUI would re-issue its 2003 fatwa that outlaws all acts of terror.

The council, however, criticised the security authorities for stigmatising hard-line groups and a number of Islamic boarding schools.

Last week, the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) said that as part of the fight against terrorism, it would infiltrate radical groups, in an attempt to destroy their organisations from the inside.

(Aki/Jakarta Post)

macgyver

December 5th, 2005, 03:19 PM

I don't know where to put this article

Sekelumit Isi Sukarno File
Nurul Hidayati - detikcom

Jakarta - Sukarno sendirilah yang merancang perkomplotan terhadap para perwira tinggi Angkatan Darat dan bahkan membantu dan mendorongnya. Baginya, para perwira itu bersikap terlalu mau jalan sendiri dan terlalu anti-komunis.

Sukarno sendirilah yang memberikan lampu hijau pada sejumlah perwira di lingkungannya untuk menyelesaikan masalah para perwira tinggi itu. Ia juga memberikan isyarat pada pimpinan komunis mengenai apa yang sedang dirancangkan itu, sehingga mereka menjadi tergetah.

Aduh, siapa sih yang tidak tertarik membaca penggalan rangkuman buku karya Antonie CA Dake, Sukarno File, seperti yang tertulis di halaman belakang kulit buku itu? Hanya dengan membaca potongan resume itu saja, orang-orang sudah tergerak memasukkan buku berkulit wajah Soekarno-Soeharto itu ke tas belanja.

Jadi maklum saja bila kemudian buku Sukarno File yang dilempar pada pertengahan November 2005 itu langsung ludes di pasaran.

Buku ini cukup tebal, lebih dari 500 halaman. Namun jika Anda tak punya waktu untuk membacanya, Anda bisa langsung membaca bab Rangkuman yang terletak di halaman 232-242.

Dake menilai, ontran-ontran G30S/PKI dipicu oleh usulan PKI, partai terkuat saat itu dan dekat dengan Bung Karno, untuk membentuk angkatan kelima. Angkatan jenis ini adalah dengan mempersenjatai kalangan buruh dan petani, yang juga kader PKI. Rakyat sipil itu dipersenjatai -- sesuai usulan penguasa komunis Cina -- untuk melawan Malaysia dan Inggris Raya, musuh utama saat itu. Cina bahkan siap memberi gratis senjata merek Chung puluhan ribu pucuk.

Di satu sisi, relasi Sukarno saat itu tidak mesra dengan Angkatan Bersenjata yang dimotori Angkatan Darat. Saking tidak mesranya, dia mencopot Jenderal AH Nasution dan menggantinya dengan Letjen A Yani, orang yang dirasanya lebih luwes dibandingkan Nasution, sebagai pimpinan Angkatan Bersenjata.

Angkatan Kelima ini penting bagi Bung Karno untuk meningkatkan kewibawaannya terhadap militer yang sangat kuat kala itu. Sedangkan PKI berkepentingan pada pembentukan Angkatan Kelima ini agar memiliki pasukan bersenjata, menyaingi Angkatan Bersenjata yang anti-komunis.

Namun, A Yani ternyata satu aliran dengan Nasution. Para jenderal, utamanya Angkatan Darat, menolak mendukung Sukarno untuk membentuk Angkatan Kelima. Angkatan Darat bersikeras, pembentukan milisi harus dikelola oleh pihaknya sebagai militer profesional, dan bukan oleh unsur lainnya, PKI, misalnya.

Sukarno meradang mendapat perlawanan dari para jenderal Angkatan Darat. Dia menganggap pucuk pimpinan Angkatan Darat memberontak.

"....Sukarno memutuskan untuk memulai persiapan penindakan terhadap perwira tinggi Angkatan Darat yang dianggap "tidak loyal". Maka dia pada pagi 4 Agustus (1965-red) memanggil komandan resimen pengawalnya, Brigjen Subur, dan salah satu dari komandan batalion, Letkol Untung.

Dia menerima mereka di kamar tidurnya dan mengatakan kepada keduanya bahwa ia ingin memulai suatu aksi yang tidak dispesifikasi terhadap sejumlah jenderal Angkatan Darat. Berdasarkan para saksi, Sukarno mengandalkan hal ini kepada Untung dan bertanya apakah ia siap untuk menjadi pemimpin. Untung kemudian menjawab ia siap untuk mengikuti apa pun perintah Presiden dengan loyal dan tak bersyarat.

Percakapan ini merupakan awal dari pekan-pekan penuh peningkatan berbagai perkembangan yang berakhir pada tanggal 1 Oktober, yang merupakan hari titik balik nasib Sukarno," tulis Dake di halaman 255-256.

Di halaman 257, tepatnya di bagian Kesimpulan, Dake menulis "Ternyata Sukarno sejak waktu itu terlibat dalam proses perkomplotan, yang untuk sebagian merupakan ciptaannya sendiri. Akhirnya masalahnya meledak dalam peristiwa yang terjadi pada tanggal 1 Oktober 1965. Nasution, Yani serta sejumlah jenderal Angkatan Darat lain, terlalu menghambat dirinya, demikian penilaian Sukarno, yang kemudian sampai pada kesimpulan bahwa suatu "penyelesaian" harus dicarikan.

Pertanyaan mengenai "Angkatan Kelima" memainkan peranan penting sebagai lambang di mata Sukarno akan kekerasan kepala yang tidak dapat diterima dari berbagai pemimpin Angkatan Darat."

Dake juga menulis, akhir nasib Bung Karno yang tidak mengenakkan -- meninggal dunia dalam tahanan rumah -- akibat dari megalomanianya sendiri. "Keadaan (megalomania) ini merupakan akibat langsung dari pengaruh dalam kekuasaan yang begitu besar dan luas yang diraih Sukarno di dalam dan luar negeri," tulis orang Belanda ini di bab Pendahuluan halaman 5-6. (nrl)

Alvin

December 5th, 2005, 04:53 PM

Muslim leaders in Indonesia denounce suicide bombings
EMAIL STORY
PM - Monday, 5 December , 2005 18:38:00
Reporter: Peter Cave
MARK COLVIN: Some of Indonesia's most radical Muslim leaders have denounced the use of suicide bombings, and said they have no place in Jihad, or holy war, in the country.

They were attending a weekend seminar on suicide bombings in the capital organised by the National Council of Clerics.

From Jakarta, Foreign Affairs Editor Peter Cave.

PETER CAVE: Speaking to reporters, the leader of the Indonesian Mujahedin Assembly, Abu Jibril, said the clerics had agreed that suicide bomb attacks could not be accepted as Jihad and that recent suicide bombings in Indonesia were out of context because they weren't carried out in defence of Islam.

He said that Indonesia was not a conflict zone, and that the suicide bombings had been used to attack targets rather than defensively.

Abu Jibril succeeded the founder of the Mujahedin Assembly, Abu Bakar Bashir, jailed for being involved in the conspiracy to carry out the 2002 bombings in Bali.

Another of those who attendant the seminar was Achmad Junaidi Ath Thayyibiy of the Islam Defenders Front, another hardline Islamic Group.

He said the suicide bombing were "haram", or forbidden under Islam. If the bombers targeted the US and its allies as enemies they should not make women and children and other innocent people their victims.

Their comments have been praised by the former head of Indonesia's National Intelligence Agency, BIN, at the time of the bombings.

Writing for the Jakarta Post, A M Hendropriyono said that enlisting the help of the countries most respected religious authorities was long overdue. And when the dust finally settles, it may emerge that the epitaph for Jemaah Islamiah may have begun with the November 18th declaration of Jihad against extremism by the National Council of Clerics.

Hendropriyono, who stepped down as head of BIN after the election of the Yudhoyono Government, was scathing in his criticism of his former colleagues in the security forces and the Government of Megawati Sukarnoputri, in which he served as a senior minister.

He says the Government's response to extremism after the first Bali bombings was half-hearted and, he says, he can vividly recall senior security officials repeatedly pulling their punches against the radicals.

Praising the new President for finally showing some backbone to confront the remnants of Jemaah Islamiah, Hendropriyono says enlisting the help of Muslim scholars is arguably the most important step.

He says this is because of the disturbing ability of terrorist recruiters like Noordin M Top and Imam Samudra, to corrupt Islamic teachings to recruit suicide bombers.

He said Indonesia's intelligence forces had discovered after the bombing of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta in 2004 that JI had even altered the teachings of Middle Eastern groups, which promised suicide bombers 72 virgins in Paradise after their martyrdom.

To give their promises more resonance amongst Indonesian recruits they had changed that promise to say that martyrs could instead take 72 friends and relatives along with them to Paradise.

Hendropriyono said the Government needed a crucial counterbalance to the shrill intolerance of clerics like Abu Bakar Bashir, who could be released from prison next year.

And he foreshadowed the possibility of bringing Bashir up for trial for a third time upon his release. He said the Government should be exploring whether the cleric was responsible for the bombings of the Philippines Embassy and a series of Christmas Eve Bombings in 2000.

This is Peter Cave reporting from Jakarta for PM.

Alvin

December 6th, 2005, 02:31 PM

Jakarta call to fingerprint 3.5m Islamic pupils
Sian Powell, Jakarta correspondent
December 06, 2005
INDONESIAN Vice-President Jusuf Kalla has called for the compulsory fingerprinting of 3.5 million students in the country's Islamic boarding schools – a move that has sparked outrage across the archipelago.

Attempting to deflect criticism, Mr Kalla told reporters the move was not related to terrorism.

"Don't connect this with terrorism – this is only in relation to identification," Mr Kalla said.

However, the move follows his decision to ask Indonesia's ruling Islamic body, the extremely conservative Muslim Council of Scholars (MUI), to monitor the curriculums of Islamic boarding schools and to publicise an anti-terror fatwa, or decree.

There are about 15,000 Islamic boarding schools across Indonesia. Despite their numbers, however, they are on the defensive because so many extremists connected with the terror network Jemaah Islamiah are the alumni of certain Islamic boarding schools.

Mr Kalla's steps to contain militant schools have been closely watched in Indonesia, the fourth-most populous Islamic nation in the world, where extremist Islam is closely connected with militants and where Muslims remain wary of any criticism of their religion.

Indonesia has yet to formally ban the JI organisation, but measures to restrict the teaching in extremist schools have been welcomed.

Conservative Muslims, however, have slammed Mr Kalla's moves.

"Why search for terrorists with terror?" asked Israd Fikria, a teacher from the notorious Ngruki boarding school, which has educated as many as 30 militants accused and convicted of terrorism.

"We should be partners. We are only providing a normal education. It is said there are alumni of Islamic boarding schools who later become terrorists, but how can one or two people represent thousands?"

MUI secretary-general Mohammad Ichwan Sam said fingerprinting had already occurred in one Islamic boarding school, or pesantren.

"It has happened," he said. "Don't let it spread. It has to be stopped. What happened in Cianjur (a town in West Java) must be the first and last."

The International Crisis Group has reported on an "ivy league" of Islamic boarding schools, which produced militants.

More than 30 accused and convicted militants attended the Ngruki Islamic boarding school in Central Java, founded by convicted extremist preacher Abu Bakar Bashir.

Since the second Bali bombings in October, the Indonesian Government has taken steps to crack down on the schools.

Alvin

December 8th, 2005, 01:06 PM

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20051208/capt.jak11212081018.indonesia_christmas_jak112.jpg?x=380&y=272&sig=mm.IXyUbny27XwIB2YudJg--

Indonesians dressed in Santa Claus costumes wave on the street during Christmas event in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec 8, 2005. Indonesia, which is the world's most populous Muslim country, recognizes other faiths despite past instances of sectarian violence throughout the sprawling archipelago. (Irwin Ferdiansyah)

Alvin

December 8th, 2005, 01:12 PM

Jakarta inches toward new 'prohibition era'

Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Do not expect to find many alcoholic drinks in supermarkets during this year's Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations in Jakarta, as the sale of drinks with more than 5 percent alcohol has been banned by the city administration.

The City Industry and Trade Agency has decided to issue a circular recently, which forbids the sale of "type B" (e.g. wine, champagne) and "type C" (e.g. spirits) alcoholic drinks in supermarkets and hypermarkets throughout Jakarta. The agency dug up and invoked a 1997 Presidential Decree on the monitoring and control of alcoholic drinks, as well as the now-defunct Ministry of Industry and Trade's Decree No. 359/MPP/Kep/10/1997 on monitoring and control of production, importation, distribution and sale of alcoholic drinks.

Jakarta's new prohibition coincides with a similar prohibition in neighboring Tangerang municipality, which outlaws the sale and distribution of all alcoholic drinks, including beer.

Both regulations stipulate that selling alcoholic drinks is banned except in duty-free stores.

"We haven't been selling alcoholic beverages, other than beer, since the beginning of the fasting month, but since receiving the circular we have taken the products off the shelves altogether," Carrefour Indonesia's corporate affairs director Irawan D. Kadarman said.

And indeed, the special wine section located at the back of Carrefour's Lebak Bulus store in South Jakarta -- the retail main office -- is instead stocked with cigarettes, beer and sparkling fruit juices.

Type A beverages are those with between 1 percent and 5 percent alcohol, while type B contains between 5 percent and 20 percent and type C between 20 percent and 55 percent alcohol.

Beer usually contains between 3 percent and 6 percent. Most wines contain between 9 percent and 20 percent alcohol, while distilled spirits or "hard liquor" usually have more than 20 percent alcohol content.

The Ranch Market in Pondok Indah, South Jakarta, has also taken alcoholic beverages off the shelves, and replaced its wine-cellar style racks with sparkling non-alcoholic beverages and fruit juices.

"We haven't been selling liquor since before Ramadhan, and we have used the racks to display other products," a staffer told The Jakarta Post.

Despite the new prohibition era, however, the Post discovered on Wednesday that several supermarkets such as Hero and Sogo inside the Pondok Indah Mall were still well-stocked with foreign wines and liquors.

Neither of those store's representatives were reached for comment.

sanhen

December 8th, 2005, 02:34 PM

cOcO_cHaneL

December 11th, 2005, 03:21 PM

there's gonna b anti pornography and pornoaction act mid 2006 is dat true>

cOcO_cHaneL

December 11th, 2005, 03:24 PM

bdw, cute santasss. im happy that they respect other religions despite some incidents about churches etc

Alvin

December 14th, 2005, 05:00 PM

December, 10 2005 @ 01:19 am

Australia Offended By Munir Film, Axes Funding

In a detestable move that reeks of authoritarian censorship and an obsequious bureaucratic desire to keep the truth hidden from the public, the Australian government has pulled its funding of the prestigious Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest) because it objects to four of the movies.
JiFFest, which opened on Friday (9/12/05), will feature about 201 highly regarded films from 35 countries. The festival is now in its seventh year and offers Indonesians a rare opportunity to see award-winning international films that would generally never make it to local cinemas or the pirated DVD markets.

Organizers said they were told they would not be receiving $A18,000 promised by the Australia-Indonesia Institute (AII).

The Canberra-based AII, which was set up by the Australian government in 1989 to promote friendship with Indonesia, has sponsored JiFFest in previous years and is still listed as a sponsor.

The Australian Foreign Affairs Department said it withdrew its funding because some of the films did not meet AII guidelines.

The four films that have upset the Australian bureaucrats are:

Garuda’s Deadly Upgrade. Directed by Indonesian Lexy Rambadeta and Australian David O’Shea, this documentary looks at the events surrounding last year’s murder of Indonesia’s top human rights campaigner Munir. Investigators in Jakarta have concluded that Munir was murdered in a conspiracy involving officials from national airline Garuda and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), but the notoriously crooked judiciary is now covering up BIN’s involvement and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono seems too spineless to anything about it. But don’t worry, it appears the Australian government also wants to keep the truth hidden.
The President Versus David Hicks. Directed by Curtis Levy and Bentley Dean, this documentary examines the plight of Australian David Hicks, who was arrested by US forces in Afghanistan in 2002 and detained at Guantanamo Bay for allegedly being a terrorist.
Dhakiyarr Vs The King. This Australian documentary, directed by Tom Murray and Allan Collins, looks at the murder trial and subsequent disappearance of Aboriginal leader Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda some 70 years ago.
We Have Decided Not to Die. This 11-minute Australian short film is about three individuals who escape death in unusual ways.
A Foreign Affairs Department spokesman said the films would not help relations between Australia and Indonesia. "The Australia-Indonesia Institute agreed earlier this year to sponsor Australian films and associated workshops at the Jakarta International Film Festival as it's done in the past," the spokesman was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press.

"The organizers of the festival were advised that funding was approved on the basis that they would comply with the guidelines and the objectives of the AII. The films chosen by the festival this year do not meet the guidelines or the objectives of the AII. They will not assist to develop relations between Australia and Indonesia and they do not promote greater mutual understanding between the people of Australia and Indonesia, and so approval for funding has been withdrawn."

The withdrawal of the funding won’t stop the festival, but it will mean that some workshops, including one by Australian investigative journalist Chris Masters, will be cancelled.

JiFFest organizer Shanty Harmayn is dismayed by the Australian government’s abrupt action. "They never had any discussion with us that they would withdraw funding if they didn't like the films we selected. We never even got a proper explanation," she was quoted as saying by AAP.

She said all the films had passed censorship in Indonesia and the Munir documentary had already screened in Jakarta.

"But we're moving on. The guys are here for the workshops and we'll go ahead with everything," she said.

JiFFest director Orlow Seunke, a Dutchman, was equally upset by the Australian decision. "'Twenty-four hours before the opening - that's ridiculous. I blew up, I was so furious," he was quoted as saying by The Australian daily.

He said he couldn’t understand the objections because all of the films objected to by Australia were approved by the Indonesian Censorship Board.

"They never asked to see a list of the films. This looks like the politburo," he added.

The Indonesian Censorship Board had banned two films about East Timor from this year’s JiFFest.

Director Curtis Levy said it was “terrible that Australian bureaucrats are trying to stop Indonesians seeing these films”.

He linked the decision to withdraw the funding to Australia's new sedition laws. "It does seem coincidental that only a few days after the sedition laws were passed through parliament, this ban on our films has happened," he was quoted as saying by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

By: Roy Tupai | Category: Society & Culture

Zorobabel

December 17th, 2005, 02:05 AM

Hungry For A Fight
December, 15 2005 @ 09:17 pm - Laksamana.net

Staff of Papua Governor Jacobus Perviddya Solossa assaulted a television news reporter after he questioned the governor about his failure to detect and prevent a food shortage that killed at least 55 people. Ironically, the journalist could now face criminal charges on the grounds of publicly defaming the governor.

The violence occurred on the afternoon of December 10 at Sentani Airport, outside the provincial capital Jayapura, after Metro TV reporter Muhammad Imran and other journalists interviewed the governor about the food shortage in Yahukimo regency.

Metro TV said Imran was approached by “several of the governor's staff”, who proceeded to punch his face. The attack was reported to local police, who took Imran in for questioning and later said he could be charged with defamation.

A few hours later, Solossa apologized for the attack, claiming he was not present when it occurred. In a telephone interview with Metro TV's news anchor Meutya Hafid, he expressed regret over the incident and said it would be resolved in line with prevailing laws.

A report attributed to state news agency Antara and the Media Indonesia daily said Solossa’s head of protocol, Elly F. Aury, attacked Imran because he felt the journalist’s attitude was unethical and insulting. The report said Imran had pointed at the governor’s face while asking him several questions, and then turned his back on the governor and moved about when answering a call on his cellular phone.

Aury defended his violent action. "I was not acquainted with the Metro TV reporter, but I was annoyed by his impoliteness and unethical behavior toward an official of the state, so I did what I did,” he said.

Separately, Jayapura Police chief Jacob Kalembang said the reporter could be charged under Article 315 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) concerning public defamation.

The article carries a maximum jail sentence of four months and two weeks, and a maximum fine of Rp4,500. Kalembang said he hoped the case would soon be dealt with by the local public prosecutor’s office.

Deputy chairman of the Papua chapter of the Indonesian Journalists’ Association (PWI), Frans Ohoiwutun, showed little sympathy for Imran, saying he could have avoided being assaulted if he had followed the Journalistic Code of Ethics when interviewing a state official.

"Sometimes know-it-all reporters behave with an arrogant attitude that makes the interviewee emotional. This case is a lesson for both novice and senior reporters in conducting their task of journalism,” he said after a meeting with Solossa on December 12.

He said Solossa felt the incident would not have happened if each side had exercised self-control, because the press is the government’s partner in promoting national development. It was unclear whether he meant journalists could help to promote national development by not asking government officials tough questions about their failure to protect their constituents from food shortages.

The Antara/Media Indonesia report said the case was considered closed because Solossa had visited Imran a day after the attack and apologized.

Ohoiwutun said Solossa had also apologized to the national media. “The governor sends his sincerest apology to all elements of the good press, print and local electronic media and national broadcasters."

“The governor will write a formal apology to the management of Metro TV’s editorial staff in Jakarta about this case," he added.

Solossa could do a lot more by firing his brutal head of protocol. Metro TV seems to be unwilling to file charges against the governor’s staff. Possibly because the network’s owner Surya Paloh is head of the advisory board of Golkar Party, which supports Solossa’s governorship.

Zorobabel

December 19th, 2005, 09:24 PM

Indonesia police tells churches to dig bomb holes

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Police have urged churches in and around the Indonesian city of Solo to dig holes for disposing of suspicious objects that might be bombs, an officer said on Friday amid fears of Christmas-related attacks.

Police across the world's most populous Muslim country have been stepping up security measures ahead of the year-end holidays to avoid a repeat of 2000 Christmas Eve bombings of churches in several Indonesian cities which killed 19 people.

"I urged churches, especially those in villages, to dig holes to throw away suspicious objects that might be bombs," Solo police chief Abdul Madjid told Reuters.

For inner city churches with nowhere to dig, "I order them to make bomb baskets," he said, referring to large metal drums the police bomb squad uses for defusing explosives.

"This is an anticipatory act. Who knows; there might be a pack of bombs," Madjid told Reuters by telephone from the central Java city 500 km (300 miles) east of Jakarta.

Officers had been assigned to guard more than 60 churches in the city and priests should tell congregations to bring only essential items to Christmas events, such as Bibles and hymnbooks, and not carry backpacks, he said.

The church bombings in 2000 and other blasts in recent years -- most recently on the tourist island of Bali in October when suicide bombers with backpacks killed 20 people -- have been blamed on Jemaah Islamiah, a militant network linked to al Qaeda.

Volunteers from Indonesia's largest Islamic group have said they would help police guard churches across the vast country during the holiday season.

Around 48,000 policemen are expected to secure Christmas celebrations across the world's fourth most populous country, with one third of them deployed in Jakarta alone.

Around 85 percent of Indonesia's 220 million people are Muslim. Christians form the second largest religious group in the country and in Jakarta.

Although Indonesia has been relatively calm in recent weeks, security analysts say the threats of militant attacks is still high because police have yet to catch one of the alleged masterminds of previous bombings, Malaysian-born Noordin M. Top.

Police last month killed Azahari Husin, another alleged Jemaah Islamiah leader, in a shootout in East Java province.

bahar

December 27th, 2005, 07:53 AM

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

You do not have to spend a small fortune flying all the way to the Big Apple for a Broadway theater show after all. A local promoter in Jakarta has invited a cabaret troupe to bring in the razzle-dazzle from New York's most famous street to perform for a two-date show.

Original Production, a domestic entertainment promoter that has brought us British rock band Deep Purple, U.S. metal band Megadeath and 70s mellow rock band Yes, is expected to bring a glittery cabaret show to the city with the staging of Broadway: the Star Spangled Celebration.

Featuring a medley from famous musicals like Chicago, Grease, Mamma Mia, Cats, 42nd Street and Les Miserables, the shows will be performed at the Balai Kartini auditorium on Dec. 28 and Dec. 29.

Performers from the 35-strong London-based cabaret troupe will take turns performing key scenes from the original shows during a fast-paced, upbeat 50-minute performance.

The cabaret show will be on twice on each date, at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

To recreate the atmosphere from an authentic Broadway show, a team from Original Production has prepared the necessary props and equipment, including state-of-the art lighting.

The selection of the Balai Kartini, which has no more than 1,000 seats, as a venue for the show, was also part of an attempt to enhance the ambience, similar to an original Broadway show.

"Most theaters on Broadway only have between 500 and 1,000 seats. But the most important thing is that Balai Kartini has the best acoustics all the music halls in the city," Antin Hernanto of Original Production said on Wednesday.

Balai Kartini, a newly opened multipurpose hall in the heart of Jakarta is also one of the most accessible compared to other venues such as the one at Taman Mini in East Jakarta, where a world-class production of I La Galigo was recently staged.

But unlike an original production of a Broadway show, performers in the Star Spangled Celebration, will dance and sing to pre-recorded tunes, in what is commonly known as the "minus-one technique".

The Jakarta show is part of the Star Spangled Celebration world tour. The company has already done shows in Portugal and South Korea.

Antin said that a large number of tickets for the show had been sold, mostly for the evening performances.

She added that the four performances in two days was only a precursor to more such Broadway-style productions that would be staged in the capital throughout 2006.

Next year, Original Production is expected to promote three musicals.

Tickets for Star Spangled Celebration are available through Original Production, which can be contacted by calling 7279-4423, Ibu Dibyo at 310-0386 or 31931178, or Tarra Megastore 566-9762.

macgyver

December 29th, 2005, 12:43 PM

=== deleted ===

bahar

January 7th, 2006, 04:54 PM

macgyver

January 7th, 2006, 05:41 PM

I just went to Borders Book Store in Singapore... I found a stack of books titled "JAKARTA UNDERCOVER". What a book huh!!!

Just did a little googling and found some interview excerpts with the author:

http://cyberman.cbn.net.id/face2.asp?postid=6

Wah .. dach lama tuh buku :-p

tata

January 7th, 2006, 06:14 PM

bahar

January 7th, 2006, 08:09 PM

yea.. i guess i'm a little too late.. :(

Alvin

January 20th, 2006, 05:38 AM

www.laksamana.net

January, 18 2006 @ 05:39 pm

Indonesian Playmates & The Meaning Of Porn

With conservative clerics getting increasingly hot and bothered over the planned Indonesian edition of Playboy magazine, it’s worth noting that a few Indonesian women (or those of Indonesian descent) have already appeared in various editions of the softcore porn publication.

More interestingly, perhaps, is the fact that Indonesia’s Criminal Code does not mention the word pornography. Instead, the relevant sections of the legislation broadly allude to porn as anything that offends public decency, violates society’s morals or arouses sexual desire among juveniles.

Hence just about anything sexual could be defined as pornography in Indonesia. Even popular men’s interest magazines such as Popular and FHM, which are likely to be Playboy Indonesia’s main competition, could be classified as ‘porno’ for arousing lust or offending conservatives.

Regardless of all that, it could be the whole Playboy Indonesia debate is just a frivolous waste of time and energy, diverting the attention of politicians and the media from more pressing national issues.

Anyway, back to the Indonesian stars of the magazine. One of the most popular was Jodi Ann Paterson (30), who was born in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, the second child of an Indonesian mother and an American father. Her parents later moved to Oregon, where she won beauty pageants, including Miss Oregon Teen USA 1994. She was Miss October 1999 for her original nude spread in Playboy and was later named Playmate of the Year 2000.

Also of mixed descent is Petra Verkaik (38), the US-born daughter of a Dutch-Indonesian mother and Dutch father. She was Playboy's Miss December 1989 and describes herself as “the most published woman in Playboy history”.

Tia Lestari (23), who was born in the Central Java city of Solo, hit the headlines and late-night racy current affairs shows after she appeared in the Spanish edition of Playboy in August 2005 and the Dutch edition of Penthouse magazine in the same month. She has her own website, conveying her thoughts on matters from relationships to last year’s Bali bombings, with gems of bunny brilliance such as “Relationship is hard” and “Message to the bombers: You are a bunch of cowards who probably can't get you penis up!”

Another Indonesian reportedly due to appear in Playboy is voluptuous sinetron actress Indah Ludiana, who apparently has a six-month contract with the magazine and recently flew to the US for a photo shoot. There has been speculation she may grace the cover of the first Indonesian edition of Playboy. She has denied she will pose nude in the US.

According to Herman Saksono, the Yogyakarta-based blogger who was questioned by police last month for posting a doctored photo of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono with ex-dictator Suharto’s son Bambang Trihatmodjo, the first Indonesian woman to appear in Playboy was Helfi Artistin Katrina back in 1976.

Another Indonesian woman, Victoria Sianipar, was Miss June 1999 in the Russian edition of Playboy. Almost no clean links could be found for her on a brief google search.

Scorn For Porn
The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI), the country’s top authority on Islamic affairs, has joined other Muslim groups in condemning Playboy Indonesia, even though the magazine – due to go on sale in March for Rp50,000 – is unlikely to feature nudity.

Maruf Amin, head of MUI’s fatwa commission, says the government should ban all “pornographic” magazines, including the proposed local version of Playboy.

"The government should forbid this kind of media, as it will cause a strong reaction from people and tend to bring anarchy among the people who are against this magazine," he was quoted as saying Monday (16/1/06) by state news agency Antara.

The widespread availability of pirated hardcore pornographic films at sidewalk stalls, markets and malls in Indonesia has not yet sparked anarchy among conservative Islamic groups, let alone a massive crackdown by police or customs. Conservatives are also yet to run amok at internet cafes, where downloading pornography seems to be the favored pursuit of many web surfers.

The hardcore films and images, available via the Net or in VCD and DVD format, feature explicit sexual content that would never been seen in a magazine as tame as Playboy.

Amin said it was strange that the government has not banned the “many pornographic magazines currently available in Indonesia”. The extensive circulation of such magazines was due to the government’s policy of upholding democracy, human rights and freedom of artistic expression, he said.

This policy had encouraged businessmen to decide to publish an Indonesian version of Playboy, he said.

"These kinds of the magazines need not appear in Indonesia where most of the people are religious people. In America or Europe, which are mostly secular, let them publish [the magazines]," he added.

Amin pointed out that MUI had already issued a fatwa condemning the circulation of pornographic media. He urged parliament to soon complete its deliberations on a bill outlawing pornography and pornographic actions, as MUI’s fatwas are not legally binding unless supported by state legislation.

New Legislation Awaited
Pornography is already outlawed under articles 281, 282, 532 and 533 of the Criminal Code (KUHP), although as mentioned earlier, they do not explicitly mention the word pornography but instead prohibit anything that could offend public decency or arouse lust in children.

Under the KUHP, punishments for offenses against public decency range from a fine of Rp225 to a jail term of two years and eight months.

The KUHP was inherited from the one introduced by the Dutch in 1886 and has long been criticized as being outdated and undemocratic. In response to such criticism, the Justice Ministry in 2003 began drafting a series of major amendments to the KUHP. These revisions were subsequently passed on to parliament, which remains in the very slow process of reviewing the draft. Critics complain that several of the new articles, such as proposed bans on cohabitation out of wedlock, public kissing and homosexual sex, are a further step backward.

Plunging Into A Moral Crisis
The Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI), founded by jailed radical cleric Abu Bakar ‘Bali was America's bomb/Muslims who don’t hate America sin’ Baasyir, claims Playboy Indonesia could tear apart the nation’s moral fabric.

"Our concern is that this new media will plunge our nation further into a moral crisis because it will make women’s private parts easily displayed to the public, including to underage children," MMI executive Fauzan Al-Anshari was quoted as saying by detikcom online news portal.

The magazine’s financial backers have said the distribution will be controlled because it will only be available by subscription and at selected retailers (i.e. – presumably not at the local mosque). But Al-Anshari said a subscription system is no guarantee against possible deviations. "That’s just the same as how localization [of prostitution] did not resolve the problem of immoral actions,” he said.

He said that if Playboy Indonesia goes ahead with its plan to commence publication in March, then MMI will respond by filing a police complaint accusing the publishers of disseminating pornography.

MMI has in the past filed similar complaints against other media for featuring scantily clad women, but police have not taken any action. "Whereas they actually have the authority. So we have asked the authorities to control media like that,” said Al-Anshari.

Despite all of the concern, it still remains to be seen whether Playboy will launch an Indonesian edition. A report by the Associated Press quoted Lauren Melone, a Playboy spokeswoman in the US, as saying that although Indonesia was a "dynamic and exciting" market, “we have nothing to announce at this time".

"If we do ever launch a magazine in Indonesia it will reflect the local culture and taste of the marketplace, as do all our existing international editions of the magazine," she said.

‘Nation Of Hypocrites’
Media observer Veven S.P. Wardhana said that although some Indonesians will criticize the planned magazine, they will still secretly buy or borrow it.

“Some circles will definitely resist the emergence of an Indonesian edition of Playboy. The case of Tia Lestari from Solo has shown that. And that was only the Spanish edition of Playboy. Imagine what it will be like now when it’s in front of their eyes,” he was quoted as saying by detikcom.

"Actually, the Indonesian people are hypocrites. They will secretly buy it, but they will not dare to state their approval, they will even speak as if they reject it,” he added.

Those words may yet prove prescient, though it’s unlikely that female critics will be perusing the publication. Legislator Tristanti Mitayani, a member of the Islam-oriented but officially secular National Mandate Party (PAN), said she won’t be buying the magazine.

“I object to the Playboy publication. But I could not ban it. What’s clear is that I will not be a buyer,” she was quoted as saying by detikcom.

She said that if the publication is allowed, sales must be limited and controlled because the magazine is not for general public consumption. “Freedom has its limits."

Golkar Party legislator Antarini Malik concurred. “Furthermore we are still working on the draft law on pornography and pornographic actions. As for the draft law on freedom of public information, there is nothing in it about pornography.”

Democrat Party legislator Shidki Wahab weighed in by espousing his knowledge of Swedish censorship laws. "Even Sweden, a country famous for its freedoms, has restrictions, in both the print and electronic media. Furthermore, we are of the Eastern culture, I feel ashamed when out walking to see kids with that [lewd magazines],” he said.

Possibly he was referring to Sweden’s decision to restrict the airing of extremely violent hardcore porn on cable television.

Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) legislator Jeffrey Massie was less pessimistic than his colleagues, saying the presence of Playboy Indonesia should not cause too many ripples because there are already plenty of similar magazines in the country.

"I don’t see there being too much restlessness because even without Playboy Indonesia, there are already now many ‘you know what’ in circulation," he said.

Nevertheless, he said Playboy Indonesia must not be sold to people under the age of 17 and should be bagged in plastic wrap to prevent minors from peeking at the pages.

Wardhana said he felt the future pornography law was likely to ban pornography rather than establish guidelines on acceptable content and restrict availability to adults.

But until there is such a law, he said, groups opposed to Playboy Indonesia could vent their objection by first seeking a ban from the courts, and if that fails they could stage peaceful demonstrations.

He said the “Indonesian market had great potential” for Playboy due to the public’s hypocrisy and because the magazine offers more than just pictures of women.

“In fact, Playboy - if seen from the US edition – is different from other forms of the media that only carry physical exploitation. It also has cover stories. For example, there was one abut Demi Moore. It explored various aspects of Demi Moore, such as her views on life. We don’t have things like that in similar publications available in Indonesia at this time.”

Mystery Publishers?
Little has been written of the people behind the planned Playboy Indonesia. So far the main promoter has been Avianto Nugroho, who says the publication received permission at the end of November 2005.

The main man behind the magazine is apparently Ponti Carolus Pandean, who is president of publishing company Amerindo Media, which is based in Kemang, South Jakarta. In 2004, he reportedly ran for parliament as a candidate of Yudhoyono’s Democrat Party and a representative of West Kalimantan province.

The non-stop hype surrounding the magazine is providing maximum free publicity that should ensure high sales – if the thing doesn’t get banned.

By: | Category: Society & Culture

Ara

January 20th, 2006, 06:12 AM

"The government should forbid this kind of media, as it will cause a strong reaction from people and tend to bring anarchy among the people who are against this magazine," he was quoted as saying Monday (16/1/06) by state news agency Antara.
In another word, breaking the law and destroying public and private properties. Why should we take MUI seriously? They obviously have little regard to the concept of law and order.

On another note, anybody else been following the anti-pornography act thingy? The one Rhoma Irama is in favour of. The guy is the ultiamte hypocrite. He kept on harping on Inul as a pornographer. Yet, this guy cheated on his wives, married who knows how many times. If I was Inul, I would wage an open PR war on him, telling him that he is a hypocrite and that she was better at managing her household then he will ever be.

Anton

January 20th, 2006, 07:04 AM

^^^^^^LOL at Ara. Very true. Their basic argument is that we can’t control our anger – so don’t make us angry. Well fellas, it is about time you learn.

No-one is forcing you to read it, societies do NOT fall apart because of pictures about what people see and do in their private bedrooms all over the world every day, and yes, it should be restricted from children – but that is everyone’s responsibility. I’m not saying show it everywhere but for mature adults who CHOSE it is OK for them in a private setting. I don’t buy or view pornography but I want to have the choice.

I am suspicious of people in power (governmental, religious, etc) who tell me what I am and am not allowed to read, listen to, watch, etc. Until now I’ve never considered the question of pornography in Indonesia, but from what I seen in other countries is that those who say they are banning it for societies benefit, are really only trying to protect their personal interests (usually religious). It’s fine if you chose not to for religious reasons – just don’t force it on others.

Societies don’t collapse because of “naughty” pictures. Lol he he

There are more important issues in the world.

Just my opinion :)

F-ian

January 20th, 2006, 08:12 AM

is it really realesed in March or cancelled?
thank GOD its Rp.50.000 so it would be too expensive for the anak2 pasar Pal Merah and Tukang2 ojek to read... some Indonesians are Kampungan....even a belly button show and people whould go :drool: (really stupid)

I remember when I was in Citraland and in Gramedia there was a book about seks and there were anak2 kecil from Pasar sitting on the floor looking at it <-banyak lagi!

so a summary of what they should do with Playboy Indo.

-Seal it tightly so that no one can see whats in it
-I can be only Bought in Kinokuniya or Times not in Gramedia or TGA apalagi di pingir Jalan
- it should be 16+ (so I can read it ;)) or 20+
-the sales clerck should stricly ask the age and see KTP

Anton

January 20th, 2006, 08:18 AM

is it really realesed in March or cancelled?
thank GOD its Rp.50.000 so it would be too expensive for the anak2 pasar Pal Merah and Tukang2 ojek to read... some Indonesians are Kampungan....even a belly button show and people whould go :drool: (really stupid)

I remember when I was in Citraland and in Gramedia there was a book about seks and there were anak2 kecil from Pasar sitting on the floor looking at it <- really stupid banyak lagi!

Maybe people are crowding around it cos it is rare in Indonesia? In, for example, Australia it is available – but restricted from under 18’s - so people are used to it (sudah biasa). Most don’t care ad ignore it. People only get excited if something is not allowed.

As for kids/teenagers looking at porn - its a natural stage. Everyone is curious at least once. Tell them it is naughty or immoral and they will be even more interested. lol

What do you mean about not letting the ojek riders have it? So it’s OK for some (you?) but not others? Just asking – maybe I misunderstood you meaning.

F-ian

January 20th, 2006, 08:26 AM

As for kids/teenagers looking at porn - its a natural stage. Everyone is curious at least once. Tell them it is naughty or immoral and they will be even more interested.lol

they were not teenagers they were small kids!!

What do you mean about not letting the ojek riders have it? So it’s OK for some (you?) but not others? Just asking – maybe I misunderstood you meaning

sorry errrrr its hard to say it

Anton

January 20th, 2006, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by Anton
As for kids/teenagers looking at porn - its a natural stage. Everyone is curious at least once. Tell them it is naughty or immoral and they will be even more interested.lolthey were not teenagers they were small kids!!

OK - well if it's small kids that is a problem. Ideally it should be sealed and off limits - perhaps if it was legal and in proper shops rather than the street, my guess is it would better controlled. BUt kids are kids.

If they are over 12 IMO it's still a problem but less of a problem. THere are many things more dangerous than dirty pictures.

F-ian

January 20th, 2006, 11:17 AM

well it was just a book about sex so its just the definition of sex and stuff ofcourse no Pictures were inside that book

sanhen

January 20th, 2006, 11:47 AM

anyway... all of this media ruckus will only mean good for playboy.

good marketing.

cOcO_cHaneL

January 21st, 2006, 07:00 PM

Wah .. dach lama tuh buku :-p
hahah.. my sister bought both JU I and JU II!1 has some pretty good reviews

Alvin

January 22nd, 2006, 06:13 PM

Patriotism lessons for Indonesia's Islamic schools?

By Salim Osman
The Straits Times
Publication Date : 2006-01-22

Lessons in patriotism and values such as religious tolerance may soon be taught to some three million students in Islamic boarding schools across Indonesia.

The move is seen as the government's attempt to bring them into the mainstream of Indonesian society as part of wider efforts to address the problems of terrorism, extremism and sectarian conflicts involving Muslim radicals.

The principles of statehood, loyalty to the state and its ideology, and an awareness that Indonesia is a multi-religious and multicultural nation will be featured in new guidelines issued under a programme dubbed "Wawasan Kebangsaan", or National Vision.

The programme is targeted at students in 15,000 Islamic boarding schools -- also known as pesantrens -- nationwide.

The Home Ministry's director-general for political affairs, Sudarsono, said such lessons were vital so that the boarding schools could move in tandem with other segments of Indonesian society.

"We have to move as one nation under the unitary state of Indonesia," he said at the start of a two-day seminar at the Pondok Pesantren Al-Mukmin Ngruki school in Solo Saturday (Jan 21).

While the guidelines will not be compulsory for the privately-run boarding schools, his announcement yesterday was significant as it was made at the Islamic boarding school co-founded by militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir.

Bashir is now serving a 30-month prison sentence for his role in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202.

The school attracted world attention when it was revealed that Amrozi and Mukhlas, two convicted Bali bombers, used to be students of the pesantren.

Foreign security experts brand it as the top Jemaah Islamiah school where members of the terrorist group send their children.

It was also criticised by Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla for banning its 2,000 students from saluting the Indonesian national flag.

In a move to shed its negative image, the school opened its doors to outsiders Saturday.

Sudarsono told The Sunday Times that school officials had told him that they were supportive of the idea of incorporating the lessons in its curriculum.

"We leave it to them as to how they want to do it," he said.

He added that his ministry had met officials from 10 schools to sound them out on the idea, and they too were supportive of the move.

But Ali Osman, head of the Ngruki Alumni, said: "We will deliberate on the idea today and tomorrow."

Religious Affairs Minister Muhammad Maftuh Basyuni was also present at the gathering.

In his speech, he said that the government was pushing for lessons in nationhood as globalisation had undermined the country's values.

He also called upon the boarding schools to shed the image of being linked to radical Islam.

Alvin

January 23rd, 2006, 05:55 AM

Aussie Muslims learn moderate Islam from RI
A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A group of Australian Muslims are currently visiting Indonesia to take a closer look at Islam here, which is often, if not most of the time, seen as a radical religion in the neighboring country.

Irfan Yusuf, an Australian newspaper columnist, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that many Australians were not aware of Indonesia's two moderate Muslim organizations Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah.

"Australians may only know Ba'asyir. Not many Australians, including Australian Muslims, know NU and Muhammadiyah," said Yusuf.

NU, which claims to have around 40 million members, is the country's largest Muslim organization, followed by Muhammadiyah, with around 25 million.

Muslim cleric Abubakar Ba'asyir, who is currently serving time for immigration violations, was tried and acquitted for alleged links to regional terrorist group Jamaah Islamiyah (JI).

JI, which is believed to be a regional group of Osama bin Laden's terrorist network al-Qaeda, has been blamed for a spate of terrorist attacks in the country since 2000, including the deadly Bali bombings in October 2002, the JW Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta in 2003 and the Australian Embassy bombing in September 2004.

Yusuf, along with four other Australian Muslims, arrived in Indonesia under the Australia-Indonesia Institute's Young Muslim Leaders Exchange Program. They are scheduled to spend a week in Jakarta, two days in Bandung and five days in Yogyakarta to meet with their counterparts.

The program was established in 2002 to help address misperceptions about the role of religion in both countries by bringing young Indonesian and Australian Muslims into direct contact, so that they may experience life in each nation and observe the practices and interactions between Muslims and non-Muslims in a broad range of contexts.

In Australia, Muslims are a minority, numbering about 300,000 people, and are exposed to radical Islam because of a lack of access to moderate sources.

Most Islamic books and brochures circulated are published in Saudi Arabia, which carry a more puritan version of Islam called Wahhabi, the official school of thought there.

"Although there have been Islamic books in English published in the United Kingdom or the United States recently, books from Saudi Arabia are still the cheapest and easiest to get," said Rowan Gould, the secretary of the Islamic Council of Victoria.

Gould, whose mother is a native of Padang, West Sumatra, admitted that the demand for Islamic books among Australian Muslims was still very basic, such as books on how to observe prayers and simple fiqh (law).

He said not many Australian Muslims -- who come from 70 different ethnic backgrounds -- studied books written by Indonesian Muslim scholars, although many Australians speak Bahasa Indonesia.

"Only a few of us (Australian Muslims) speak Bahasa Indonesia. We should learn more about Islam in Indonesia," Gould said.

Several leading Indonesian Muslim scholars have written books and developed progressive thinking on Islam, using new interpretations of the Koran and Hadith (a collection of the Prophet Muhammad's deeds and sayings), which they believe are still relevant to contemporary challenges, such as democracy, human rights and gender issues.

The problem is that these books are written in Bahasa Indonesia, which make them less accessible for other Muslims abroad.

The Young Muslim Leaders Exchange Program may be more effective if it went beyond visits and meetings among young Muslims, and an exchange of knowledge and ideas was held on Islam as a religion of peace.

Alvin

January 24th, 2006, 02:06 AM

I don't really know where to post this somewhat disturbing news, so I'll post it here.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

INDONESIA: Jakarta bans foreign news shows on its stations

Government will enforce controversial broadcasting rules next month

Straits Times
Monday, January 23, 2006

By Salim Osman

Jakarta --- The Indonesian government will enforce a set of broadcasting regulations next month that will, among others, ban local broadcasters from relaying news provided by foreign stations such as the BBC.

The rules will take effect on Feb 6, exactly two months after the government agreed to postpone the enforcement following a meeting with legislators at the House of Representatives last month.

"Come what may, we are going ahead with enforcing the regulations for the good of the public," said Dr Widiadnyana Merati, the director-general of Information at the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI).

The set of four regulations, issued by the MCI, had come under fire from media watchers and journalists, who described them as being repressive. "It is a setback for press freedom," said Mr Heru Hendratmoko, a broadcast journalist and chairman of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI).

The regulations are based on the Broadcasting Law of 2002 to put some semblance of order in the media industry, where more than 100 television and radio stations have been operating without official control since the fall of former president Suharto.

The rules cover the licensing of broadcasting stations, allocating air waves, monitoring of programmes, imposing sanctions and limiting foreign ownership.

But media watchers are irked by one clause that bans local broadcasters from relaying news provided by foreign stations.

Many of the 160 radio and TV stations in the country carry news and current affairs programmes of the BBC, the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Australia, Duetsche Welle of Germany and Radio Hilversum of the Netherlands.

"Millions of Indonesians throughout the archipelago will soon be unable to get alternative sources of information," said Mr Abdullah Alamudi, a university lecturer and member of the Press and Broadcast Society.

Mr Abdullah said that the local stations were merely trying to meet their audiences "continuous demand for more international news and news about Indonesia as seen from a non-Indonesian perspective."

For Mr Heru, having BBC and VOA programmes would be a benchmark for the private radio stations to learn from "the established foreign stations" in covering news.

"The government should not be paranoid that the public would be misled by the foreign news programmes because the presenters are all Indonesians and the language medium is Indonesian," he said.

But Dr Widiadnyana defended the ban, saying that it would serve to protect the public if the news items provided by the foreign stations were found to be objectionable or contain errors.

He added that the public could still listen to Western news broadcasts on shortwave radio and cable television networks.

Mr Heru said that the regulations would take Indonesia back to the days of Suharto, where there was no press freedom and the media was under strict government control.

Date Posted: 1/23/2006

Anton

January 24th, 2006, 03:40 AM

That's terrible! Is it a new things or has it been expected? I haven't heard anything about this until now.

I don't really know where to post this somewhat disturbing news, so I'll post it here.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

INDONESIA: Jakarta bans foreign news shows on its stations

Government will enforce controversial broadcasting rules next month

Straits Times
Monday, January 23, 2006

By Salim Osman

Jakarta --- The Indonesian government will enforce a set of broadcasting regulations next month that will, among others, ban local broadcasters from relaying news provided by foreign stations such as the BBC.

The rules will take effect on Feb 6, exactly two months after the government agreed to postpone the enforcement following a meeting with legislators at the House of Representatives last month.

"Come what may, we are going ahead with enforcing the regulations for the good of the public," said Dr Widiadnyana Merati, the director-general of Information at the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI).

The set of four regulations, issued by the MCI, had come under fire from media watchers and journalists, who described them as being repressive. "It is a setback for press freedom," said Mr Heru Hendratmoko, a broadcast journalist and chairman of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI).

The regulations are based on the Broadcasting Law of 2002 to put some semblance of order in the media industry, where more than 100 television and radio stations have been operating without official control since the fall of former president Suharto.

The rules cover the licensing of broadcasting stations, allocating air waves, monitoring of programmes, imposing sanctions and limiting foreign ownership.

But media watchers are irked by one clause that bans local broadcasters from relaying news provided by foreign stations.

Many of the 160 radio and TV stations in the country carry news and current affairs programmes of the BBC, the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Australia, Duetsche Welle of Germany and Radio Hilversum of the Netherlands.

"Millions of Indonesians throughout the archipelago will soon be unable to get alternative sources of information," said Mr Abdullah Alamudi, a university lecturer and member of the Press and Broadcast Society.

Mr Abdullah said that the local stations were merely trying to meet their audiences "continuous demand for more international news and news about Indonesia as seen from a non-Indonesian perspective."

For Mr Heru, having BBC and VOA programmes would be a benchmark for the private radio stations to learn from "the established foreign stations" in covering news.

"The government should not be paranoid that the public would be misled by the foreign news programmes because the presenters are all Indonesians and the language medium is Indonesian," he said.

But Dr Widiadnyana defended the ban, saying that it would serve to protect the public if the news items provided by the foreign stations were found to be objectionable or contain errors.

He added that the public could still listen to Western news broadcasts on shortwave radio and cable television networks.

Mr Heru said that the regulations would take Indonesia back to the days of Suharto, where there was no press freedom and the media was under strict government control.

Date Posted: 1/23/2006

JAG2

January 24th, 2006, 06:24 AM

this sucks , why on earth are they doing this ??

Alvin

January 24th, 2006, 07:36 AM

That's terrible! Is it a new things or has it been expected? I haven't heard anything about this until now.

It hasn't really been debated in the public domain at all...there's some chatter about a more restrictive press bill but the media's too preoccupied with other issues like Playboy, corruption, birdflu, rumors about rat meat being used in meatballs, and natural disasters. :(
Indonesia has only had very short experiences with press freedom, so it's hardly surprising that a large section of the public seems ignorant about its importance.

Zorobabel

January 24th, 2006, 08:12 AM

Another step back.

indonesianinamerica

January 30th, 2006, 10:46 PM

Well Indonesia does have prostitution.... the medias today.... are very close minded they like to say something unrealistically... Indonesia is a kaleidoscope.... mix of different cultures.... from back then Indian came... and Chinese....

cOcO_cHaneL

February 1st, 2006, 10:02 AM

wowww.. sillyyyyy!!!

Alvin

February 3rd, 2006, 03:22 PM

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/nm/20060203/2006_02_03t025004_299x450_us_religion_cartoons_indonesia.jpg?x=229&y=345&sig=k.o6mRUzByEOrSvaPr_p3g--

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/nm/20060203/2006_02_03t014929_450x304_us_religion_cartoons_indonesia.jpg?x=380&y=256&sig=SbtQ6ao9lG5M3fKq54cYsA--

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/afp/20060203/capt.sge.gyb68.030206122710.photo01.photo.default-384x276.jpg?x=380&y=273&sig=9zFe5RfFcqoEX4m8jrPTGg--

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/nm/20060203/2006_02_03t021903_450x336_us_religion_cartoons_indonesia.jpg?x=380&y=283&sig=1kTRe5K7riYzXCW.mGtfWQ--

Ara

February 4th, 2006, 07:45 AM

Great, that's all we need, Front Preman Indonesia making noises. :bash: :bash:

They insist that the ambassador should apologized or he has to leave. Sorry arsehole, you ain't the government. You are just a bunch of premans. Why don't you go back to being a preman.

end of rant.

us_lukman

February 4th, 2006, 08:37 AM

Preman is an Indonesian term..It may mean pre-man...Pre-manusia..Manusia pre-histori... From centuries before...Uncivilized

Zorobabel

February 5th, 2006, 03:23 AM

They should be allowed to express their opinions but in a law-abiding manner. When they start breaking the law by invading and destroying private property they should be immediately arrested and prosecuted. There's no such thing as rule of law until that happens.

Alvin

February 5th, 2006, 05:33 AM

Preman is an Indonesian term..It may mean pre-man...Pre-manusia..Manusia pre-histori... From centuries before...Uncivilized

the origin of the word 'preman' is 'free man'.

macgyver

February 5th, 2006, 12:26 PM

the origin of the word 'preman' is 'free man'.

Yes ... :D ... did you watch the movie ? 'Free man'

Ara

February 7th, 2006, 03:57 PM

Just saw on the news that the FPI chapter in Surabaya was demonstrating the American Consulate there. idiots, the Americans have nothing to do with this. They're really dumb.

The FPI have violated tons of laws and should be considered a criminal organization. hell, if a Papuan can be prisoned for flying a OPM flag, shouldn't the FPI be arrested for destroying properties?

bahar

February 8th, 2006, 08:04 AM

The FPI have violated tons of laws and should be considered a criminal organization. hell, if a Papuan can be prisoned for flying a OPM flag, shouldn't the FPI be arrested for destroying properties?

many people will agree with you... those who broke the law have to be arrested. Sadly, the police/government seemed to be powerless (which make me wonder why). it's not an insult of a particular religion if they are arrested. i dont think they have much political support either.

Zorobabel

February 9th, 2006, 08:30 PM

Muslim leader says Indonesia radicals get too much slack
By Achmad Sukarsono

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Police and media in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, are too lax in their treatment of radical Islamic groups and their violence, a leading moderate Islamic cleric said on Thursday.

But Din Syamsuddin, who leads the 30-million strong Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second largest Islamic group, said he would not confront those radicals due to fears it could be too divisive.

Radical Islamic groups constitute a tiny fraction of Indonesia's more than 200 million Muslims but have a loud voice and strong visibility. In recent years they have been behind many boisterous protests and often violent attacks against those they perceive have offended Islam.

Their targets range from licenced bars in the capital and unlicensed Christian churches across the country to property of Islamic sects and Western missions.

This week the Indonesian versions of protests against Danish cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammad included vandalism of the Danish embassy and Danish and U.S. consulate property.

Syamsuddin said the unruly actions of radical groups often are tolerated by authorities and win more media play than they deserve.

"Those radical groups are not massive organizations. But they have a voice because ... the media, domestic and international, do not want to expose the voice of moderate Islam," he told a group of foreign journalists and diplomats in a panel discussion.

"Why those radical groups can engage in violence but no extra effort from the police? That's my question," said Syamsuddin, elaborating cases in which police stood by while militants damaged targets.

Syamsuddin accused the radical groups of getting financial backing from elements in Indonesia's political establishment but conceded he himself was reluctant to antagonize them.

"We have our own way ... to handle the problem because we don't want to have an internal conflict" among Muslims, he said. Indonesia's mainstream Islam is mostly moderate, and the government is secular, but there is a growing desire among Muslims to show their identity.

Religious harmony is being tested through the growing presence of the radicals, which some believe is a by-product of the 1998 downfall of President Suharto's despotic regime. It had put a tight leash on religious extremism and overt links between the state and Islam.

Franz Magnis-Suseno, a German-born Catholic priest and an authoritative figure in interfaith relations, said Christians in Indonesia feel increasingly uneasy, especially after Muslim radicals forcefully shut down some churches which had no permits in recent months.

"Will traditional tolerance in this century maintain its condition or will tendencies of intolerance increase? It is still open-ended," said Magnis-Suseno, who was also on the panel.

Alvin

February 11th, 2006, 09:46 AM

Let's try to get beyond caricatures
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
International Herald Tribune

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2006

JAKARTA The distasteful cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, first published in Denmark in September 2005 and subsequently reproduced in other media, continue to spark a chain of reactions ranging from peaceful protest to violence in many Muslim communities.

The international community must work together to put out this fire. A good start would be to stop justifying the cartoons as "freedom of the press," which only hardens the Muslim community's response. Another vital step would be to discontinue their reproduction, which only prolongs the outrage.

To non-Muslims, the image of the Prophet Muhammad may only be of casual interest. But to Muslim communities worldwide, it is of enormous spiritual importance. For the last 14 centuries, Muslims have adhered to a strict code that prohibits any visual portrait of the Prophet. When this code was violated and their Prophet mocked for the purpose of humor, Muslims felt a direct assault on their faith.

Reprinting the cartoons in order to make a point about free speech is an act of senseless brinkmanship. It is also a disservice to democracy. It sends a conflicting message to the Muslim community: that in a democracy, it is permissible to offend Islam.

This message damages efforts to prove that democracy and Islam go together. The average Muslim who prays five times a day needs to be convinced that the democracy he is embracing, and is expected to defend, also protects and respects Islam's sacred symbols. Otherwise, democracy will not be of much interest to him.

The cartoon crisis serves as a reminder that all hell may break loose in a world of intolerance and ignorance.

The global community needs to cultivate democracies of freedom and tolerance - not democracies of freedom versus tolerance. It is tolerance that protects freedom, harnesses diversity, strengthens peace and delivers progress.

Since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, many in the Western world have shown increasing interest in the Islamic world. Yet this interest has not been accompanied by a greater knowledge and understanding of Islam. In December last year, the summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Mecca lamented "the feelings of stigmatization and concern over the growing phenomenon of Islamophobia around the world as a form of racism and discrimination."

The West and Islam need not collide in a clash of civilizations. Many Islamic communities comfortably embrace some Western habits. Correspondingly, Islam has become the fastest-growing religion in some Western nations, including the United States. The Western and Islamic worlds can conscientiously work together to nurture a global culture of respect and tolerance.

The international community must not come out of the cartoon crisis broken and divided. We need to build more bridges between religions, civilizations and cultures. Government leaders, religious figures and ordinary citizens can go beyond supporting religious freedom - they can express solidarity with those who are defending the integrity of their faith.

We also need to intensify interfaith dialogue so that we may further tear down the walls of misunderstanding and mistrust - an undertaking that Indonesia has actively promoted.

Muslims around the world also have responsibilities. No one - certainly not Muslims - will be better off if the current crisis descends into open conflict and more bloodshed. The best way for Muslims to fight intolerance and ignorance toward Islam is by tirelessly reaching out to non-Muslims and projecting Islam as a peaceful religion. We also need to be forgiving to those who have sincerely apologized for offending Islam.

Indeed, at this difficult moment, Muslims might emulate the Prophet Muhammad's well-known qualities in dealing with adversity: composure, sound judgment, magnanimity and benevolence.

(Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is the president of Indonesia.)

Blue_Sky

February 15th, 2006, 10:56 AM

Kaum gay di Indonesia makin berani berunjuk gigi. Mulai Senin lalu, mereka menggelar pameran foto dan lukisan gay di Pusat Budaya Prancis, Surabaya. Mengikutkan 26 foto dan 22 lukisan, karya dari tiga orang seniman. Mereka adalah Djoni Agus, Nur Agustinus dan Sardjono Sigit. Dua yang disebut pertama penganut gay.

Pameran itu didukung oleh GAYa Nusantara, sebuah perkumpulan kaum gay yang diketuai DR Dede Oetomo, dosen Universitas Airlangga Surabaya. Bertajuk ‘Yes, we’re open’, Djoni mengatakan, “Pameran ini hanya sebagian kecil kegiatan organisasi kami yang merupakan bagian dari Devisi Penyadaran publik dan Advokasi.”

Kegiatan lain, minggu pertama setiap bulan mereka mengadakan open house di sekretariatnya di daerah Mojo Kidul Surabaya. “Silakan datang, Mas, kita bisa diskusi,” Djoni mengundang siapa saja ingin tahu lebih banyak tentang orang-orang yang punya orientasi seks berbeda dengan kebanyakan.

November depan, kata Djoni, mereka merencanakan even yang lebih besar lagi. “Kami akan menggelar seminar, pemutaran film dan pameran foto,” katanya.

Ditanya tentang jumlah anggotanya, Djoni yang mengaku berprofesi sebagai penulis ini terus terang tidak tahu pasti. “Karena organisasi ini tidak berdasarkan keanggotaan,” ujarnya. Siapapun bisa datang, dan pergi.

Kembali ke pameran foto dan lukisan, dilihat pengunjungnya termasuk sepi. Hingga Selasa siang kemarin, tercatat baru sampai angka 27 orang. Padahal foto dan lukisan yang dipajang cukup menarik, secara seni. Tentu saja, hampir semuanya menggambarkan suara kaum gay.

Ada sebuah foto yang manarik, berjudul ‘Terkungkung Di dalam Jasad Laki-laki’. Foto ini berupa muka seorang pria gundul yang make-upnya terbelah dua, seakan ingin menggambarkan bahwa jiwa mereka sebenarnya perempuan, hanya jasadnya saja laki-laki.

Apapun isi pameran itu, jelas ia menunjukkan bahwa langkah mereka makin maju dan sistematis. Mereka terus menuntut pengakuan atas keberadaannya. Bahkan menurut mereka, bulan November depan, kelompok ini berencana menyelenggarakan “even nasional’ yang diselenggarakan di Jawa Timur.

Bahkan di sebuah harian Jawa Timur, Djoni sempat mengatakan, “Tidak ada salahnya kita terbuka, “ ujarnya seolah mengundang yang lain datang dan bersikap terang-terangan.

peseg5

February 17th, 2006, 05:09 PM

Depok Baru

Sejak pergantian walikota, Depok terasa berubah. Pak Walikota berkunjung ke
daerah kumuh, stasiun kereta api, pasar tradisional dan terminal.
Perubahan mulai terjadi. Pasar tradisional yang semula selalu merupakan
daerah macet berubah. Dengan sedikit kepedulian, pengaturan dan pengawasan
maka para pedagang, supir angkot dan pengendara ojek yang biasanya
menjadikan pasar macet sekarang sudah memperhatikan kenyamanan dan
kelancaran kendaraan pengunjung. Pengunjung pasar tradisional semakin
bertambah dan rasa amanpun semakin meningkat. Di terminal, para calo dan
preman tak terlihat lagi. Polisi yang mengamankan terminal berhasil juga
mengatur keluar masuk kendaran umum dengan rapi.
Dengan pengawasan yang berkesinambungan kerapian ini tidak hanya bersifat
sementara tapi sudah menjadi pemandangan sehari-hari. Para pedagang pinggir
jalan yang biasanya memadati terminal tetap dapat berdagang namun sekarang
mereka menempati tempat yang telah disediakan dan tidak lagi menghambat
kelancaraan lalu lintas.

Stasiun kereta api yang biasanya kumuh sekarang nampak lebih apik setelah
dicat. Toilet juga menjadi bersih. Papan pengumuman sudah berfungsi baik
bahkan kedatangan dan keberangkatan kereta api tidak hanya diumumkan secara
lisan tapi dapat dilihat tertulis seperti dipapan pengumuman di bandara.
Ini amat menolong bagi penumpang asing yang sukar menangkap bahasa lisan.
Namun yang paling berkesan adalah mulai stasiun Depok tak ada lagi penumpang
yang bertengger diatas kereta api. Semuanya masuk di dalam gerbong
penumpang. Keteraturan ini patut menjadi contoh bagi seluruh stasiun kereta
api di Indonesia.

Namun perubahan yang paling terasa adalah di pemukiman kumuh. Ketersediaan
air bersih telah dapat dijamin bahkan bagi penduduk tidak mampu ini air
bersih tersedia cuma-cuma. Kata Pak Walikota lebih membayar untuk air
bersih daripada membayari perawatan diare serta penyakit yang disebabkan
minuman yang tak bersih. Biayanya jauh lebih murah dan risiko kematian dapat
dikurangi. Pak Walikota juga bermaksud untuk menjadikan pemukiman kumuh ini
bebas Demam Berdarah. Harus bisa, kata beliau. Dengan peran serta seluruh
masyarakat jentik nyamuk dapat kita hilangkan dari Depok. Jika Kuba bisa,
kita juga bisa, ujar beliau bersemangat.

Perhatian Pak Walikota tidak hanya tercurah pada penatalaksaaan lingkungan
fisik tapi juga pada layanan pendidikan dan kesehatan. Setiap lurah dan
jajarannya diinstruksikan untuk mencari anak usia sekolah dan membawanya ke
sekolah terdekat. Daya tampung sekolah cukup jika perlu kita operasionalkan
sekolah sore atau ruang kelas ditambah. Beliau juga minta dokter Puskesmas
jangan hanya menunggu di Puskesmas tapi aktif berkeliling kelurahan
memperhatikan lingkungan serta warga yang sakit. Layanan kesehatan harus
proaktif jangan kecolongan melulu. Menurut suatu sumber Pak Walikota akan
mengajukan biaya pendidikan dan kesehatan jauh lebih tinggi daripada
sebelumnya ke DPR. Kita kurangi pengeluaran yang bersifat konsumtif dan kita
gunakan uang rakyat untuk meninmgkatkan kesejahteraan rakyat kata beliau.

Anda pernah ke kantor Walikota Depok? Semua telah berubah. anda akan
disambut sebagai tamu yang dihormati karena Walikota ingin menunaikan
janjinya sebagai pelayan masyarakat. Di halaman muka kantor walikota
tercantum berbagai layanan yang disediakan lengkap dengan lama layanan dan
biayanya. Jika layanan tak selesai pada waktunya warga Depok akan dapat
hadiah sebagai kompensasi. Karena itulah seluruh staf kantor Walikota
berusaha bekerja keras untuk dapat melayani warga tepat waktu dan tanpa
biaya tambahan. Menurut pengakuan pegawai meski tak memungut biaya siluman
pendapatan mereka dinaikkan oleh Walikota dengan bonus tambahan. Jika kantor
walikota lancar maka banyak investor masuk jelas Walikota.

Untuk kenyamanan bangku di ruang tunggu di tambah bahkan di ujung ruang
tunggu disediakan air putih gratis untuk diminum. Untuk layanan yang selalu
dibutuhkan masyarakat seperti layanan kependudukan waktu layanan
diperpanjang sampai pukul delapan malam agar warga yang bekerja tak perlu
membolos. Kelompok LSM Warga Peduli yang didominasi oleh pengajar di UI
banyak membantu pemda Depok dalam meningkatkan layanan. Salah satu hasil
karya mereka adalah pengaturan operasi angkutan kota sehingga efisien.
Mengurangi kemacetan dan mengurangi pemakaian BBM. Melalui simulasi komputer
ternyata operasi angkutan kota dapat dikurangi frekuensinya 20% tanpa
mengurangi jumlah penumpang yang diangkut. Jika perubahan ini berjalan terus
dalam waktu yang tak terlalu lama kota Depok yang kecil tapi aman dan
teratur ini akan menjadi model pembangunan kota di Indonesia.

from -Prof. DR. Dr. Samsuridjal Djauzi, SpPD-KAI-

sanhen

February 18th, 2006, 02:37 AM

^^ Itu beneran atawa marketing doang?

peseg5

February 18th, 2006, 04:25 PM

kayaknya emang agak2 marketing deh. Tapi setau gw emang walikotanya udah resmi bekerja dari bulan lalu sejak ribut2 itu. Kalau berita ini bener, good news then..

Alvin

February 19th, 2006, 01:52 PM

:bleep: FPI in action today again...protesting the cartoons....to the US embassy?!?! What does the US have anything to do with those cartoons???!

http://www.kompas.com/koleksifoto/0602//big6021903.jpg
http://www.kompas.com/koleksifoto/0602//big6021904.jpg
Anggota FPI melampiaskan kekesalan mereka dengan merusak bagian depan gedung Kedubes AS.

and what the heck are the authorities doing...

http://www.kompas.com/koleksifoto/0602//big6021905.jpg
Petugas keamanan yang berjaga-jaga tidak mampu berbuat apa-apa.

sanhen

February 19th, 2006, 03:12 PM

LOL.. funiest post of the day. The US have nothing to do with the cartoon. I bet 99% of FPI have never seen the cartoon.

Zorobabel

February 19th, 2006, 06:07 PM

Why did they attack the US Embassy? It wasn't even published here.

bahar

February 20th, 2006, 03:10 AM

I heard from Channelnewsasia that in addition of the cartoon, they were also protesting a statue of a moslem (could be the prophet) holding the Koran on the one hand and a sword on the other hand. the statue is said to be located in library of congress (could be some other building affiliated with congress -- cant remember the detail in the news) to remember a moslem congressman. funny thing is the statue has been there years ago.

David-80

February 20th, 2006, 01:37 PM

They were protesting the Mohammad statue on US supreme court which they dont even know and sure if it does actually exists or not. Chief Sutanto said, that Police is now investigating and going to arrest some FPI members.

cheers

Alvin

February 20th, 2006, 02:11 PM

It's okay for the FPI to be angry and to express their feelings/opinions in public, after all we are a democracy. But it is NOT ok to do this through violence, by damaging public/private property, or causing other forms of social disturbances. FPI should grow up, abide by the law and channel their frustrations through democratic institutions. This can't go on forever...government must enforce the law, not just standby and do nothing for fear of offending Muslims.

peseg5

February 20th, 2006, 05:10 PM

yeah police, seize them. And better you check and scan their brains, is it there or not?? ...

in the name of expression freedom..

s**t you FPI !!

MARINHO

February 21st, 2006, 02:53 AM

I was shocked about the fact that that FPI seized the lobby of the building where the Danish embassy is located.

But now they also damaged the US embassy. For Danish cartoons! Are these guys crazy. Do they have any geographical knowledge.

These f*cking FPI guys are uneducated. They do not deserve a polite treatment.

They deserve this kind of equipment to be used against them:
http://www.pindad.com/eng/images/MILITER/MUNISI/gt-6supar.jpg

http://www.pindad.com/eng/images/MILITER/SENJATA/anti_riot_sar2_k38mm.jpg

http://www.pindad.com/eng/images/MILITER/kendaraan_khusus/water_canon1.jpg

http://www.pindad.com/eng/images/MILITER/kendaraan_khusus/jeep1.jpg

If footage of these riots reaches international media it could harm international investor confidence to invest in Indonesia.
This has gone too far. It has nothing to do with religion.

bahar

February 21st, 2006, 02:56 AM

Oh yea, it was said to be Supreme Court...

Ara

February 21st, 2006, 03:20 PM

Let see, waving an OPM flag get you in prison right away. Destroying a foreign embassy and threatining to sweep their diplomats, nothing happen to them. Pak SBY, where is your priority? Now, they have again destroyede foreign embassy property. time to identify these preman as a criminal organization.

Ara

February 26th, 2006, 07:03 AM

Anybody saw the sweeping attempt on foreigners in bandung. It was hilarious. The cops were like "Pak, bubarkan". The sweeper guy kept on and on about something. the cops then repeated "Pak, bubarkan". Then the sweeper guy was like, "we're here defending Islam". then, the cop went "ayo kita ke polsek" Then, the cop started to beat the sweeper down. I don't usually recomend police brutualtity, but sometime I'm glad.

On a related note, I would like to thank FPI for defending Muslims in Indonesia against those evil orange cones. Those evil American orange cones are a threat to Indonesian Muslims everywhere. Way to go FPI. I also would like to thank them for their sweeping of foreigner a couple years ago. God knows that those foreignerers were threatening to sweep Indonesian Muslims from Indonesia.

peseg5

February 26th, 2006, 12:58 PM

yea, i saw it... another idiots made the headline..

Anybody saw the sweeping attempt on foreigners in bandung. It was hilarious. The cops were like "Pak, bubarkan". The sweeper guy kept on and on about something. the cops then repeated "Pak, bubarkan". Then the sweeper guy was like, "we're here defending Islam". then, the cop went "ayo kita ke polsek" Then, the cop started to beat the sweeper down. I don't usually recomend police brutualtity, but sometime I'm glad.

On a related note, I would like to thank FPI for defending Muslims in Indonesia against those evil orange cones. Those evil American orange cones are a threat to Indonesian Muslims everywhere. Way to go FPI. I also would like to thank them for their sweeping of foreigner a couple years ago. God knows that those foreignerers were threatening to sweep Indonesian Muslims from Indonesia.

F-ian

February 26th, 2006, 06:13 PM

Their Wierd but I guess we should stop these FPI Stuff.....I'm annoy hearing about them

Alvin

February 27th, 2006, 12:24 PM

The Journal Interview with Yenny Wahid: Daughter of Islam
By Nancy de Wolf Smith
1850 words
27 February 2006
The Wall Street Journal Asia <javascript:void(0)>
14
English
(c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. To see the edition in which this
article appeared, click here http://awsj.com.hk/factiva-ns
WASHINGTON -- Yenny Wahid has a smile that could melt a Hershey bar at
100 yards. Her sunny disposition is all the more remarkable because Ms.
Wahid is on what may be the world's most difficult mission right now:
She's a prominent Muslim (and a woman at that) who speaks out against
terror and the hijacking of her religion by ideologues who twist it to
their own political ends.
After 9/11, many Americans assume that the radical Islamic agenda is to
destroy the U.S. The reality is that attacks on Western targets are
designed to function as brutal propaganda coups that will attract
recruits to the cause of violent revolution. The main goal of ideologues
like Osama bin Laden is to topple the governments of Muslim countries,
including, most famously, the Wahabi royal regime of Saudi Arabia. But
the real strategic plum, Ms. Wahid says, would be her native Indonesia
and its 220 million citizens -- with the largest Muslim population on
earth.
"We are the ultimate target," she told me in Washington during a trip to
the U.S. earlier this month. "The real battle for the hearts and minds
of Muslims is happening in Indonesia, not anywhere else. And that's why
the world should focus on Indonesia and help."
Think of it as a potential domino whose fall would be felt far beyond
Asia. "It's big enough to destabilize the region," Ms. Wahid notes. But
"imagine if Indonesia became a hotbed for terrorism, or a source for
people to get martyrs from. We've got enough people to provide an army
of terrorists if we're not careful."
At present, Ms. Wahid calls that a "worst-case, doomsday scenario," and
she is probably correct, given Indonesia's history of moderate,
syncretic Islam, with elements from the region's Hindu and Buddhist
past. While there have been demonstrations there over the Danish
cartoons that lampooned the prophet Muhammad, they have generally
involved a only few hundred people. By contrast, Ms. Wahid points out, a
December rally she helped organize under the banner of "Islam for Peace"
attracted some 12,000 marchers.
---
At the head of that crowd, riding in a wheelchair alongside Ms. Wahid,
was her father, Abdurrahman Wahid, the respected and beloved Islamic
scholar who headed Indonesia's largest Muslim cultural organization,
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), before becoming the first president of newly
democratic Indonesia from 1999 to 2001. In a seminal article for this
newspaper -- "Right Islam vs. Wrong Islam" -- Mr. Wahid wrote on Dec. 30
that "a terrible danger threatens humanity" in the form of "an extreme
and perverse ideology" that grossly distorts the true meaning of the
religion. He called on fellow Muslims to end the "complicity of silence"
about terrorism and other acts of intolerance which characterize the
radicals' behavior.
At 31, Yenny Wahid -- her real name is Zannuba -- is trying to follow
her father's example and defend the values their faith teaches. Educated
in Indonesia, she got a Master's degree in public administration from
Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in 2002. Her ease in Western
surroundings is apparent not merely from the snappy cream-colored
pantsuit she was wearing when we met but also from her elegantly
accented English.
She is active in the NU's political wing, the National Awakening Party,
and an adviser to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The job
most dear to her heart, however, is running the Wahid Foundation --
named after her father -- which works to promote, in the words of its
Web site (at www.wahidinstitute.org <javascript:void(0)> ), "democratic
reform, religious pluralism, multiculturalism and tolerance amongst
Muslims" and reflects "a universal Islam [that] desires justice and
prosperity for all."
The key word may be prosperity. Indonesia, which was on its way to Asian
Tigerhood until the currency crisis of 1997-98, has not recovered from
the economic meltdown that coincided with the fall of the Suharto
dictatorship. The country is a democracy now, but a struggling one to
which few investors have returned. It also has a free press, among the
friskiest in Asia. Yet the new openness has also paved the way for vocal
opponents of Indonesia's traditional secular approach to government --
voices previously suppressed -- and they are gaining ground.
It is still politically incorrect to call for an Islamic state; and the
mainstream press, along with the vast majority of Indonesians,
vigorously supports efforts to fight and arrest terrorists such as the
ones who perpetrated the Bali and Marriott hotel bombings of 2002 and
2003. Even so, Ms. Wahid says, the fear of being labeled un-Islamic has
become intimidating to many moderate political candidates. Radicals who
want to install an Islamic regime -- those who dream of violence while
many ordinary religious conservatives still do not -- also are operating
in an economic milieu not unlike the one communists exploited in poor
countries a generation ago.
Poverty and a lack of education make millions of Indonesians desperate,
and easy, targets, Ms. Wahid says. "After the fall of Suharto, people
expected democracy would solve all their problems. But of course it
takes a long time for things to fall into their right places, and people
are not patient. They want a quick answer. So there is this sense of
democracy-fatigue in Indonesia. And my fear is if people are willing to
entertain the idea of Islam, and an Islamic state, as an alternative
solution to governing, because they are so frustrated by the level of
corruption . . . we'd be in big trouble."
Ms. Wahid is not imagining things. She points to other examples: "This
is exactly the issue that just happened in Palestine. Because Hamas
managed to portray themselves as the clean party. We do have parties
like that as well [in Indonesia], like Hamas."
Well-financed radicals have already infiltrated at least some of
Indonesia's traditional religious boarding schools, or pesantren. For
poor rural families especially, these schools -- called madrassas in
other Muslim countries -- are the only way to see that their sons get
decent food and clothing. Yet even the majority of pesantren that teach
a moderate form of Islam turn out young clerics who find it difficult to
make a living in the outside world. This is one reason, Ms. Wahid
believes, that Indonesia's mosques have become a potent trouble zone.
"The market for these preachers is quite limited, and you get to be the
top preacher by being the preacher with a sexy message. A sexy message
can be very inflammatory: `Christians are the ones that created all
these problems for you guys -- kill them!' Friday prayer is an
obligation for men, so it has become a very effective medium to
propagandize with preachings that are just very, very hateful toward
non-Muslims."
Like her famous father and other influential clerics in Indonesia, Ms.
Wahid is trying to hold the line against this trend. Their task, as she
sees it, is to remind Indonesians of the true teachings of Islam and its
sacred texts. "One thing for sure is that [radicals] have a very
distorted view of what religion should be," she says. "Killing people
meaning glory? It's lunacy. We do discuss these things, we hold
conferences, for instance on the word `jihad' and how it's been used and
abused throughout history. The prophet Muhammad said the greatest jihad
is against yourself, how to make yourself a better person. It's not . .
. running to kill people."
For a true definition of martyrdom, she points to the sacrifice of
Riyanto, a young man dispatched with other members of the Nahdlatul
Ulama youth militia during Christmas several years ago to guard churches
threatened with attacks. When he discovered a bomb outside a church, he
tried to throw it out of the way of the crowds and was killed when it
blew up. Ms. Wahid and others mark the anniversary of his death every
year. "We always tell this message: This is the real case of martyrdom.
That's the way to defend religion, not by killing others but by
defending others' rights to practice their religion."
As uplifting as her story is, Ms. Wahid cannot speak to Indonesians with
the same authority as her father, whose power to influence public
opinion derives in part from his credentials as an Islamic scholar.
However, Abdurrahman Wahid is 65, blind and frail. The NU organization
where he remains a towering figure may have 40 million members, but
there are power struggles under way inside the group, and no guarantee
that its future leaders will be as wise and outspoken as he has been.
Ms. Wahid is doing what she can to help a new generation follow in her
father's footsteps, through the Wahid Foundation. It involves "trying to
. . . identify these young leaders, young clerics with same-minded
beliefs, and connect them with one another and provide them with
something, a house, so that they can come out and speak. An army of
able, dedicated young men who can talk in a unified message of tolerant
and peaceful Islam."
That's an ambitious project, and Ms. Wahid says Indonesia cannot prepare
for the future without help. It needs foreign investors "willing to take
the risk," and more contact with the West on every level -- including
contact as rudimentary as instruction in English that will enable people
to pull themselves out of poverty. The Wahid Foundation, for instance,
has a program that tries to arrange micro-loans in rural communities.
She's not surprised when I point out that calling for foreign investment
in a country with Indonesia's financial reputation is a tall order.
"This is a difficult period for us," she admits, "but this is a win-win
situation for all. We have all these resources, we have a population of
220 million, a big market. As for rule of law . . . we're trying to
simplify the bureaucracy, the red tape and there have been many
corruption cases brought to court. The wheels of justice are starting."
Given the threat posed by Islamic fundamentalism, ignoring Indonesia
could quickly become a lose-lose situation. If for no other reason, she
says, "the world has an interest in making Indonesia a stable country
politically and economically so that people do not entertain this idea
that an Islamic state is a solution to their problems. When people are
hungry, when people are poor, they can do drastic things."
One could argue that by openly resisting the ideology of Islamic
extremists, Ms. Wahid herself is taking a drastic step, albeit one born
of courage, not desperation. When I asked her where she got the strength
to speak the truth at a time when many prefer to remain silent, she
beamed and said: "This is the real thing that defines people of faith. I
have faith in God. That's enough for my father, and enough for myself."
---
Ms. Smith is a member of The Wall Street Journal's editorial board.

peseg5

February 27th, 2006, 05:58 PM

These in bandung events arent FPI, they declare themself as AGAP.. i forgot kepanjangannya..but still FPI typical and idiots too

Their Wierd but I guess we should stop these FPI Stuff.....I'm annoy hearing about them

Zorobabel

February 27th, 2006, 08:46 PM

Any group that calls themselves an anti-apostasy movement is obviously going to be causing a lot of problems.

Blue_Sky

March 3rd, 2006, 03:23 PM

Bali Ancam Merdeka
Gede Suardana - detikcom

Denpasar - Masyarakat Bali mengancam akan keluar dari Negara Kesatuan Republik Indoensia (NKRI) bila Rancangan Undang-Undang Anti Pornografi dan Pornoaksi (RUU APP) diberlakukan.

Ancaman disampaikan oleh Ketua DPD KNPI Bali I Putu Gede Indriawan Karna dan sejumlah tokoh masyarakat lainnya dalam dialog mengenai RUU APP di Kantor Gubernur Bali, Jalan Basuki Rahmat, Denpasar, Bali, Jumat (3/3/2006).

Dialog tersebut dihadiri 200-an tokoh masyarakat Bali. Antara lain dari Pemprov Bali, DRPD, agamawan, intelektual, LSM, mahasiswa, kalangan parisawata, seniman, dan budayawan. Juga hadir mendengarkan berbagai pendapat masyarakat Bali, 8 anggota Pansus RUU APP DPR yang dipimpin Yoyoh Yusroh.

"Kalau RUU ini diberlakukan, kami tidak segan-segan keluar dari NKRI," kata Indriawan disambut gemuruh teriakan merdeka dari peserta dialog.

Indriawan turun pangung, gantian Laskar Dewata naik podium. Ia melanjutkan ancaman yang disampaikan oleh Indriawan. "Jika disahkan, kami akan melakukan pembangkangan sipil dan bila perlu keluar dari NKRI," kata Komang yang berpidato di podium dan mendapat sambutan setuju dan teriakan Merdeka..! Merdeka..! Hidup Bali..! Bali Merdekaa...!

Tokoh masyarakat Bali Putu Artha pada kesempatan pidato berikutnya menyatakan, semangat RUU ini tidak sesuai dengan semangat founding father dan menjauhkan semangat NKRI.

Pada acara penenutupan, Wakil Gubernur Bali IGN Alit Kelakan meminta agar Pansus RUU APP ditinjau ulang. "Jangan sampai Pansus RUU memfasilitasi kami untuk terlibat konflik dengan daerah lain," tandasnya. (jon)

http://www.detiknews.com/indexfr.php?url=http://www.detiknews.com/index.php/detik.read/tahun/2006/bulan/03/tgl/03/time/134349/idnews/552083/idkanal/10

F-ian

March 3rd, 2006, 03:55 PM

Edited: Sorry I didn't read the anti Porn Bill before I post this...

Alvin

March 3rd, 2006, 04:07 PM

ahh thats just Bluffing. I bet its just like last time before Gusdur Steped down and the whole Jawa Timur Wanted to Pisah from NKRI.

I can understand why the Balinese are extremely angry. There are signs of increasing intolerance in Indonesia which have been felt particularly in Bali. Two bombings by extremists that have devastated Bali (and Indonesia's) tourism industry and now that *ucken anti-pornography which is another nail in the coffin for Balinese people. If those idiots decide to pass that anti-pornography bill (which as I understand it, at its current state, runs contrary to various aspects of Balinese culture and its tourism industry), I can understand why Bali wants independence.

Pancasila & the concept of Unity in Diversity was abused in the past as part of Suharto's political discourse to generate stability and support his authoritarian rule, but we've seriously diverged way too much from it...first by allowing Sharia law to be implemented in Aceh, and now this stupid law. Those legislators are making me sick.

tata

March 3rd, 2006, 06:46 PM

I can understand why the Balinese are extremely angry. There are signs of increasing intolerance in Indonesia which have been felt particularly in Bali. Two bombings by extremists that have devastated Bali (and Indonesia's) tourism industry and now that *ucken anti-pornography which is another nail in the coffin for Balinese people. If those idiots decide to pass that anti-pornography bill (which as I understand it, at its current state, runs contrary to various aspects of Balinese culture and its tourism industry), I can understand why Bali wants independence.

Pancasila & the concept of Unity in Diversity was abused in the past as part of Suharto's political discourse to generate stability and support his authoritarian rule, but we've seriously diverged way too much from it...first by allowing Sharia law to be implemented in Aceh, and now this stupid law. Those legislators are making me sick.

For sharia law, it's very much needed to be implemented in Aceh judging from their cultural and religion background. From what I understand, Sharia law in Aceh is applied only to Moslem. Also, it is a way to win the heart of Achenese after everything happens to them --natural disater and unstability.

Concerning the anti-pornography law, which is still under preparation, in my point of view is started from the good intention especially to fight pornography on TV programs , newspapers, magazines that in my point of as an ordinary Indonesian are already too much. I don't deny that even in early '90s we do have some tabloit and magazine that do the same in softer degree.
At first, when I heard about legislators are working on anti-porno law, I tend to agree. But only after I read more in newspaper what this new-law will govern I turn to be against it. Why? because, it's just simply too much. One can be put in jail just because wearing tight clothes? No way, this is too much.
While we say, legislators are sickening I on the other side 'can understand' this because this is their jobs. Now, it is our job to voice, push our opinion so this law does not become effective.

Well, that's my point of view.

Blue_Sky

March 3rd, 2006, 08:04 PM

I bet its just like last time before Gusdur Steped down and the whole Jawa Timur Wanted to Pisah from NKRI.
I doubt it will be as same as Gusdur era
Bali uda banyak menderita karena Indonesia
Mulai dari bom, pelaku kriminalitas hingga UU pornografi yg bisa menghancurkan dunia pariwisata disana

Klo pariwisata Bali ambruk lalu warga Bali mau makan apa??
Mau makan Undang-Undang??

Blue_Sky

March 3rd, 2006, 08:05 PM

Pembahasan RUU tentang Anti Pornografi dan Pornoaksi (APP) tetap dilanjutkan setelah Panitia Khusus (Pansus) DPR mendapat masukan dari aspirasi masyarakat.
"Mungkin nanti dalam undang-undang APP ada pengecualiannya untuk daerah Papua dan Bali," kata anggota Pansus RUU APP DPR RI Prof Drs H Rustam E Tamburaka MA, ketika bertatap muka dengan sejumlah elemen masyarakat Bali, di Denpasar, Jumat (3/3).
"Kedua daerah itu mendapatkan hak spesialis, karena ada kekhususan dari masing-masing masyarakatnya," kata Rustam dari Fraksi Partai Golkar, yang saat hadir di Bali disambut barisan demontrasi penolakan RUU APP.
Ia mencontohkan, masyarakat Papua dengan budaya kotekanya tidak akan dikenakan undang-undang APP. Sebab hal itu sudah dilakukan secara turun temurun atau sudah menjadi budaya masyarakat sehingga mendapatkan hak spesialis.
"Begitu pula dengan Bali, jika RUU APP diundangkan, turis asing yang berjemur di Pantai Kuta atau pantai berpasir putih lainnya boleh saja dengan pakaian mini karena itu adalah budaya yang dibawa dari negerinya," katanya

source: http://www.kompas.co.id/utama/news/0603/03/155458.htm

=========================================================

hehehe, satu langkah menuju negara federal. Hebatnya malah disponsor oleh pusat. :down:

Alvin

March 4th, 2006, 12:14 AM

Alvin

March 4th, 2006, 12:19 AM

this law is sooo backwards for Indonesia.

that news also implies that tourists are only allowed to enjoy Indonesian beaches in Bali, not anywhere else in Indonesia because swimsuits are banned!! dumb asses. oh, not to mention swimming pools. Is swimming pornography? the more i think about it the more repulsive the whole concept becomes.

627

March 4th, 2006, 01:16 AM

haha lame . do they expect people to swim in sweatsuits or what

F-ian

March 4th, 2006, 01:59 AM

not sweatsuits but

http://www.tusa.nl/cataloque/tusa_diving/suits/ds105.jpg

or

http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/leonardo/images/diving_model.jpg

agree so stupid. Malaysia Doesn't even make that law(or do they?)

Alvin

March 4th, 2006, 02:15 AM

not sweatsuits but

http://www.tusa.nl/cataloque/tusa_diving/suits/ds105.jpg

)

thi pic still wouldn't be allowed as it will be considered too tight.

David-80

March 4th, 2006, 02:17 PM

Rumours now saying that the big parties, especially PDI-P (that majority have balinese supporters) are going to veto/oppose this Bill. This bill is now only supported by PKS and PAN not PPP as I previously mentioned.

I know for sure that Partai demokrat is not agree with this Bill, one of the reason is because Angelina sondakh, ex miss Indonesia and member of the demokrat party is supporting Inul on her fiasco with Rhoma Irama and showing her disagreement with the law, which she and I also thinks...abuse on women rights.

cheers

Alvin

March 4th, 2006, 02:31 PM

Rumours now saying that the big parties, especially PDI-P (that are majority have balinese supporters) are going to veto this Bill. This bill is now only supported by PKS and PAN not PPP as I previously mentioned.

I know for sure that Partai demokrat is not agree with this Bill, one of the reason is because Angelina sondakh, ex miss Indonesia and member of the demokrat party is supporting Inul on her fiasco with Rhoma Irama and showing her disagreement with the law, which she and I also thinks...abuse on women rights.

cheers

yea, that's another thing abotu this law - pornography is associated with women only, it sounds like crude discrimination and objectification of women to me. If a woman can be arrested & jailed for wearing tight clothes, so should men.

David, what's the position of Golkar & PKB? they may well hold the key to the passing of the legislation.

David-80

March 4th, 2006, 02:45 PM

Alvin

March 4th, 2006, 11:38 PM

Alvin, looking at how Golkar and PDIP as the opposite parties nowadays, I am worried if Golkar will support this bill in favor to gain much needed support from PKS and PAN in the parliament.

A bit good news which is SBY answered a question regarding Playboy magazine, he said, he couldnt do anything to prevent PlayBoy because there is no such law to stop its magazine from getting published. He just advised the public not to buy the magazine if they dont like it. So i hope, partai demokrat can influence majority of Golkar members to oppose this bill.

cheers

OK let's stack up the likely scenarios:

Total seats in Parliament: 550

Support:
Golkar: 128
PKS: 45
PAN: 53
Total: 226

Reject:
PDIP: 109
Demokrat: 55
Total: 164

Uncertain:
PPP: 58
PKB: 52
Others: 50
Total: 160

But the way I see it is that, since Golkar and Partai Demokrat are the two ruling parties, they should vote in the same bloc. Which party(ies) proposed this bill anyway? Probably PKS/PPP. I'm not sure if it's gained universal support from the other main secular parties Golkar & PD (with PDIP most likely to oppose), or the PKB.

Zorobabel

March 5th, 2006, 12:45 AM

I'm gathering that Bali is threatening independence if this bill goes through? Can't say that I blame them. Who wants to be part of a country taking a 300-year step back in terms of social reform?

XxRyoChanxX

March 5th, 2006, 03:00 AM

omg bali wants to be independent :(

David-80

March 5th, 2006, 03:04 PM

Alvin

March 6th, 2006, 07:52 AM

This is seriously complex problem for those legistrators, If majority of Golkar do not agree with this bill, they will have to lose support from PKS and PAN But if they do agree with this bill, the overwhelming support from PKS and PAN are solid and strong.

But, I see this way, this could be Golkar chance to finally agree and maybe join-forces with PDI-P In ther parliament, by opposing this bill. This would be a massive victory for the government.

So they key is now in PDI-P, will they support or not support this bill. From recent news, they seems like disagree and not supporting this bill.

I am actually sad that this kind of bill is made by and for politics not reality.

cheers

Well, I can see absolutely no reason, from an ideological point of view anyway, why PDIP would support the bill. Historically, the PDI(P) gets its strongest base of supporters from 'Islam abangan' (moderate Muslims) and minority groups (Christians, Balinese, etc.) If there's one party that would oppose this bill, it would be PDIP.

As to Golkar... David, I don't understand why Golkar would want support from PKS and PAN? Support for what purpose? The way I see it, Golkar is the ruling party (with Demokrat) and they should be voting in the same bloc. Given their secular & Pancasila ideology, they should oppose the bill. But Kalla's personal inclination is closer towards the religious right, so that would be the big question mark.

Has Gus Dur dropped any hints as to his position?

Alvin

March 6th, 2006, 08:06 AM

Details still fuzzy on changes to porn bill

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Following a visit by legislators to Bali, Batam and Papua to gauge public opinion on the pornography bill, it's still a guessing game whether there will be major changes to the controversial bill.

While House of Representatives special committee chairman Balkan Kaplale promised people in Batam there would be major changes to the draft of the bill, legislator Rustam E. Tamburaka said in Bali that "there may be some exceptions in the bill for Bali and Papua".

Members of the House committee returned Sunday from their visit to the provinces from where people had raised objections to the bill. A group of Balinese earlier told legislators how eroticism and sensuality were part of their culture.

In a meeting with several groups in Batam, Balkan had previously asked the participants to contemplate the timeliness of the bill, saying that a series of recent natural disasters and tragedies that hit Indonesia were "a warning from God".

"This bill is a part of our efforts to strengthen the moral fiber of the nation, some of which has been damaged," the legislator of the Democrat Party said, referring to prostitution, human trafficking and the debasement of women in adult magazines and tabloids.

Balkan added that of 167 groups and individuals invited by the committee to discuss the bill, only 22 rejected it, including well-known figures from the art world.

However, he was at a loss for words when a number of participants bombarded him with questions.

One participant raised concerns that he would be arrested when going online to view a painting of a nude woman by Italian artist Michelangelo. Others questioned the possible arrest of athletes, who wear shorts or miniskirts, and models sporting revealing clothing in fashion shows.

Balkan only replied that the draft of the bill, containing 11 chapters and 93 articles, would see major changes during an upcoming deliberation on the bill next week.

However Balkan's colleague, Rustam, said in Denpasar there would be possible exceptions in the implementation of the bill in Bali and Papua due to their unique cultural traditions.

"Both regions deserve consideration," he said amid a colorful protest against the bill.

The Golkar Party legislator said that the bill would respect the Papuan tradition of wearing the koteka (penis sheath) as well as foreign tourists who sunbathe in bikinis, because "it is the tradition they bring from their countries".

Balinese artists are also allowed to make nude sculptures or paintings, he added. Rustam added that legislators may scrap articles on penalties, which reach billions of rupiah, but did not elaborate.

Balinese legislator of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Ni Gusti Ayu Eka Sukma Dewi, said that she was opposed to the bill despite the fact that she was a member of the committee.

"It is useless for the government to discuss such a bill which displeases so many people, because it would waste time and money," she said as quoted by Antara newswire.

During a plenary meeting last September, all factions, PDI-P included, unanimously threw their weight behind the establishment of a special committee assigned to deliberate the draft of the bill, which is supported by Muslim-based parties.

The factions have yet to officially announce their stance on the bill, but it appears that the Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) is its main supporter.

Criticism of the bill includes its failure to clearly define those guilty of producing pornography materials, thereby victimizing women.

David-80

March 8th, 2006, 01:58 PM

As to Golkar... David, I don't understand why Golkar would want support from PKS and PAN? Support for what purpose? The way I see it, Golkar is the ruling party (with Demokrat) and they should be voting in the same bloc. Given their secular & Pancasila ideology, they should oppose the bill. But Kalla's personal inclination is closer towards the religious right, so that would be the big question mark.

Thats interesting Alvin, but in my understanding the position of Golkar and PD in the parliament are not really strong right now, its been proven when SBY and Kalla called several ministers from the parties (government supporters) that shockingly were opposing the rice import regulation. Now, If PKS, PAN and PPP left PG and PD alone in the parliament, the government agenda would be at risk. PDI-P, PDS and PKB may perform another coalition and PKS may perform another coalition with the muslim based parties or even they merge with PDIP and PKB as opposition parties.

About GusDur, hes been silence and i didnt hear a single word from him, at least until now, proven me wrong if he did make some statement.

Anyway, I just found something new, the supporting parties of this bill actually PKS and PPP.

Deliberation of the bill has been prioritized by several Muslim-based parties, particularly the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the United Development Party (PPP).

source : http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20060308.A01&irec=0

cheers

Alvin

March 8th, 2006, 02:11 PM

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20060308/capt.jak10503080739.indonesia_pornography_march__jak105.jpg?x=380&y=258&sig=JTgZ55J0hIkwU4hxzS2SNw--

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20060308/capt.jak10603080736.indonesia_pornography_march__jak106.jpg?x=380&y=256&sig=PyObifDWACMo6e2xtYYmOA--

Indonesian women march through the streets of Jakarta holding signs including a cartoon about sexual victimization to protest a proposed anti-pornography law that would also change Indonesia's generally moderate outlook on women's dress and public affection Wednesday, March 8, 2006 in Jakarta. Women marched in this predominantly Muslim nation to protest an anti-pornography bill that could impose jail terms for kissing in public, baring legs or shoulders, and nudity in art. (AP Photo/Ed Wray)

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20060308/capt.jak10703080735.indonesia_pornography_march__jak107.jpg?x=380&y=272&sig=b6T2S0C8ffh7FgGduJafuw--
Indonesian women march through a street of Jakarta holding signs reading 'stop discrimination against women,' left, and 'stop the impoverishment of women' to protest a proposed anti-pornography law that would also change Indonesia's generally moderate outlook on women's dress and public affection Wednesday, March 8, 2006 in Jakarta. Women marched in this predominantly Muslim nation to protest an anti-pornography bill that could impose jail terms for kissing in public, baring legs or shoulders, and nudity in art. (AP Photo/Ed Wray)

Ara

March 9th, 2006, 04:11 AM

Wait a minute, this legislation will not be enforced in two provinces? Sorry, but that is idiotic. Either the legislation is dropped (which I hoped it will be), or it should be implemeneted nation wide since it's a national legislation.

Alvin

March 9th, 2006, 04:30 AM

^^ yeah, if that happens, Bali and Papua will soon demand Aceh-style special autonomy and we'll be on our way towards a Federal state, or worse, God forbid, disintegration.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

RUU Anti Pornografi & Pornoaksi
Dian Sastro Menolak, Rieke 'Oneng' Mengecam!
Eny Kartikawati - detikHot

Rieke-Dian Sastro (eny/hot)
Jakarta, Penolakan terhadap RUU Anti Pornografi dan Pornoaksi makin gencar dilakukan. Kali ini aksi penolakan datang dari dua artis, Dian Satrowardoyo dan Rieke 'Oneng'.

Rieke yang adalah jebolan ilmu pasca sarjana di Fakultas Ilmu Budaya, Universitas Indonesia mensinyalir RUU APP sebagai isu yang sengaja dikemukakan pemerintah. Dalam pandangan Rieke, dengan maraknya pembahasan mengenai pornografi, masyarakat akan lengah dengan isu kenaikan BBM dan tarif tol.

"Apakah ada jaminan dengan adanya RUU itu, tidak akan ada pemerkosaan dan pelecehan seksual terhadap wanita," gugat pemilik nama Rieke Dyah Pitaloka itu ditemui detikhot di peluncuran buku Feminisme: Sebuah Kata Hati karya Dr. Gadis Arivia, di Klub Rasuna, Kuningan, Jakarta, Rabu (8/3/2006) sore.

Wanita berdarah Sunda ini kemudian memberikan sarannya pada pemerintah. Katanya ketimbang membuat RUU APP, sebaiknya pemerintah menjalankan dengan tegas Undang-undang Penyiaran yang sudah ada sejak dulu.

"Lebih baik kontrol tayangan TV. Kan ada UU Penyiaran, itu bisa dijalankan," tegasnya.

Bagaimana dengan pendapat Dian Sastro? Meski tak selugas Rieke, aktris cantik ini mencoba menyikapi dengan bijak soal munculnya RUU APP.

Dian sangat menghargai usaha pemerintah mengurangi aksi pemerkosaan dengan membuat RUU tersebut. Namun dalam pandangannya ia melihat RUU yang masih dibahas di DPR itu kurang detail dan rinci dalam memberi batasan soal pornografi dan pornoaksi.

"Kayaknya kok ada kesengajaan bikin nggak rinci, supaya pada pelaksanaannya semuanya bisa disalahkan," ujar Dian yang pada Rabu (8/3/2006) ikut berdemo bersama sejumlah ibu-ibu rumahtangga untuk menolak RUU APP.

Sebagai perempuan Dian juga merasa RUU tersebut nantinya seperti punya hak untuk mengatur cara ia dan perempuan lainnya berpakaian. Padahal menurut aktris berzodiak Pisces ini, adalah hak perempuan itu sendiri apakah ia mau memakai baju tertutup atau rok yang sangat mini.

"Terangsang atau nggak bukan dilihat dari perempuan pakai baju tertutup atau nggak. Dilihat dari pikirannya ngeres atau nggak," tuturnya. Siapa setuju?(eny)

Zorobabel

March 10th, 2006, 06:58 AM

http://www.thejakartapost.com/caption/demo1.jpg

HANDS OFF: With a poster stating "My body belongs to me", members of the Joint Women's Coalition stage a protest Wednesay in front of Merdeka Palace, Central Jakarta, in conjunction with International Women's Day. They denounced the deliberation of the pornography bill, which they said would repress women, and demanded the revocation of laws and bylaws often used to stifle women's rights. (JP/Arief Suhardiman)

Alvin

March 10th, 2006, 07:21 AM

INDONESIA: Women outraged by Jakarta's anti-porn bill
To celebrate International Women's Day, women in Jakarta march to protest anti-pornography bill

Straits Times
Thursday, March 9, 2006

By Devi Asmarani

Jakarta --- Women here marked International Women's Day yesterday with a march to pressure Parliament to drop an anti-pornography Bill.

It seems an unlikely protest for a day focused on women's rights. But the demonstrators fear the Bill could lead to penalties of up to 12 years in prison and fines of up to 2 billion rupiah (S$350,500) for such simple acts as kissing in public and baring of legs or shoulders.

"The anti-pornography Bill does not respect a woman's right to her own sexuality," said Ms Vivi Widyawati of the Mahardhika Women's Working Group as the crowd of 150 rallied at the heart of Jakarta.

Their protest followed days of mounting opposition to the Bill -- which also seeks to ban "erotic artwork" and has strong support among lawmakers -- from intellectuals, artists and some ethnic groups.

But a special parliamentary team says it will press ahead and finalise the draft this week, and submit it for approval in June.

Mr Balkan Kaplale, who heads the team, told The Straits Times recently: "This Bill is crucial to prevent further moral degradation.

"But I agree that parts of it have to be revised -- as it is, only angels can abide by the law."

Some contentious clauses, such as the public kissing ban, may be toned down. But even a softer Bill will not be acceptable to its critics, who say it is too wide-ranging and ill-defined, that the penalties are too harsh, and that existing laws against pornography are sufficient.

There is no clear definition of the "sensual body parts" which must not be exposed in public, or what an erotic artwork is. And women's rights advocates say that instead of protecting them, it demonises them and gives the state a blank cheque to regulate people's behaviour.

Regional opposition to the Bill has come from Bali, Batam and Papua. Both Bali and Batam are worried that the Bill would hurt tourism.

In Bali, where about 1,000 people rallied against the Bill last week, residents have warned that the resort island would secede from Indonesia if the Bill is passed.

"Balinese arts and religious beliefs have never considered sensuality and sexuality as impure," rally organiser Cok Sawitri said.

And in Papua, where many men wear only penis sheaths and women are bare-breasted, there are fears about the Bill's impact on the traditional way of life. But Mr Balkan said these provinces need not worry as their respective local administrations would be exempted.

Date Posted: 3/9/2006

Zorobabel

March 10th, 2006, 08:23 AM

Alvin

March 10th, 2006, 12:01 PM

I think it's good that the Balinese are threatening to secede from Indonesia if the bill passes. The bill represents a very significant paradigm shift from a secular nation-state to one where morality is defined by the government under the terms set down by the religious majority. It totally disregards the concerns of the minority across the archipelago, not just in Bali and Papua. If people find these threats of secession to be frightening or surprising, they should really be asking themselves what place do minority cultures and religions have in an Islamic republic? They have no place in one, and in the end that's what this bill is moving toward.

If the bill passes in its current form, it would set a very dangerous precedent. Who knows what sortof laws Parliament can pass in the future - Syariah law, anyone? If so, we can say good bye to Pancasila, good bye to freedom of speech & democracy and goodbye to the Republic of Indonesia as we know it. Democracy was supposed to bring freedom and promote the rights of ALL citizens, what in fact we are seeing to be developing is tyranny of the minority (not majority) - our country is increasingly being under attack from radical groups that want to impose their own beliefs to the whole society.

Alvin

March 10th, 2006, 12:09 PM

As a postscript, the reason why those minority radical Muslim groups are gaining advances is because they are actually united behind a common cause. Whereas the rest of Indonesian society - moderate Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Confucians etc. - are not exactly united. Wouldn't it be great if the rest of Indonesian society unite against these radical groups by presenting a common front and engaging in a 'public campaign' (call it propaganda if you like) to return the Pancasila doctrine (of Unity in Diversity & tolerance) to where it belongs. In fact, if things go on like this, parties like PDIP can make this issue a good election platform for 2009 and I would vote for them if the situation in this aspect deteriorates.

David-80

March 10th, 2006, 01:53 PM

the reason why those minority radical Muslim groups are gaining advances is because they are actually united behind a common cause

I think its because the media attention to them that made the organisation looks like they are embracing into a new mass forces, but in reality, a lot of people disagree with them.

cheers

Alvin

March 11th, 2006, 02:26 PM

God forbid this from happening to the rest of Indonesia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taliban-style Islamic police terrorizing Indonesia's Aceh
By Joe Cochrane Mar 11, 2006, 2:08 GMT
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http://media.monstersandcritics.com/galleries/139609/00624500250.jpg
Nur Azizah binti Hanafiah (22) receives a canning after being found by a citizen having illegal sex with her boyfriend at her house in Banda Aceh Indonesia Friday 27 January 2006. Aceh Province has practiced islamic Syariah law since 2001. EPA/NANI AFRIDA

Banda Aceh, Indonesia - Dewi Haryanti was in a hurry. The 25-year-old was exchanging her hotel waitress uniform for street clothes for the trip to her second job at a boutique she owns with her sisters in the capital of Indonesia's tsunami-torn Aceh province.

In her rush to get out the door, Haryanti almost forgot to put on her traditional Muslim headscarf. It was a near-mistake that these days would have easily led to police harassment, possible arrest - maybe even a public flogging. Things have certainly changed in Aceh since billions of dollars began pouring to rebuild the province following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, but not all of them are positive.

'I didn't wear a jilbob (headscarf) at the hotel I worked in before the tsunami,' Haryanti, a native Acehnese with Middle Eastern features and a quiet, high-pitched voice. 'Now I do.'

She has little choice. In the months following the tsunami, the Aceh government inexplicably began vigorously enforcing a three-year-old provincial statute on Sharia, or Islamic Law. The provincial Islamic law department was unleashed to crackdown on 'immorality' - alcohol, gambling, women appearing in public without headscarves or venturing out at night without a male escort.

The 'Sharia police,' as they are known across the province, have become a power unto themselves - uneducated, arrogant young men operating outside of any legal framework or rules, human and women's rights activists say.

Their illegal detentions and harassment of women, intimidation of the population and violent behaviour - they've publicly flogged more than 135 people for various violations in the past nine months - has earned them comparisons to Adolf Hitler's 'Brown Shirts' in Nazi Germany.

'It's only going to get worse,' warned Mercedes Chazez for the United Nations Development Fund for Women. 'It's infuriating they don't have the authority to be doing these arrests.'

Indonesian law on Sharia is, to say the least, vague and confusing. The constitution states that the Muslim-majority nation is a secular, but the national parliament in Jakarta in 2003 passed legislation allowing Sharia in Aceh, and several local district governments have followed suit. Although Indonesia has 190 million Muslims, the country has historically been mainstream. Alcohol, cigarettes, bars and nightclubs are legal across the country.

Residents of Aceh are considered among the most devout Muslims in Indonesia, but the province has never previously had Sharia or hudud - Islamic punishments such as publicly whipping people with a bamboo cane. That's why both foreign and Acehnese activists are dismayed with the Sharia police's campaign.

[B]One young Acehnese woman was publicly flogged for kissing her boyfriend in public, while another 23-year-old has been locked up in Acehnese jail for more than two weeks without access to an attorney after being caught drinking beer. She could be flogged up to 40 times if found guilty by a local religious court.

H. Alyasa' Abubakar, director of the Sharia enforcement office, denied during an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that his employees were abusing their power or arresting women, saying they 'are only advising them about wearing the jilbob.' But when pressed on numerous of cases of women being illegally detained, he said, 'If they do that, then it's wrong,' but gave no indication that any of his officers would be punished.

Equally troubling is the complete silence among Western and Asian donors who have pledged billions of dollars to Aceh's reconstruction.

A spokesman for the US embassy in Jakarta declined to say whether the Bush administration, which justified its invasion of Afghanistan by saying American troops were liberating women from the Taliban, supported the Aceh government's flogging policy. The issue will likely come to a head when US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visits Indonesia on March 14.

Activists say many Acehnese are increasingly fed up with the Sharia police's antics. Last November, after officers arrested a teenage schoolgirl standing outside her front yard with a male friend and accused her of being a prostitute, a mob ransacked their office.

But Acehnese society as a whole remains weary of publicly speaking out.

'If anyone says they don't like Sharia, it can be interpreted as not supporting Islam,' said T. Ardiansyah, director of Kata Hati Institute, an Aceh-based human rights and conflict resolution institute.

That appears to be changing. Last Wednesday hundreds of Acehnese women marched through the capital demanding nondiscriminatory implementation of Sharia, and an end to the heavy-handed tactics by enforcement officers.

'They deserve to be hated because their way of implementing Sharia is arrogant,' said Elvida, a protest coordinator from Flower Aceh, a local women's right group 'Women are almost always blamed for any infractions [while] the rich and powerful get away with things like corruption.'

More public dissent is expected. A newly formed group of activists and attorneys is planning to file a lawsuit against the Sharia enforcement office to demand that it be close.

That might prevent a repeat of incidents like one that occurred in late February at a leading Banda Aceh hotel. Sharia policemen barged into the lobby and arrested three women attending an international conference because they were not wearing headscarves. According to witnesses, an officer screamed at one of the women: 'The way you are dressed makes my penis erect!'

Ironically, none of the witnesses could recall seeing it.

© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Zorobabel

March 12th, 2006, 12:40 AM

My gosh...I'm going to be sick.

Zorobabel

March 13th, 2006, 06:47 AM

Peaceful elections in Irjabar. I find the picture below humerous as it shows the multi-cultural nature (transmigrants, Papuans, and a white guy) of the province.

---

http://www.thejakartapost.com/caption/Irian-1.jpg
RUNNING MATES: Supporters of West Irian Jaya gubernatorial candidate Abraham Octovianus Atururi celebrate Sunday in Manokwari amid reports of his commanding lead in Saturday's polls. (JP/Hyginus Hardoyo)

Abraham out front in W. Irian Jaya polls

Hyginus Hardoyo, The Jakarta Post, Manokwari, West Irian Jaya

Supporters of former Sorong regent Abraham Octovianus Atururi celebrated Sunday amid provisional results showing him headed for victory in West Irian Jaya's first direct gubernatorial election.

Abraham, whose running mate is Rahimin Katjong, was reported ahead in all the election regions -- eight regencies and one mayoralty -- in the newly established but disputed province.

Provisional results at Abraham's camp showed he had 136,613 (62.40 percent) of 218,919 votes counted as of Sunday evening. There were 406,413 eligible voters.

Abraham-Rahimin were followed by Yorrys Th. Raweyai-Abdul M. Killian with 45,032 20.57 (20.57 percent) and Dortheus Asmuruf-M. Ali Kastela 37,274 votes (17.02 percent).

No official data was available from the West Irian Jaya General Elections Commission (KPUD) which was closed on Sunday.

KPUD's latest data was issued at midnight Saturday, with 145,271 votes cast. Abraham had 89,126 votes (61.35 percent), followed by Yorrys with 30,758 (21.17 percent) and Dortheus receiving 25,387 (17.47 percent).

Many of Abraham's supporters, including members of the Arfak tribe in traditional attire and carrying spears and arrows, flocked to his house to dance and sing in celebration. They were treated to a feast at the home, although latecomers were forced to do with bottled water when the food ran out.

"Pak Abraham deserves the victory because besides being an indigenous man of West Irian Jaya, he has also contributed greatly to West Irian Jaya in the regional administration, including as the regent of Sorong," his campaign team manager Terianus Nauw said.

He was confident Abraham, who is a former marine brigadier general, would carry out his campaign pledges, which centered on improving public welfare.

Meanwhile, Yorrys vowed to take the West Irian Jaya KPUD to court due to reports many eligible voters, mainly in Sorong, Fak-Fak and Kaimana, were unable to obtain registration cards.

"They could not use their right to vote due to the absence of the registration cards. In fact, in line with the existing agreement reached on March 2, any person with an identity card was eligible to vote," Yorrys said.

"The problem does not deal with figures, but with the existing regulations," he said, adding that the lawsuit would be filed as soon as the official final vote count was announced.

Eligible voters in West Irian Jaya crowded polling stations Saturday, ignoring threats of violence if the election in the province went ahead.

Voting proceeded peacefully in Manokwari, the province's capital and other regencies.

The Papuan People's Assembly (MRP), representing Papuans opposed to the election said earlier that tribespeople and students were prepared to take up arms to thwart the election.

However, the threat failed to materialize and there were no reports of violence Saturday.

Alvin

March 15th, 2006, 08:08 AM

Christians need not be concerned: Muhammadiyah rector
Duncan Graham, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Minority faiths in Indonesia have nothing to fear from a more conservative Muhammadiyah, according to the rector of Muhammadiyah University Malang (MUM), Muhadjir Effendy.

In an interview with The Jakarta Post on his return from studying education systems in Scotland, the member of the organization's doctrinal committee believes:

* The Ahmadiyah sect, persecuted by hard-line Muslims, should be tolerated.

* Indonesia is not a secular society, because the government is involved in religious affairs.

* Christians should not be called kafir (infidel).

* People ought to accept the Liberal Islamic Network even if they disagree with some of its doctrines.

* The government and police should exercise their legal powers to arrest and prosecute lawbreakers, who take violent action in the name of Islam.

* He supports the introduction of sharia law with qualifications.

Muhadjir added that Christians and followers of other religions should not be concerned at any perceived shift in the philosophy of Muhammadiyah under the new leadership of chairman Din Syamsuddin.

He expressed agreement with observers who have said the organization had become more conservative, but its values and interpretations remained open to debate.

"But it's wrong to assume from this that Muhammadiyah is in any way a threat to anyone. Please don't say that Muhammadiyah has only one view. It is not unilateral -- it is tolerant. There are many factions.

He said the changes now underway are to purify and reform. Muhammadiyah is also a social movement with concern for education, welfare, health care and the economy.

"When I talk about sharia I'm not suggesting that this should in any way be imposed on non-Muslims. Nor do I support some of the things that are happening in the name of sharia, like forcing women to wear headscarves and the public flogging of wrongdoers.

"I'm more interested in sharia as a financial system, which distributes profits evenly and fairly. The negative public image of sharia is wrong."

MUM is the largest Muhammadiyah university in the country with about 20,000 students. Muhammadiyah is the second largest Islamic organization in the nation with an estimated 30 million supporters. Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) claims around 40 million members.

MUM does not require its female students to wear headscarves, and permits students of other faiths to enroll. It has links with universities overseas. Eight Australians are currently enrolled. The campus library has an "American Corner" where the US flag is displayed alongside shelves of books and magazines donated by the US Embassy.

Muhadjir would not be drawn into discussion on the election of Din, who is also the leader of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI). Last year, the MUI issued edicts "banning" secularism and pluralism for Muslims, as well as Islamic liberalism.

Muhammadiyah was a democratic organization and the elected leader had to be supported and respected by members, whatever their personal views, he said.

Nor would he comment on the controversial case of scholar Dawam Rahardjo, who has been either expelled or has resigned from Muhammadiyah. Dawam's disputed departure has been linked to his liberal views and reported support for Ahmadiyah.

"I know Dawam, he used to teach economics here at MUM," said Muhadjir. "Let's just say he is a flamboyant character who has held different views in the past."

Muhadjir accepted that he was a pluralist, but declined to label himself a liberal, preferring to use the term "accommodationist". He said he was a member of the silent majority that recognized and accepted that Indonesia was a multi-faith, multi-cultural society.

He said he regularly met members of other religions and respected their views, doing so "from my heart with sincerity."

"Ahmadiyah is a sect of Islam. Of course it should be tolerated," he said. "If some aspects of their beliefs don't conform to Islam, we should call them back to Islamic doctrine.

"They should not be kicked out of Islam.

"As a Muslim I oppose alcohol, but I'm against the Islamic Defenders' Front, which raids nightclubs, smashes bottles and intimidates foreigners. This is very wrong. We have no right to impose our views on others. We have to coexist. The government is weak in not prosecuting such people.

"These violent attitudes are quite out of date. We all have to live together and respect each other's beliefs. You won't find members of Muhammadiyah taking part in such demonstrations, I guarantee that."

Zorobabel

March 17th, 2006, 03:24 AM

Support for suicide bombing surprisingly big in Indonesia
http://home.kyodo.co.jp/index.php
(Kyodo) _ A survey released Thursday shows that terrorism acts, including suicide bombings on civilian targets, are supported by one in 10 Indonesian Muslims.

"Religious radicalism, when it is interpreted into violent methods in the name of religion, has received enough support," the survey on the pros and cons of Islamic radicalism shows.

"It seems small, but big enough to support extreme acts...," the report adds.

Since 2002, suicide bombings have killed hundreds of people in Indonesia, including attacks in Bali in 2002 that killed 202 people, many of them holidaymakers.

Based on direct interviews with 1,173 people in the country's 33 provinces, the survey found 9.6 percent of the respondents believe "suicide bombings and other violent acts on civilian targets to defend Islam from its enemies" are sometimes justifiable.

Of the respondents -- 87.6 percent of them Muslims -- 1.6 percent said the acts can be frequently justified, while 0.5 percent said they can always be justified.

The survey also shows 8 percent of the respondents agreed that bombing attacks committed by some terrorist suspects, such as Malaysian nationals Azahari and Nurdin Mohammad Top, are permissible as a form of opposition by Muslims against the West.

Azahari, believed to be a mastermind of a series of bombing attacks in Indonesia, was killed during a police raid in East Java Province last year.

Top, who is now the most-wanted terrorist suspect in Southeast Asia, is still at large.

Top, as Azahari was, is believed to be one of key leaders of Jemaah Islamiyah, allegedly the Southeast Asia wing of international terrorist network al-Qaida.

According to the survey, 28 percent of respondents supported anti-American sentiment by Muslims in Indonesia and 29 percent agreed that the U.S. attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq were attacks against Islam.

Although the majority of respondents interviewed in the survey did not support Islamic radicalism and anti-U.S. sentiment, 62 percent shared a similar view that Western culture has brought a bad impact for Muslims in Indonesia.

sanhen

March 17th, 2006, 03:30 AM

I read the same article at Melbourne's The Age last night. Stupid article.

David-80

March 17th, 2006, 02:46 PM

Based on direct interviews with 1,173 people

And they called it Majority...just wondering, which people/community they're interviewed? If its the Hizbut tahrir community, then im not surprised but if its NU or ordinary muslim in the streets, then i really have a doubt on the article.

Btw, who did that survey? It seems like a bogus survey to me.

EDIT: I just found a new article for it, it seems the LSI done that survey and most probably, they interviewed some members of FPI/Mujaheedin

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20060317.@03&irec=6

Interesting note from the article,

Amin Abdullah, rector of Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University in Yogyakarta, said he was not surprised by the survey results as conservatism had long flourished in the country but, despite strong conservatism, Muslims did not want to replace the existing state ideology with an Islamic one.

"The majority of Muslims have been moderate and accepted pluralism because Indonesia -- as the most populous Muslim nation -- lies far from the center of Islam, the Middle East, and this has made Islam in Indonesia rather different from that in Pakistan and Afghanistan," he said, adding that conservatism here had gotten stronger on the eve of the reform era in 1998.

cheers

sanhen

March 18th, 2006, 03:11 AM

I read somewhere that 1000+ participant for a survey is enough to make an acceptable gauge. But of course this will depend on what technique they use to choose the participant.

Alvin

March 18th, 2006, 03:30 AM

I don't believe the survey is all non-sense, it's a warning sign for the silent majority not to be too 'silent' on sensitive issues. Disagreements in democracy is a good thing though, there should be a continued open debate in Indonesian society as to what extent religious laws should govern the nation. The recent debate about the pornography bill is a good example of this. Also it has not been helpful that since September 11, certain sections in the community have managed to use the US's intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq for certain radical causes, and there's been an explosion of publicity about suicide bombings in the international media that has helped spread the ideology as we have all witnessed in Bali, Jakarta, Poso etc.
Still, what the report failed to publish was that 74.3% of those surveyed believed that the killing of innocent civilians cannot be justified under any circumstances. That sounds like a sizable majority to me.

Zorobabel

March 18th, 2006, 04:53 AM

The fact that only 87% (basically the same percentage as shown in the census) of the respondants were Muslims leads me to believe it fairly gauged public opinion across the archipelago.

Ara

March 18th, 2006, 04:57 AM

If people are worried about foreign intervention, they should look at Saudi Arabia. That country is financing groups that support and conduct terrorist acts in this country. That country openly support the rape and murder of Indonesian women in their own country (Saudi Arabia).

sanhen

March 18th, 2006, 05:04 AM

But again, destabilizing arabian region can bring oil price to skyrocket, one thing that US does not want to happen hehehe...

Zorobabel

March 19th, 2006, 05:02 AM

Obviously there are double standards in the world. Your country can get away with a lot if it's not the chief subject of every international news report across the world.

Alvin

March 20th, 2006, 08:05 AM

Separation of Mosque, State Wanes in Indonesia
By Richard C. Paddock, Times Staff Writer
March 20, 2006

MALANG, Indonesia — Yusman Roy, a former boxer and a convert to Islam, is serving two years in prison because he believes that Muslims should understand the meaning of their prayers.

Roy, who led bilingual prayer sessions at his small East Java boarding school, is seen as a heretic by conservative Muslims here. They believe true prayer can be conducted only in Arabic.

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Roy's desire to pray in Indonesian has sparked such an outrage that he was convicted last year in criminal court of "spreading hatred." Animosity toward Roy ran so high that police posted guards to keep an angry mob from torching his house and school.

Now, he is kept in a cell by himself at overcrowded Lowokwaru prison, and the warden has warned him not to preach to his fellow inmates in any language.

Roy is one of at least 10 Muslims incarcerated in recent months for what the Indonesian Council of Ulemas, the country's most influential Muslim body in setting religious policy, has deemed deviant thinking.

"The government and the council have been working together to suppress my ideas," Roy said during an interview in prison. "But this will not stop me from doing what I believe."

Indonesia is a democratic, secular country, and there is no constitutional basis for using Islamic law in court in most regions. But insulting a religion is a crime, and a fatwa, or religious edict, issued by the Council of Ulemas can carry great weight as evidence of an alleged offense to Islam.

Indonesia, which has at least 190 million Muslims — the world's largest Islamic population — has become increasingly conservative since the 1998 collapse of President Suharto's military regime. In recent years, the government has become more active in enforcing religious law.

In recent months, fatwas issued by the Indonesian Council of Ulemas and its regional councils denouncing clerics and cults as deviant have been followed by arrests, prosecution and sometimes mob violence against the accused.

Sumardi Tappaya, 60, a high school religious teacher on the island of Sulawesi, was locked up in January after a relative told police he had heard Sumardi whistling while he prayed. The whistling was declared deviant by the local ulemas, and Sumardi is now in jail awaiting trial on charges of religious blasphemy. He faces five years in prison.

Ardhi Husain, 50, who ran an Islamic center in East Java that treated drug addiction and cancer with traditional medicine and prayer, was sentenced in September to five years in prison for writing a book that the ulemas said contained 70 errors, such as claiming that Muhammad was not the last prophet and that non-Muslims could go to heaven. Five editors of the book also received five-year terms. An employee who sold a copy to a neighbor received three years.

After Husain's arrest, a mob burned down his facility. No one has been arrested in the attack.

Lia Aminuddin, 58, who claims to be the Virgin Mary and leads the quasi-Islamic God's Kingdom of Eden cult, was arrested in December on blasphemy charges after thousands of angry protesters surrounded her headquarters in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital. The ulemas and demonstrators accused her of insulting Islam by claiming that she was married to the archangel Gabriel and that God spoke to her through him. (In Islam, Gabriel, or Jibril, is revered as the archangel who communicated God's word to Muhammad.)

Prominent human rights lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution, whose Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation represents several of the accused, says the government is ignoring zealots who commit religious violence and instead prosecuting the targets of religious hatred.

"The intolerance is becoming worse," Nasution said. "Why are the victims being punished?"

Fighting between Muslims and Christians has claimed thousands of lives in Indonesia in recent years, while Islamic suicide bombers have staged high-profile attacks in Bali and Jakarta that have killed hundreds. Less visible has been the effort by conservative Muslims to compel other members of their own faith to hew to a more traditional line.

The Indonesian Council of Ulemas, which is made up of 43 Muslim scholars and leaders of major Islamic organizations, was formed in 1975 to guide Muslims on how to live in accordance with Islamic principles. Muslims make up more than 85% of the nation's population.

The council has recently issued fatwas banning women from leading prayers if a man is present and prohibiting Muslims from praying alongside members of other religions. Provincial and local branches of the council also have issued numerous fatwas regulating Islamic practices.

Ma'ruf Amin, a vice chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas and the chairman of its fatwa committee, says the ulemas' role is to define proper behavior for Muslims and to set boundaries that protect the purity of Islam.

He denies that the ulemas are promoting hatred, and says Muslims who engage in deviant practices are bringing violence upon themselves.

Zorobabel

March 20th, 2006, 10:15 AM

Ahmadiyah gets fresh attack, house razed in Lombok
Panca Nugraha, The Jakarta Post, Mataram

A house belonging to an Ahmadiyah follower has been destroyed by his own neighbors in Central Lombok, but nobody was injured during the attack, a police officer said Saturday.

The provincial police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. HM Basri surmised that the attack occurred because the people did not like an Ahmadiyah member living near them. The house belonged to a man identified as Amaq Jumahir, aged 50.

"The local people have decided to forbid any Ahmadiyah follower from living in their neighborhood," he said.

No reports whether the police have arrested the attackers.

The idea to destroy the house and expel Jumahir had been announced after Friday prayers at a local mosque, Basri said.

At least 300 people gathered in the kampong later in the evening and marched to Jumahir's house and destroyed it.

"The owner had already fled, earlier in the afternoon," Basri stated.

He added that Jumahir was the only Ahmadiyah follower living in Praya village.

Police officers on Lombok explained that they had taken preventive measures to ward off such an attack a week earlier. Two officers were ordered to stand guard near the house. However, the police guards were outnumbered by the angry residents, Basri said.

The incident concluded after West Lombok police deployed more officers later in the evening, and as of Saturday, more security officers remained on guard at Jumahir's wrecked home.

The attack was the second such incident in as many months against Ahmadiyah followers on Lombok, after 32 families were expelled from Ketapang village in West Lombok on Feb. 4. Their houses were also destroyed and the people had to flee for their safety to other areas.

In July last year, an estimated 10,000 members of the "Indonesian Muslim Solidarity" attacked the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation complex in Bogor, West Java. The attackers claimed that Ahmadiyah members had engaged in the practice of teaching local people.

The violence sparked fears of possible attacks on other Ahmadiyah members across the country. Ahmadiyah has some 200,000 followers, and was first established in Indonesia in 1925.

The government recognized Ahmadiyah as a corporate body in 1953. But in 1984, the Religious Affairs Ministry issued a circular to its regional offices to consider Ahmadiyah's teachings as "heresy", because they believe founder Mirza Gulam Ahmad was a prophet. Muslims believe Muhammad was the last prophet.

The Indonesian Ulema Council recently issued a fatwa that forbids Ahmadiyah's teachings after studying nine books on the matter.

Alvin

March 24th, 2006, 02:39 AM

Protests in Indonesia's Papua Threaten Peace, Crisis Group Says
March 24 (Bloomberg) -- Protests in Indonesia's Papua province threaten the resource-rich region's peace process, which will collapse without the support of the Indonesian government, the International Crisis Group said.

The government sent additional forces to Papua's capital, Jayapura, after the deaths of five security officers last week during protests to demand the closure of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.'s Grasberg mine, the world's largest for gold and second-biggest for copper.

``The anti-Freeport violence was a way of venting frustration over long-running grievances ranging from a lack of justice for past abuses to poverty and corruption to the role of the military in the province,'' Francesca Lawe-Davies, an analyst with the Brussels-based group, said in a report.

Papua is the former Irian Jaya province where the Free Papua Movement fought for a separate state after the former Dutch colonial power ceded control to Indonesia in 1963.

Its name was changed under a regional autonomy law aimed at reducing the government's hold on outlying provinces and to quell unrest. Indonesia last October set up the Papuan People's Council as the administrative body in the province that is rich in oil, gas, gold and copper.

The council, known locally as the Majelis Rakyat Papua or MRP, is in danger of collapsing, the Crisis Group said. Failure to bolster the council ``could deal a fatal blow'' to the autonomy package granted to Papua, it said. Indonesia's easternmost province lies on the western half of New Guinea island it shares with Papua New Guinea.

Realistic Policies

Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ``should meet the MRP in Papua, thus acknowledging its importance, while the MRP should move beyond non-negotiable demands and offer realistic policy options to make autonomy work,'' the group said.

The government has sidelined the MRP at a time when the council is showing willingness to compromise, it said in its report. The MRP has faced two main issues since it was created, the stalled talks over the status of Papua province and how to deal with protests over the Grasberg mine near Timika.

Student-led demonstrations against the mine and to demand the withdrawal of military forces have been taking place in Papua since February. Police sweeps to arrest people after last week's demonstration were ``heavy handed and the atmosphere remains tense,'' the crisis group said.

``Successful MRP mediation of these tensions is becoming more crucial as the chances of it happening become more remote,'' the group said.

Mine Pollution

Yudhoyono, while describing last week's violence as ``anarchic action,'' said he wants to ensure Freeport's community development programs are being effectively used in the province, Agence France-Presse reported at the time.

Freeport must take action to clean pollution at the mine, Indonesia's Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar said yesterday. The company breached environmental standards in three areas and has two to three years to rectify the breaches, he said.

Freeport suspended operations at the mine for three days from Feb. 22 because of protests from local residents who said the mine caused pollution. Freeport spokesman Siddharta Moersjid said yesterday the company ``will continue to cooperate with the environment ministry as we have common objectives to minimize the impact of mining activities.''

To contact the reporter on this story:
Paul Tighe in Sydney at ptighe@bloomberg.net

Alvin

March 24th, 2006, 02:32 PM

Please, let's keep the kids away from prying eyes

Ati Nurbaiti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Walking along Jakarta's streets or through its shopping malls, you might encounter a familiar scene -- two girls walking hand in hand, one covered from head to toe and one in a tank top or short skirt. They're giggling and gossiping away, while we fret over whether we should let the powers that be rule on what women wear.

It's a scene that brings relief amid the adult wars of conservatives versus liberals, or whatever labels you prefer. It's also embarrassing -- don't we adults have anything better to do? It seems these youngsters understand much better than us what plurality and tolerance entail: respect for the differences of people who remain friends no matter what.

These girls are from a generation that accommodates drastically different dress codes, leading to heads wagging over both bared bra straps (be thankful the bra is there!) and shapeless, tent-like, floor-sweeping skirts that break the once strict dress code for formal office wear.

Women who prefer the floor-length skirts say not everyone's comfortable in tight knee-length skirts; I'm following what I believe to be God's instructions, and I want freedom to move and privacy from leering eyes.

The result of this accommodated variety has been a pleasing interaction of different ideals and a greater appreciation for these differences compared to the days under Soeharto. During his rule, expressions of political Islam were suppressed and girls were thrown out of school for wearing the jilbab -- but young rebels kept challenging the regime in black top-to-toe veils, even if they risked being snubbed by fashionable peers.

Now the veil has become common, visible in various styles and colors. A recent rumor of a newscaster banned from appearing on camera because she wanted to wear a veil caused an uproar. Many people want the acceptance of differences to remain, regardless of whether they think women should be covered or not.

And if the country went the way of France or Turkey, and told girls to remove their veils, even if only in public schools, there would be a new wave of resistance. That is just the way people are, especially when they are young.

Actually the reverse is happening. The well-intended porn bill is not focusing on what women should wear; yet in several areas of the country where moral codes have become regional rules, that is the only issue, with the heaviest assurance of implementation among all the different rules on decent conduct.

Many want the porn bill passed to protect the young, but the current draft is far from convincing. If it is the porn industry that should be punished for exploiting women and children, then stick to that and leave the women and children alone.

Then again you think, maybe some regulation would be good? This is when you're trying hard to stifle a gasp at the sight of your daughter's revealed backside. The girl sees your raised eyebrows and fruitlessly pulls down her shirt with a grin. It's just skin, Mom, get over it. Longer T-shirts? Soo stale, basi.

Then her sister asks, "Mama, could we really be punished for wearing sabrinas?" -- meaning off-the-shoulder blouses or T-shirts.

I'd love a rule which would make parenting easier. Then you wouldn't have to dither between allowing your children freedom and keeping the scowl off your face at peeping underwear. That's the dilemma of anxious aging "liberals with daughters in high school", as one U.S. Republican taunted Democrats.

But liberal or not, I have no trust in any representative of the law defining, let alone penalizing, the "exposure of body parts in public".

Besides, those scenes of trusting friends, no matter what the other is wearing, are too precious to lose in an often frustrating land.

Alvin

March 25th, 2006, 04:01 AM

Presiden: Bersatulah Kaum Nasionalis

Jakarta, Kompas - Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono mengucapkan syukur atas tampil kembalinya kaum nasionalis. Ia meminta kaum nasionalis bersatu menyelamatkan bangsa, dengan Pancasila dan rasa kebangsaan yang tinggi, menuju masa depan Indonesia yang lebih baik.

”Hari ini kita membangun tonggak sejarah baru. Alhamdulillah kaum nasionalis sudah mulai tampil kembali untuk menyelamatkan bangsa kita. Mari dengan Pancasila dan rasa kebangsaan yang tinggi kita bangun negara kita menuju masa depan yang lebih baik. Selamat berjuang. Merdeka!” ujar Presiden menutup sambutan pembukaan Kongres Persatuan dan Kesatuan Alumni Gerakan Mahasiswa Nasional Indonesia (GMNI) di Jakarta, Jumat (24/3).

Presiden mengakhiri sambutan dengan pekik ”merdeka” seperti ketika mengawali sambutannya. Dalam pembukaan kongres itu hadir sejumlah tokoh politik dan nasional, seperti Taufik Kiemas—suami mantan Presiden Megawati Soekarnoputri—yang berkali-kali dipeluk hangat Presiden Yudhoyono, Wakil Ketua DPR Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, Theo L Sambuaga, dan Suko Sudarso.

Dalam kesempatan itu Siswono Yudo Husodo tampil menyampaikan orasi ilmiah berjudul ”Revitalisasi Pancasila dan Kemandirian Bangsa”.

Selain menanggapi sejumlah isu aktual nasional, Presiden dalam sambutannya juga menekankan empat konsensus dasar yang dibangun para pendiri bangsa, yang menurut Yudhoyono tidak boleh tercabut sampai kapan pun. Empat konsensus dasar itu adalah Pancasila, Undang-Undang Dasar 1945, Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia, dan Bhinneka Tunggal Ika.

”Indonesia akan rontok kalau empat konsensus dasar ini tercabut. Saya kira kaum nasionalis tidak boleh dan tidak akan membiarkan negaranya rontok. Karena itu, konsensus dasar tersebut harus dipertahankan. Itu adalah amanah para pendiri bangsa,” ujarnya disambut tepuk tangan.

Terkait dengan globalisasi yang tak terhindarkan, yang menantang tiga kemandirian bangsa seperti dikemukakan Bung Karno dalam Trisakti: di bidang politik, ekonomi, dan budaya, Presiden mengatakan, dengan jati diri dan semangat kebangsaan, Indonesia berupaya mengatasi semua tantangan itu demi kemandirian dan kemajuan bangsa.

Mengenai kemandirian budaya yang mengemuka dalam debat tafsiran pornografi di masyarakat, Presiden meminta semua pihak berpikir jernih dan logis dalam membuat rumusan.

”Jangan perang tanding hanya karena interpretasi. Ini bangsa kita sendiri, negara kita sendiri, masyarakat kita sendiri. Jangan cepat-cepat mengimpor budaya negara lain, seperti Amerika dan lain-lain. Budaya kita sudah sangat luar biasa,” ujarnya. (INU)

Blue_Sky

March 25th, 2006, 08:29 AM

Masyarakat keturunan Tionghoa di Surabaya, Jawa Timur, kini mengkhawatirkan rancangan peraturan daerah Kota Surabaya tentang Pelayanan Pendaftaran Penduduk dan Catatan Sipil. Pasalnya, dalam raperda itu tercantum: syarat untuk memperoleh dokumen catatan sipil adalah surat bukti kewarganegaraan Republik Indonesia (SBKRI) serta surat keputusan ganti nama.

Apalagi, dalam praktiknya, saat pengurusan surat-surat, Dinas Kependudukan dan Catatan Sipil Surabaya selalu mengharuskan warga mencantumkan nama marga atau nama Tionghoa.

"Permintaan tidak secara langsung, tetapi dengan meminta nama marga otomatis harus menunjukkan SBKRI," kata Gatot Seger Santoso, Wakil Ketua Perhimpunan Indonesia Tionghoa (Inti) Jawa Timur, Jumat (24/3) di Surabaya.
Padahal, sebenarnya tidak ada keharusan mencantumkan nama marga atau nama keluarga dalam Surat Edaran Menteri Dalam Negeri Nomor 474.1/1580/sj tentang Pencantuman Nama Keluarga dalam Pencatatan Kelahiran. Akibatnya, pengurusan surat di catatan sipil membuat warga harus juga mengganti surat-surat lain, seperti kartu keluarga, kartu tanda penduduk (KTP), akta kelahiran, bahkan dokumen lain seperti buku tabungan yang dibuat berdasarkan KTP.

Pengajar hukum dari Universitas Surabaya Prof Eko Sugitario mengatakan, bukan sekali dua kali dia harus membantu warga keturunan mengurus surat karena masalah yang sama.

"Sudah jelas diatur dalam Keputusan Presiden RI Nomor 56 Tahun 1996 tentang Bukti Kewarganegaraan RI tidak diperlukan bila telah memiliki KTP, kartu keluarga atau akta kelahiran. Sekarang malah ada raperda yang diajukan pemkot dengan mencantumkan syarat SBKRI," tuturnya.

Ketua Pansus DPRD Kota Surabaya yang membahas raperda tentang Pelayanan Pendaftaran Penduduk dan Catatan Sipil Ali Ja’cub mengatakan, pembahasan sudah dilakukan dua bulan dan aturan mengenai SBKRI sudah dihilangkan. "Kami sedang menunggu perbaikan dari pemkot," ujar Ali Ja’cub yang juga Ketua Komisi B DPRD Surabaya.

Sugitario mengatakan, dengan pengajuan raperda 10 tahun setelah keluarnya peraturan yang meniadakan keharusan menggunakan SBKRI, terlihat pembedaan terhadap warga keturunan Tionghoa masih terjadi.

source: http://www.kompas.co.id/utama/news/0603/25/061644.htm

:bash: :bash: :bash:

MARINHO

March 26th, 2006, 03:16 PM

Thejakartapost.com

Residents block access to church during Sunday service

JAKARTA (Antara): Hundreds of residents of Griya Bukit Jaya housing complex in Bogor, West Java blocked access to a church when some 190 Christians began their regular Sunday service.

It was the first such incident after the revision last week of a joint ministerial decree on new houses of worship.

Religious Affairs Minister M. Maftuh Basyuni and Home Minister M. Ma'ruf signed the revised joint ministerial decree Tuesday, which replaced a controversial decree issued in 1969.

The former decree was considered highly discriminative because it required the consent of local administrations and most residents in the areas to build houses of worship.

Non-Muslim congregations complained that the decree has been used to discriminate against them. In the past two years, 23 houses of worship in West Java alone have been forcibly shut down on the grounds that the buildings lacked permits.

Antara news agency reported Sunday that the residents in the housing complex blocked access to the Pantekosta Church in Indonesia (GPDI) built in 1987, when the Sunday service was still taking place.

No further incident occurred as dozens of police guarded the church.

According to the minister, Fekky Tatulus, he built the church when the housing complex was only occupied by few residents, but the crowd argued that the construction of the church had violated West Java gubernatorial regulation issued in 1990, which was an elaboration of a joint ministerial decree issued 1969.

Minority religions are still unhappy with the new decree, saying that the decree's requirements will make it even more difficult for minorities to worship, and contend the state has no right to regulate the basic right to practice one's faith.

The decree, among other things, rules that new places of worship must have congregations of a minimum of 90 people, and receive consent of 60 people of other faiths living in the area. There also is a requirement to obtain permits from the local administration and the Communication Forum for Religious Harmony. (**)

Guys this is fucked up!! I get the impression that power to the masses in Indonesia is as giving more power to religious extremists

Blue_Sky

March 26th, 2006, 03:29 PM

My oh My
This is My country :bash::bash:

Just sack ministry of religion and close down the department
Since he and his department only accomadate 1 religion and abandoned another 4

Zorobabel

March 26th, 2006, 09:00 PM

It's the problem with all democratic governments that choose to revert to populist policies and get involved with religion. The morality becomes not to be defined by the basic human rights of all people as properly stated in the Universal Decleration of Human Rights, but rather by the waivering convictions of the masses. One of the most glaring lessons of history has been that humans always seek to subvert other humans under themselves, and this is exactly what is happening in West Java. It's a common and somewhat comical argument that Christians, Buddhists, and Hindus are proselytizing and represent a threat to Indonesian society and unity. The reality is, however, that Java, at 96% Muslim, is far, far more Islamic now that it has ever been in its history. These people that are going out and blocking churches and worship services are not defending Java from any Westernization/Christianization because Christianity is not a growing religion on the island. They want to subvert other belief systems and turn that 96% into 100%.

sanhen

March 27th, 2006, 12:01 AM

I am not really sure what actually happens overthere. But usually Javanese are pretty open to other religions. ie. they dont care. Probably there are other cause why they reject the existance of a church overthere. Or, someone provocate the masses to reject for their own benefits.

Zorobabel

March 27th, 2006, 01:31 AM

Blue_Sky

March 27th, 2006, 12:07 PM

SI dan SKB Mengancam, Sulut Merdeka Saja

Wacana Sulut merdeka kembali mengapung ke permukaan menyikapi isu
syariatisasi di sejumlah daerah dan perkembangan SKB perizinan tempat
ibadah yang bakal disahkan. Hal ini disuarakan sejumlah tokoh vokal
Sulut, sebagaimana pernyataan sikap yang kopiannya juga dikirim ke redaksi
harian ini, tadi (03/02) malam.

Ditegaskan mereka, wacana untuk keluar dari Negara Kesatuan Republik
Indonesia (NKRI) ini menjadi solusi, bila upaya penindasan umat Kristen
yang selama ini berlangsung sehingga RI berpotensi menjadi
negara Islam.

Pernyataan sikap yang dikemas dalam Tri Tuntutan Masyarakat Sulut ini,
ditandatangani Dolfie Maringka, Revly OA Pesakh, Franky Mocodompis, John
FE Suoth, Vanny Loupatty, Jeffrey Sorongan, Victor Manuel, Ruby H
Korompis dan Argemiro Manimpurung.

Selain mengancam memisahkan diri dari NKRI, sebagaimana juga tuntutan
tokoh Kristen di daerah ini, yakni menuntut Pemerintah RI mencabut SKB
Mendagri dan Menag No 1/1969. Selain itu, tokoh Kristen ini juga
menuntut supaya tidak ada lagi tindakan penutupan dan pembongkaran gereja.

Disebutkan, tuntutan ini disuarakan atas dasar beberapa pertimbangan,
antara lain bahwa kehidupan beragama adalah hak asasi dan dilindungi
oleh UUD 1945. Selain itu, upaya dan tindakan untuk menindas umat
Kristen di Indonesia semakin menjadi-jadi dan terkesan hanya dibiarkan
oleh Pemerintah RI.

"Pernyataan sikap ini, kita suarakan juga setelah memperhatikan
rintihan, doa dan kerinduan Umat Kristen seluruh Indonesia," tukas
Maringka cs. Maringka juga melalui SMS kepada wartawan koran ini, turut
menegaskan,
"Kalau syariatisasi berlaku di mana-mana, dan peraturan bersama Menag dan
Mendagri pengganti SKB Nomor 1/1969 ditetapkan, maka kami akan
mempersiapkan kemerdekaan.''

HAM

Tak hanya kalangan Kristen, karena cendekiawan Muslim juga menilai,
Surat Keputusan Bersama (SKB) Menteri Agama dan Menteri Dalam Negeri
tentang pelaksanaan tugas aparatur pemerintahan dalam menjamin
ketertiban dan kelancaran ibadah, berpotensi terjadi pelanggaran Hak Asasi
Manusia (HAM).

"SKB dua menteri 1969 sudah terbukti diskriminatif dan kriminogen
(berpeluang menimbulkan kejahatan) dan berpotensi terjadi pelanggaran
hak asasi manusia," kata cendikiawan Dawam Raharjo dalam dialog
antartokoh agama di Jakarta, Rabu, sebagaimana diberitakan Antara.

Dawam menilai pelanggaran HAM terjadi karena pemerintah tidak mencabut
peraturan yang berpotensi terjadi pelanggaran HAM, sebagaimana diatur
dalam konvensi hakhak sipil dan politik yang telah diratifikasi oleh
Pemerintah Indonesia.

Menurut dia, jika SKB dua menteri dibiarkan atau tidak dicabut, maka
dikhawatirkan akan ada pengelompokan masyarakat berdasarkan agama yang
pada gilirannya mengancam kesatuan negara. Pengelompokan tersebut dapat
terjadi, kata Dawam, karena setiap pendirian rumah ibadah perlu mendapat
izin dari kepada daerah atau
pejabat pemerintah dan minimal harus ada 100 orang di wilayah tersebut.

"Mendirikan panti pijat saja tidak sesulit itu. Masak untuk mendirikan
tempat ibadah justru dipersulit birokrasinya seperti itu," kata Dawam
dengan nada tinggi.

Lebih lanjut Dawam menilai, SKB dua menteri tidak perlu diteruskan karena
sesuai dengan kesepakatan bersama dalam dialog antarmasyarakat agama/adat
Indonesia (Damai), secara esensi SKB tersebut bertentangan
dengan UUD 1945 dan kalau diteruskan pelaksanaan dianggap pelanggaran
terhadap konstitusi.

Dawam menyebutkan Forum Damai juga menyatakan sepakat menentang keras
adanya SKB dua menteri, karena yang diperlukan adalah undang-undang
kebebasan beragama karena merupakan landasan.

Ia juga merasa aneh melihat pemerintah yang terlihat mempertahankan SKB,
meski banyak kritik dan protes.
"Hal itu sama dengan pemerintah terlibat dalam pelanggaran HAM berat dan
kejahatan, karena membiarkan kejahatan terjadi dengan tidak mencabut SKB
tersebut," katanya seperti dikutip christianpost.

Pertemuan tersebut diikuti oleh tokoh agama Islam, Katolik, Kristen,
Hindu, Jemaat Ahmadiyah, Ketua Aliran Kepercayaan, Ikatan Jemaat Ahlul
Bayt Nabi, Lembaga Swadaya Masyarakat, partai politik, pengamat hukum,
dan cendekiawan Muslim. (ftj/cpc)

Alvin

March 27th, 2006, 01:21 PM

^^ What's the source?

The above article is about North Sulawesi threatening independence if 'islamisation' & persecution of Christians/closure of churches, for non-indonesian speakers.

Ahhh...Indonesia will be under serious threat of disintegration if people ignore the principles of our founding fathers - Pancasila & UUD45 - which espouses tolerance and unity in diversity! There should be no compromise on these values IMO.

MARINHO

March 27th, 2006, 08:35 PM

MARINHO

March 27th, 2006, 08:50 PM

The feeling that some people of North Sulawesi have is understandable.
I think that Indonesia should think about a federation. :) Because the central government is not fully aware what's happening in the outer areas.

People lost the trust and if they get the impression that religion is under attack things will get violent. The fact that security forces were negotiating with extreme organisations is not the way how it should be........ security forces should uphold the law and nothing more...... negotiating is solely for politicians, civilians.
Topics like the anti-pornographic bill is also not creating a one-nation-feeling.

Politicians should not forget that people should decide by theirselves.

More autonomy is not only based on economic factors but also on cultural factors. More autonomy will give people the chance to participate and give them a chance to build-a-nation, to contribute their input in creating one Indonesia

Turn the provinces into states give them more autonomy, and disband the department of religious affairs Why? Concerning the department of religous affairs Indonesia is a secular country religious affairs should not be arranged by the state. It should be done by an independent organisations.
Instead of a department of religious affairs a department of in support of minorities should be created.

Please don't forget that the views that I expressed above are not formed by me as someone with a pro-western vision but as a proud third-generation Indonesian living abroad.:wave:

Zorobabel

March 27th, 2006, 08:55 PM

The fact that the Department of Transmigration and Manpower still exists and is still promoting transmigration is a point of great contention among many eastern Indonesians. A lot of the people believe it is an overt islamification policy, but I don't personally. I think it's just an unintentional result of moving millions of people that are more than 90% Muslim to areas that are primarily Christian, animist, etc. But I think transmigration can safely be said to be one of the greatest disasters in Indonesia's history which has led to the violence between Dayaks and Madurese that killed over 1,000 people, the massive demographic switch that caused the violence in Poso, and the collapse of the communal system that kept Muslims and Christians at peace in south Maluku.

Alvin

March 28th, 2006, 01:41 AM

It's all just so confusing now, what problem is this new decree meant so solve and will it solve it?

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Asia - South-east Asia
Decree on churches pleases no one
Salim Osman , Indonesia Correspondent
496 words
28 March 2006
Straits Times
English
(c) 2006 Singapore Press Holdings Limited
Christians say rules cause tensions; Muslims accuse Indonesian govt of capitulation

JAKARTA - RELIGIOUS groups in Indonesia have attacked a new ministerial decree meant to make it easier to build churches and ease tension between Muslims and Christians over their construction.

Christians say the decree, issued last Tuesday, is causing religious tension, while Muslims are unhappy with what they see as the government giving in to the demands of the country's Christian minority.

A group of 42 legislators - mostly Christians - filed a petition with the House of Representatives on Friday calling for it to be dropped.

Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni and Home Minister Muhammad Ma'ruf signed the joint decree - to replace one issued in 1969 - following Christians' complaints that they could not get permits to build churches.

The old decree required the consent of the local administrations and local residents before a church could be built, and if a single resident objected, the project had to be shelved.

This meant Christians were forced to hold prayer services in shophouses and homes, sometimes angering their Muslim neighbours and hardliners who sent mobs to close them down.

Under the new decree, new places of worship, for any faith, need to have congregations of at least 90. At least 60 local residents of other faiths must also give their consent.

Building permits must also be issued by local administrations, and approval is needed from the Communication Forum for Religious Harmony, a new interfaith panel being formed.

Unlike in the previous decree, if local residents object but consent is granted by the local administration and the interfaith panel, the authorities will find alternative sites.

But the Indonesian Communion of Churches doubts that the decree will make it easier for minority faiths to build places of worship.

Spokesman Weinata Sairin said his group asked for the minimum size of congregation to be set at 60 instead of 90, with approval needed from just 40 local residents of other faiths.

'However, it's not simply a matter of numbers. The freedom of worship is clearly stated in the Constitution. This decree is not necessary,' he said.

'What is important now is the implementation in the field because the level of freedom, education and the quality of religious harmony varies from region to region.'

Mr Alma Shephard Supit of the Peace Forum, a grouping of Catholic, Orthodox and Pentecostal church leaders, urged the government to scrap the decree.

'The decree can pit people of different religions against each other,' he said.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) is not happy either. 'We proposed the minimum congregation of 100 families. But then it was reduced to 100 people, and now it's 90,' said MUI leader Ma'ruf Amin.

But Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh said the government would enforce the decree.

'Hopefully, this decree can stop the conflict between religious groups,' he said.

salim@sph.com.sg

Zorobabel

March 28th, 2006, 02:01 AM

Hahaha, a minimun congregation of 100 families. That's 400-500 people. Are these MUI clowns serious? I'm guessing that only 5-10% of Christian churches have more than 300 people.

MARINHO

March 28th, 2006, 02:11 AM

Men these people should better educate themselves...from what world are these religious leaders are.....

Alvin

March 28th, 2006, 03:29 AM

Hahaha, a minimun congregation of 100 families. That's 400-500 people. Are these MUI clowns serious? I'm guessing that only 5-10% of Christian churches have more than 300 people.

The MUI leadership should be revamped to include more tolerant/open minded Muslims, I'm talking about the likes of Gus Dur and NU chief Hazim Muzadi. Moderate Muslims are not getting enough press coverage .

Anton

March 28th, 2006, 05:33 AM

Hahaha, a minimun congregation of 100 families. That's 400-500 people. Are these MUI clowns serious? I'm guessing that only 5-10% of Christian churches have more than 300 people.

How do these guys justify such statements? Do they not bother justifying it? Or are they just honest and say we don’t like other religions – lol.

Zorobabel

March 28th, 2006, 06:54 AM

Zorobabel

March 28th, 2006, 08:23 AM

House of worship decree more restrictive: NU
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The odds are stacked against non-Muslims who want to build places of worship because the new joint ministerial decree on their construction is actually more restrictive than its predecessor, a religious figure says.

Hasyim Muzadi, chairman of the country's largest Muslim organization, Nadhlatul Ulama (NU), said too many interests had been accommodated in the decree, although he did not agree with allegations that it restricted religious freedom and was thereby unconstitutional.

"We previously warned church figures against revising the old joint decree because of fresh fears a more restrictive one would emerge in view of the numerous interests of religious communities. What we most feared is a reality. Now, we can do nothing because it is already in place," he said Monday at a gathering of alumni of modern Islamic boarding school Darussalam Gontor in Ponorogo, East Java.

Despite the restrictions, Hasyim said the NU would aim to bring about increased cooperation with other religions in an effort to mediate with authorities and the Muslim community in the construction of their houses of worship.

"The NU will help create field conditions in which non-Muslims face no difficulties in obtaining building permits and no security problems in constructing churches, temples or other houses of worship. That is how important it is to create harmony among religious communities," he said.

According to joint Ministerial Decree No. 1/2006, which was issued by Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni and Home Minister Moh. Ma'ruf last Tuesday, both administrative and technical requirements must be met before a building permit for a house of worship is issued.

Ninety people must sign a statement expressing their intent to worship at the new building and 60 locals put their names to a statement saying they have no objections to its construction. Written recommendations must also come from the regency office of the religious affairs ministry and the Joint Forum for Religious Harmony.

The decree, which met strong opposition from Christian communities and more than 40 legislators, replaces joint ministerial decree No. 1/1969, which required at least 100 signatures of locals before a permit was issued for the establishment of a church, or a temple, in a certain region.

The chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly, Hidayat Nur Wahid, and Deputy House Speaker Zainal Ma'arif are optimistic the new decree will create religious harmony in society.

"Such a restrictive regulation is also made in predominantly Hindu or Catholic countries, and it is needed to avoid sectarian conflicts among religious communities," said Hidayat.

Zainal was surprised by criticism of the decree, saying it was not unconstitutional.

Community opposition and raids on residences and schools where religious services were held in the past year have highlighted the difficulty of establishing Christian houses of worship.

Indonesia was included among countries listed in the United States' 2005 State Department Report as breaching freedom of religion.

Alvin

March 28th, 2006, 08:30 AM

They don't bother justifying their statements because no one asks them to. The basic idea is to make it impossible to build churches in predominately Muslim areas because it's impossible to have a congregation of 400 people without a building. I'm guessing that 50% or more of the churches in Jakarta were built without required permits. As a result, organized crime syndicates such as FPI are allowed to go around closing and sometimes destroying churches for not being legally built.

The Indonesian government's policies are clearly based around outlawing proselytizing, which in itself is not bad. The problems arise from the fact that the laws are not equally applied. Migrants that are encouraged by the government to move to the Maluku islands, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, parts of Sumatra, and Papua are allowed to build as many houses of worship as they want. However, when Papuans, Malukans, certain Sumatran ethnic groups, etc. move to Jakarta, Yogya, or other major urban areas they are forced to either start illegal congregations, join existing congregations which are often times illegally built, or not worship at all.

However, I think under the Papuan autonomy law the Indonesian government has finally been forced to apply the law in a predominately non-Muslim setting (Papua). I think the reason people are disappointed with the new edict is that they thought the president would finally get rid of this ambiguity that is not helpful for any multi-religious areas. They were hoping Indonesia would finally sign on to one of the basic human rights of all individuals as defined by UN High Commission for Human Rights, which is the freedom to assemble and worship.

I would like to quote the Indonesian Constitution, particularly section 28E which was introduced as part of the 2nd Amendment in 2000:

"Pasal 28E

(1) Setiap orang bebas memeluk agama dan beribadat menurut agamanya, memilih pendidikan dan pengajaran, memilih pekerjaan, memilih kewarganegaraan, memilih tempat tinggal di wilayah negara dan meninggalkannya, serta berhak kembali. **)

(2) Setiap orang berhak atas kebebasan meyakini kepercayaan, menyatakan pikiran dan sikap, sesuai dengan hati nuraninya. **)

(3) Setiap orang berhak atas kebebasan berserikat, berkumpul, dan mengeluarkan pendapat.**) " (Wikipedia)

Translation of section 28E is pretty unequivocal in its guarantee to freedom of religion, it reads:
(1) Every individual is free to choose his/her religion and to worship according to his/her religion ...

Prior to the amendment in 2000, this was not part of the Constitution but was a 'bullet point' of one of the Pancasila principle. I know because I was made to memorise them in primary school ;) Now it's up to the govt to put all this theory to action.

Alvin

March 28th, 2006, 08:32 AM

Alvin

March 28th, 2006, 08:55 AM

anyway, a judicial review of the legality of the new regulation has been lodged, according to detik.com. Let's see what the Constitutional Court have to say about this.

Alvin

March 28th, 2006, 11:30 PM

good article in light of our discussions above
-------------------------------------------------------------

In Indonesia, freedom to differ
Nathaniel Myers International Herald Tribune

TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2006

JAKARTA When Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain visits Jakarta on Wednesday and Thursday, he is likely to offer an assessment of Indonesia similar to that of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who during her own recent visit praised Indonesia for its "vibrant democracy" and its "deserved reputation for tolerance and inclusion and for the celebration of diversity [which] is indeed an inspiration to the entire world."

On the same day that Rice was in Jakarta, the police in the province of Aceh arrested a French woman and an Acehnese man found together in their car on suspicion of adultery and possible "sex crimes," and referred their case to Aceh's Shariah law enforcers - the same ones who in recent months ordered public canings for women caught kissing or drinking beer in public.

The following week, as a group of senior foreign financiers spoke glowingly of Indonesia's improving investment climate, an American newspaper was reporting about a man in East Java serving two years in prison for leading prayers in Indonesian rather than Arabic.

And while the arrival next month of the first Indonesian edition of Playboy (albeit without pictures) testifies to the freedom of the Indonesian press, conservative parliamentarians have reacted by reviving a long dormant "pornography bill" which would not only outlaw smut but also potentially erotic art, kissing in public and any display of a woman's "sensual" body parts.

Is it any wonder that foreign observers so often get confused when they look at Indonesia? In which direction is this country heading? Liberal democracy and religious conservatism are normally thought to be mutually exclusive, but in the last eight years, since the resignation of Suharto in 1998, both liberal democrats and conservative Muslim politicians have been scoring major victories in Indonesia.

This is not as contradictory as it may seem. During Suharto's 33-year rule, both political liberals and religious leaders were suppressed as threats to the regime, leading to an unusual alliance between human rights advocates and outspoken clerics.

In the political vacuum that followed Suharto's fall, both groups found public support for their agendas - and both were, more often than not, on the same side of political debates. Both opposed the surviving elements of Suharto's government, distrusted the military's intentions, and sought to tackle the worst legacies of the old regime, like rampant corruption, a bloated bureaucracy, and a politically powerful military.

In the years immediately after Suharto's fall, the competition was not between Western-minded liberals and their religiously conservative counterparts, but between these two pro-democracy groups and those from the old order who resisted change.

But that particular contest is largely over now, democracy having taken root in Indonesia with stunning speed. A few years ago the fight was about democracy; now it is beginning to take place within democracy. And whereas liberals and conservatives were once largely allied - in favor of elections and against a return to the old regime - their successes in these early shared causes have created a new political climate, in which their competing visions are now increasingly at odds.

In the daily grind of domestic politics, the division between the liberal and conservative camps is blurry. Many political parties and politicians support elements of both agendas (one party has found rapid popularity with a twin platform of conservative Islam and opposition to corruption) and neither resembles a unified movement.

The "liberals" are divided among competing political parties, with different priorities, alliances and visions; the "religious conservatives" range across an even wider ideological and political spectrum, from the extremists of the Islamic Defenders Front to the increasingly conservative Council of Ulamas to moderate religious intellectuals.

Factions in both groups are as liable to fight with each other as they are with the other camp. But with so many individuals and organizations active in their cause, members of both sides invariably achieve successes; while President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration promotes a largely liberal, pro-market agenda, the influential religious conservatives in Parliament and in society promote their counter-vision - hence the apparently contradictory news reports.

Indonesia remains a model for young democracies, of any religious stripe. But as Fareed Zakaria has long argued - and Palestine recently demonstrated - democracy is not the same thing as liberalism. The aspirations of Indonesia's liberals and religious conservatives are inherently competing, and ultimately Indonesians will have to make a choice.

Democracy has won in Indonesia, but it turns out that was only the first contest. The second round, to determine what principles will guide that democracy, is just beginning.

(Nathaniel Myers works in Jakarta for the Asia Foundation. This is a personal comment.)

Alvin

March 30th, 2006, 03:20 AM

Indonesia's progressive form of Islam is not something that Thailand needs to fear
778 words
30 March 2006
The Nation (Thailand)
English
(c) 2006 Nation Multimedia Group Public Co., Ltd
Amid the heated debate about Islam and the global war on terrorism, Indonesia has emerged as a voice of reason and moderation, one that can bridge the gap between the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds.

For too long, Muslims in the Middle East, both the Arabs and the Persians, have dominated the international scene in defining what Islam is and what Islam should be.

As the world's largest Muslim country and a key member in Asean, Indonesia needs to reconsider its place in the international arena and strive to live up to its full potential.

Observers say Indonesia, which embraces a more progressive form of Islam, should play a more active role in Muslim communities in Southeast Asia.

While some see it as a moral obligation that Indonesia has for other fellow Muslims, others think it's only a matter of time and practicality before the world's largest Muslim country takes up the responsibility that comes with its sheer size and status.

Indonesia's input could help mend fences - in Malay-speaking southern Thailand, where 1,200 people have been killed since January 2004, or the southern Philippines, where decades-old separatist violence continues.

In a recent interview with The Nation, a leading Indonesian scholar of Islam, Dr Jamhari (who, like many Indonesians, uses only one name), called for more dialogue among Muslim communities within the region.

As a professor at the Indonesia-based Pondok Gontor, which has over 200 outlets throughout the country, he praised plans to open a private Indonesian Islamic school in southern Thailand. He said that active alumni from his institution would help pave the way for more educational exchange, understanding and tolerance between communities and states.

The institution teaches a moderate form of Islam and embraces an Islamic jurisprudence that is compatible with both the Malay and Indonesian ways of life, he said.

Jamhari dismissed as a "romantic notion" that somehow Islamic scholarship in the Middle East is superior to what is available in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. He said Islam in Indonesia was very compatible with Islam in southern Thailand, and of course, people in the two regions speak a similar language.

At a seminar at Chulalongkorn University earlier this week, the rector of Pondok Gontor, Professor Azyumardi Azra, said Thais should be happy when Thai Muslim students choose Indonesia as a place to study, because their experience will expose them to a very progressive and liberal form of Islam. Part of this model includes a particular relationship between religion and the democratic process.

Azyumardi described the presidency of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as a "period of consolidation for Indonesia" in which the state, civil society, non-government organisations and other stakeholders are coming together as "a pillar of democracy".

Besides the push for moderation, Islam in Southeast Asia must also be understood in the context of the ongoing development of person-to-person links among Muslim communities in the region.

Because schools in Malaysia employ the Roman text, more Malaysian Muslim students are turning to traditional pondoks in southern Thailand to maintain their knowledge of yawi, the Malay language written in Arabic text.

And as Thailand begins to teach standard Bahasa Malayu in public schools, teachers from Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia can be recruited to help with instruction.

Indeed, there is no stopping person-to-person contacts, and states must learn to live with this situation - in fact, they should encourage and facilitate these arrangements.

Southeast Asian countries should understand that the political borders of their respective countries were not drawn in stone; these lines on the map are a legacy of the colonial past.

The state should also let go of the age-old fear that stronger Muslim communities in the region would somehow challenge the progress made by nation-states.

Malays in southern Thailand and Moros in the southern Philippines have taken up arms against their respective states, but, with the exception of the underground Jemaah Islamiyah organisation, there is no indication that these two regions are planning to export their fights to neighbouring countries. The fact that violence is confined to political borders suggests that both groups understand that any settlement must be reached within the nation-state.

Therefore, what is needed is freedom of movement, with the understanding that person-to-person contacts will strengthen local Muslim communities and give them a sense of pride and dignity that they enjoyed prior to the arrival of their colonial "masters".

While extra precaution is understandable in these times of trouble, officials must carry out their duties with common sense.

Don Pathan

The Nation

laba-laba

March 30th, 2006, 06:57 PM

semua akan merasa jeles, iri, emosi bila melihat perkembangan, pertumbuhan kota2 dijawa terutama sekali di jakarta. sangat jauh berbeda diasal tempat mereka

Blue_Sky

March 31st, 2006, 11:16 AM

Muda Mudi Bali Ciuman Massal
Gede Suardana - detikcom

Denpasar - Di tengah masih panasnya kontroversi RUU APP, Bali akan menggelar upacara omed omedan. Dalam upacara itu remaja putra dan putri akan saling berciuman secara massal. Wah!

Upacara itu akan digelar di Jalan Raya Banjar Kaja, Desa Sesetan, Denpasar, Jumat (31/3/2006) sore ini. Warga Sesetan menggelar upacara itu untuk memperingati Hari Raya Nyepi menyambut tahun baru Saka.

Upacara itu tampaknya menjadi saat yang ditunggu-tunggu muda-mudi desa itu. Sekitar 300 muda mudi telah berkumpul untuk mengikuti ritual itu.

Sebelum mengikuti omed omedan, muda-mudi yang harus berusia di atas 17 tahun itu akan melakukan sembahyang di Pura Banjar. Setelah sembahyang, remaja itu akan dipisah menjadi kelompok putra dan putri. Mereka kemudian berbaris saling berhadapan.

Barisan yang paling depan akan didorong teman-temannya yang berada di belakangnya untuk maju ke depan. Setelah dekat dengan lawan jenisnya, mulailah mereka berangkulan dan saling cium. Ciuman itu harus berakhir begitu mereka disiram tirta (air).

Nah setelah baris pertama selesai diguyur air, giliran baris belakangnya yang maju melakukan aksi cium. Begitu seterusnya sampai barisan habis.

Namun tidak sembarang orang bisa menjadi peserta omed omedan. Selain berumur di atas 17 tahun, muda-mudi yang bisa mengikuti acara hot ini haruslah warga Banjar asli.

Hingga pukul 15.00 Wita, peserta omed omedan masih melakukan sembahyang. Muda-mudi itu mengenakan baju adat madya atau sederhana dengan berkaos warna putih bertulisakan omed omedan.(iy)

Blue_Sky

March 31st, 2006, 11:17 AM

Ciuman Massal Bali, Dari Sembuhkan Sakit Hingga Cari Jodoh
Gede Suardana - detikcom

Denpasar - Awalnya Raja Puri Oka marah besar melihat rakyatnya menggelar omed omedan (saling cium). Tak dinyana Raja yang sakit justru sembuh setelah melihat upacara hot tersebut. Kini tradisi itu dijadikan ajang mencari jodoh.

Kepala Adat Banjar, Wayan Sunarya menceritakan, tradisi omed omedan itu merupakan tradisi leluhur yang sudah dilakukan sejak zaman penjajahan Belanda. Awalnya ritual ciuman massal itu dilakukan di Puri Oka.

Puri Oka merupakan sebuah kerajaan kecil pada zaman penjajahan Belanda. Ceritanya, pada suatu saat konon raja Puri Oka mengalami sakit keras. Sang raja sudah mencoba berobat ke berbagai tabib tapi tak kunjung sembuh.

Pada Hari Raya Nyepi, masyarakat Puri Oka menggelar permainan omed omedan. Saking antusiasnya, suasana jadi gaduh akibat acara saling rangkul para muda mudi. Raja yang saat itu sedang sakit pun marah besar.

Dengan berjalan terhuyung-huyung raja keluar dan melihat warganya yang sedang rangkul-rangkulan. Anehnya melihat adegan yang panas itu, tiba-tiba raja tak lagi merasakan sakitnya.

Ajaibnya setelah itu raja kembali sehat seperti sediakala. Raja lalu mengeluarkan titah agar omed omedan harus dilaksanakan tiap hari raya nyepi. Namun pemerintah Belanda yang waktu itu menjajah gerah dengan upacara itu. Belanda pun melarang ritual permainan muda mudi tersebut.

Warga yang taat adat tidak menghiraukan larangan Belanda dan tetap menggelar omed omedan. Namun tiba-tiba ada 2 ekor babi besar berkelahi di tempat omed omedan biasa digelar.

"Akhirnya raja dan rakyat meminta petunjuk kepada leluhur. Setelah itu omed omedan dilaksanakan kembali tapi sehari setelah Hari Raya Nyepi," kata Wayan Sunarya kepada wartawan, Jumat (31/3/2006).

Pada zaman Belanda, omed omedan dilakukan dengan cara saling berangkulan. Namun seiring perkembangan zaman para peserta omed omedan lebih berani dan tak lagi saling rangkul tapi juga saling cium. Awalnya hanya cium pipi, tapi sejak 3 tahun lalu, ciuman telah berubah menjadi ciuman bibir.

"Sampai Nyepi tahun kemarin masih ciuman bibir. Hari ini saya sudah memberikan nasihat pada anak-anak untuk tidak melakukan ciuman," Wayan Sunarya.

Menurut Sunarya, tidak jarang usai omed omedan muda-mudi Banjar menemukan jodoh. Sunarya sendiri mengaku bertemu jodoh saat melakukan tradisi hot itu. "Istri saya orang yang dulu saya cium," tuturnya tersipu.

Terkait RUU APP, warga Banjar akan melakukan pertemuan dengan pemerintah Bali agar omed omedan tidak dilarang. "Kami tidak berani untuk tidak melaksanakan permainan ini karena sudah menjadi tradisi," tandas Sunarya.

Alvin

April 1st, 2006, 09:46 AM

Kissing ritual gives porn bill the kiss-off

The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

Legendary dangdut singer Rhoma Irama and others intent on beefing up the moral fiber of Indonesian society would probably have been scandalized by Friday's spectacle in downtown Denpasar.

In the age-old tradition of omed-omed or med-medan, hundreds of youths braved the rain to warmly hug and kiss anybody they met on the streets in Banjar Kaja, Sesetan.

The tradition is performed on Ngembak Geni Day, the day following Nyepi, or the Hindu Day of Silence, which fell on Thursday.

The public display of youthful affection carried new meaning this year, with the porn bill currently being debated in the House of Representatives. Bali was the first province to formally reject the bill, with strong opposition to what local people see as potential constraints on their cultural traditions, as well as to the tourist industry on the resort island.

Despite the lashing of the city by tropical cyclones, crowds lined the streets to observe the sacred ritual. Young women waited shyly, while the boys, many from local Hindu youth organizations, seemed impatient for it to get underway.

Their wait went on, with a number of obligatory rituals to be performed, including a stunning performance of the Barong mythical lion dance. When the dancer was in a trance, it was taken as a sign of the gods' blessing of the omed-omed ritual.

The boys then set off in pursuit of the girls, with some shy pecks on the cheek or, for the bolder types, a kiss on the lips.

Local elders say the ritual dates back to the Oka Sesetan royal family, and the order of one of its ailing members for the local community to keep quiet on Nyepi. The people relaxed and enjoyed themselves instead, and the nobleman found that their unabashed merriment also lifted his spirits.

The tradition has not always been to the liking of outsiders, said community elder Pekak (grandfather) Item.

"The Dutch colonial government banned the tradition, as did the Indonesian government soon after independence," the 90-year-old said.

In the 1970s, local authorities also put a stop to the ritual.

Locals say strange occurrences began after the ban, such as widespread outbreaks of illness. Villagers believed the gods were angry and the omed-omedan ritual was revived.

"Here, we are having fun with all the village members," said Ketut Wiryani, a participant in the ritual in her youth.

"Now, I have two children and the younger residents must keep up the tradition."

Alvin

April 8th, 2006, 01:23 PM

Film launches debate on polygamy in Muslim Indonesia

8 April 2006
11:50
Agence France Presse
English
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2006 All reproduction and presentation rights reserved.
JAKARTA, April 8, 2006 (AFP) -

A new Indonesian film has triggered a rare debate on the taboo subject of polygamy, a practice thought to be widespread in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

"Berbagi Suami", or literally Share Your Husband, a feature film with a slightly provocative title, presents three men from very different social circles who choose to take a second, third or fourth wife.

"It is a satirical drama," director Nia Dinata explains to AFP. "I show in my own way that these women are not happy. My film is about choice."

The film has been hailed by critics here for prying open the hushed topic.

"Polygamy, although commonly practised within Indonesian society, is not frequently discussed or even openly acknowledged in most circles," a critic in the English-language Jakarta Post wrote.

"For that reason alone, Berbagi Suami, which breaks ground socially, is one of the most significant as well as finely crafted films to emerge in recent years."

The film does not directly condemn polygamy, about which few statistics are available in Indonesia, but notoriously tough censors still shaved 17 seconds from its final cut, including a kiss that lingers too long and a hand caressing a thigh.

"I want my audience to think," asserts Dinata, who from her own research estimates that some 10 percent of Indonesian families are affected by polygamy, which is legally permissible in the archipelago nation.

Some 87 percent of Indonesia's 220 million inhabitants practice Islam but, the director says, polygamy draws its roots not only from this religion.

"Way before the Dutch (colonialists) came here, we had Buddhist or Hindu empires where the men used to have concubines. It's there in our history," she says.

Polygamy too was long-lived in the sultanates of Yogyakarta and Solo, dating from the 17th century up to recent years.

It shifted largely underground during the rule of former autocratic president Suharto. Under pressure from his wife Siti Hartinah, he adopted a 1970s law forbidding civil servants to marry a second time without the assent of his first wife and his superior.

The law remains in force.

Today Indonesian political leaders, fearing the possibility of being labelled a bad Muslim, try to avoid taking any vocal stance on polygamy at all.

The debate is not completely taboo though and the country has had its share of prominent polygamists, including traditionalist Muslim Hamzah Haz, a vice president under the former government of Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Puspo Wardoyo, a restaurateur who made his fortune selling grilled chicken and now owns a chain of more than 30 outlets, is another.

He appears frequently in the media surrounded by his big family and has often repeated that "more women are more resources" while his four wives insist they are happy.

Wardoyo asserts that polygamy is necessary to compensate for a demographic imbalance that slightly favours women, who live longer here, and argues that it dissuades men from conducting secret love affairs.

His restaurant menus boats "juice poligami", a concoction of papaya, soursop, avocado and mango, along with "cah poligami", a stir-fried vegetable dish. Wardoyo also sponsored the "Polygamy Awards", held at a luxurious hotel in Jakarta in 2003, which recognised the ability of a husband to provide for all his wives fairly and equally.

The restaurateur has become a bete noire of Indonesian feminists, among whom is respected Muslim scholar Siti Musdah Mulia, who acknowledges that polygamy is accepted by a majority of Indonesians despite its difficulties.

"My research has proved that polygamy has increased domestic violence and abuse against children and has increased unregistered marriages", Mulia tells AFP. Without marriages being registered, she says, women and children are not protected by the law.

The scholar is campaigning for a reform of the family code in the mould of Tunisia, which has abolished polygamy.

She also questions the verse of the Koran which authorises a man to marry four women "provided that they are treated in a fair way".

"It is only an interpretation, it is not absolute," she maintains.

seb/sb/nw

Blue_Sky

April 9th, 2006, 12:35 PM

Puluhan media asing akhir pekan ini menyitir berita dari Kota Tangerang, Banten. Isinya adalah soal larangan muda-muda kota itu berciuman bibir di tempat umum selama minimal lima menit.

Kantor berita Reuters menjuduli berita yang disitir dari media lokal itu dengan titel Keep your kisses short in Indonesia's Tangerang. Uniknya, berita itu ditempatkan di rubrik Oddly Enough News. Artinya berita itu masuk kategori ganjil dan lucu plus nyeleneh.

Larangan ciuman 5 menit itu tertuang dalam pasal 4B Rancangan Petunjuk Teknis dan Petunjuk Pelaksana Peraturan Daerah Nomor 8/2005 tentang Larangan Pelacuran. Pasal itu menyebutkan, ciuman di tempat umum apabila perbuatan itu dilakukan di tempat umum, bibir dengan bibir secara terus-menerus lebih lima menit adalah terlarang.

Pejabat Trantib setempat berjanji akan menangkap siapa pun yang melanggar pasal itu.

Kiss kiss, ban ban. Begitu judul tulisan di The Sun, Inggris. No kissing for more than five minutes in Indonesian city adalah judul berita di media terbitan Florida, USA.

Jailed for kissing, tulis The Hindustan, India. The new time limit for kissing in public in Indonesia, tulis sebuah media Irlandia.

Kissing couples targeted in krackdown, tulis situs Australia, news.com.au. Sedang BBC Inggris mengambil judul Indonesian arrest threat for kiss. ExpressIndia.com menulis 5 min OK, beyond that you are in jail!

Bulan lalu, sejumlah perempuan Tangerang kena jaring Trantib setempat karena keluyuran malam-malam, sesuai Perda Pelacuran. Seorang istri guru SD yang baru pulang bekerja, tak luput diangkut Trantib karena dicurigai pelacur.

Perempuan yang tengah mengandung 3 bulan ini pun didenda Rp 300 ribu dalam sidang yang terbuka untuk umum bertepatan dengan HUT Kota Tangerang. Karena tak kuasa membayar, dia dikurung nyaris 4 hari. Tak urung pemberlakuan Perda Pelacuran ini menimbulkan pro dan kontra.(nrl)

source: http://www.detiknews.com/indexfr.php?url=http://www.detiknews.com/index.php/detik.read/tahun/2006/bulan/04/tgl/09/time/142217/idnews/573327/idkanal/10

Indonesiaku jadi bahan tertawaan dunia :(:(:(

tata

April 9th, 2006, 03:54 PM

blue, itu mah biasa nggak usah diambil ati, media masa emang senengnya masang berita2 yg jelek atau miring dari negara laen.

Fir3blaze

April 9th, 2006, 07:35 PM

lol, peraturannya memang aneh sih. Why 5 mins? Siapa yg harus ngitungin? It doesn't make sense at all. Peraturannya kan tentang 'larangan pelacuran'; apa hubungannya ciuman 5 menit dengan pelacuran? Jadi kalo ciuman sama PSK selama 4 menit OK, kalo sama istri sendiri selama 6 menit melanggar hukum. Gila kan?

Dengan larangan2 yg model begini, nggak heran kalo kita jadi bahan ketawaan dunia. :bash:

Blue_Sky

April 10th, 2006, 08:08 AM

Aris Datang Pakai Pesawat
Sebulan, Hasil Ngemis Rp 600 Ribu

GELANDANGAN dan pengemis (gepeng) yang hari ini rencananya akan dipulangkan tidak semuanya kere. Aris (24 tahun) misalkan, pria asal Jember Jawa Timur ini mengaku sudah pernah 2 kali menginjakkan kakinya di Kota Balikpapan. Kedatangan pertama, bersama istrinya menggunakan pesawat.

“Pesawat murah aja kok sekarang. Dari Surabaya ambil yang malam hari,” ujar Aris di Kantor Pemberdayaan Masyarakat (KPM) kemarin.

Didampingi Staf KPM Andi Hasnah, lanjut ia mengemukakan, kali ini ia kembali datang ke Balikpapan mencari untung sebagai pengemis dan mengontrak sebuah kamar di Gunung Malang.

“Sekarang aku datang dewean (sendirian, Red) mas, istri ku di Jawa jadi petani. Makanya ke sini ini buat bantu-bantu nambah penghasilan istri,” akunya.

Penghasilan sebagai pengemis, menurut dia, lumayan besar kalau di Balikpapan. Lain halnya di Surabaya atau Malang.

“Di sini, sekali ngasih pernah sampai Rp50 ribu. Pokoknya hasil sebulan cukup buat bayar kontrakan dan makan, sisanya dikirim ke kampung,” terang dia.

Ditanya berapa penghasilan kotornya, dengan mantap Aris menjawab tidak tentu. Tapi terkadang sebulan ia menerima bersih Rp 600.000 buat dikirim ke istri di kampung. “Kalau makan kami patungan biar irit, atau kalau tidak minta ke penjual nasi yang ada di pasar,” imbuhnya.

Dia mengaku datang ke Balikpapan diajak sama rekannya yang ia sebut bos. Tiap hari, ngemis di jalan harus nyetor ke bos Rp 20 ribu. “Setorannya kecil aja kok mas. Paling dua kali ceperan (maksudnya dua orang yang ngasih, Red) sudah dapat uang segitu,” jelas Aris.

Ngemis di Balikpapan, menurutnya sangat menyenangkan. Sekalipun terjaring oleh Pol PP, nantinya Pemkot akan memulangkan menggunakan kapal laut gratis.

“Kalau di Jawa paling dipulangkan naik kereta api, malah pernah dinaikkan truk terus disuruh turun di jalan. Di sini enak tenan mas, datang pakai pesawat pulang naik kapal laut,” katanya polos.

Ditanya KTP, Aris mengaku sama sekali tidak punya. Dari desa ia hanya meminta surat jalan dengan keterangan ingin mencari kerja.

“Kerja di desa ku di Jember paling adanya nyangkul sawah. Kami ini merantau ingin cari kerja dan uang banyak, tapi karena nggak sekolah ya cukup ngemis-ngemis saja di jalan,” pungkasanya.(yud)

http://www.metrobalikpapan.co.id/berita/index.asp?IDKategori=64&id=66875

Ara

April 10th, 2006, 09:20 AM

Tangerang is fast become a joke city. i wish we had an Indonesian version of the Daily Show. Maybe the Republic of BBM should do a show on the city, inviting it's "mayor."

sanhen

April 10th, 2006, 12:46 PM

Tangerang?
I think Bogor is a better candidate.

peseg5

April 10th, 2006, 05:30 PM

jangan diambil hati lah... jokes are jokes...

Menurut gw ga aneh sih. Waktu itu gw pernah baca artikel di koran online tp lupa kapan, kalo di moscow itu juga dibikin aturan dilarang berciuman (french kiss) di tempat umum lebih dari sekian menit.. Menurut pemkot moscow, alasannya adegan ciuman itu tidak pantas dilihat anak2 yang masih lugu dan polos, mengingat banyak sekali warga moskow yang gemar ciuman ditempat2 umum seperti stasiun subway, trotoar, dll.

Yah prinsipnya 5 menit itu cuman di atas kertas, tapi kan kita bisa ngira2 kasarnya brapa lama org ciuman. Lagian kalo di Indo jg apa ga risih ciuman di depan umum?? Apa ga bisa cari tempat lain untuk french kiss?? Hehehe IMO, peraturannya sih sah2 aja, asal jangan sampai ngelarang sama sekali ciuman sama pasangannya.

Media is media, always exaggerating...

lol, peraturannya memang aneh sih. Why 5 mins? Siapa yg harus ngitungin? It doesn't make sense at all. Peraturannya kan tentang 'larangan pelacuran'; apa hubungannya ciuman 5 menit dengan pelacuran? Jadi kalo ciuman sama PSK selama 4 menit OK, kalo sama istri sendiri selama 6 menit melanggar hukum. Gila kan?

Dengan larangan2 yg model begini, nggak heran kalo kita jadi bahan ketawaan dunia. :bash:

Blue_Sky

April 11th, 2006, 05:26 AM

@peseg5

Kamu tau gak keseluruhan isi pasal yang dianggap kontroversial itu
Salah satu nya adl menangkap wanita2 yg berkeliaran diluar pada malam hari
Mereka semua dikenakan pasal anti pelacuran
Pokoknya mereka ditangkap dulu baru dibuktikan salah ato engga

Ntar deh aku cari2 lagi artikelnya buat ssc member semua

Blue_Sky

April 11th, 2006, 05:33 AM

SOELASTRI SOEKIRNO

Jangan coba-coba bergerak-gerik mencurigakan, apalagi berciuman dengan lawan jenis di jalan, Anda bisa ditangkap!

Itulah salah satu peraturan daerah (perda) yang diberlakukan di Kota Tangerang, Provinsi Banten.

Tepat pada usia ke-13, Pemerintah Kota Tangerang mulai melaksanakan Perda Nomor 7 Tahun 2005 tentang larangan pengedaran dan penjualan minuman beralkohol, dan Perda No 8/2005 tentang larangan pelacuran tanpa
pandang bulu.

Mereka yang melanggar ketentuan tersebut akan ditangkap, ditahan, lalu diadili. Karena itu, jika Anda seorang perempuan dan sedang berada di Kota Tangerang, jangan pernah bersikap mencurigakan atau berada

sendirian di jalan, di atas pukul 19.00, terutama di jalan yang disebut-sebut sebagai tempat pekerja seks komersial (PSK) biasa mangkal. Anda bisa dikenai perda antipelacuran tersebut.

Sidang perdana penerapan perda itu sudah mulai dilaksanakan Selasa (28/2) lalu. Dalam persidangan yang digelar bersamaan dengan pesta ulang tahun Kota Tangerang itu ternyata tak semua yang ditangkap, ditahan, lalu diadili adalah PSK.

Sebagian di antara mereka adalah ibu rumah tangga yang saat penangkapan itu kebetulan sedang minum teh botol di tepi jalan sebelum melanjutkan perjalanan ke rumahnya.

Ada pula seorang istri yang sedang bersama kawan suaminya di hotel karena menunggu sang suami mencari makan malam sebelum bertemu rekanan bisnis jual-beli mobil.

Selain itu, ada istri seorang guru SD negeri di Kota Tangerang yang hendak mencari angkutan kota setelah pulang dari tempat kerjanya.

Ada pula perempuan yang didakwa sebagai PSK, tetapi belum sempat bertransaksi dengan pria yang menghendakinya. "Saya baru saja sampai, belum dapat tamu karena masih sore, baru pukul 20.00, eh... keburu ditangkap," katanya.

Meski di antara mereka ada yang tidak terbukti sebagai PSK, oleh hakim tunggal Barmen Sinurat, mereka tetap dinyatakan bersalah melanggar Pasal 4 Ayat 1 Perda No 8/2005.

Perda itu berbunyi, "Setiap orang yang sikap atau perilakunya mencurigakan, sehingga menimbulkan suatu anggapan bahwa ia/mereka pelacur, dilarang berada di jalan-jalan umum, di lapangan-lapangan, di rumah penginapan, losmen, hotel, asrama, rumah penduduk/kontrakan, warung-warung kopi, tempat hiburan, gedung tempat tontonan, di sudut-sudut jalan atau di lorong-lorong jalan atau tempat lain di Daerah".

Sinurat lalu menghukum mereka membayar Rp 1.000, lalu mengembalikan mereka kepada keluarga masing-masing untuk dibina.

Mereka yang mengaku sebagai PSK dihukum denda Rp 150.000-Rp 550.000 atau kurungan tiga sampai delapan hari.

Hukuman ini memang lebih ringan daripada ketentuan dalam perda yang mengancam pelanggarnya paling lama tiga bulan kurungan atau denda setinggi-tingginya Rp 15 juta.

Istri guru

Yang menarik adalah pengadilan atas Ny Lilis Lindawati (36), istri seorang guru SD Negeri V di Gerendeng, Tangerang. Terhadap istri guru ini Sinurat tetap menyatakan dia sebagai PSK sekalipun Lilis menolak keras dakwaan itu karena dia adalah pekerja yang saat itu hendak pulang ke rumah.

Nasib sial menambah penderitaan Lilis. Sampai sidang usai digelar, Lilis yang tengah hamil dua bulan itu tak bisa menghadirkan saksi yang menerangkan bahwa dirinya bukan pelacur. "Tolong jemput suami saya. Saya ini bukan pelacur seperti yang dikatakan tadi," pinta Lilis sembari menangis.

Hakim menghukum Lilis membayar denda Rp 300.000 atau kurungan delapan hari. Namun, Lilis menolak membayar denda karena ia merasa bukan pelacur sebagaimana yang didakwakan.

Sejak ditahan, Lilis bukan tak berusaha menghubungi suami dan keluarganya. Namun, upaya meminjam telepon kepada petugas atau pergi ke warung telekomunikasi untuk menghubungi saudara atau rekannya pun ia tidak mendapat izin. "Suami saya tak punya telepon," papar Lilis.

Ketika selesai sidang dia mendapatkan pinjaman telepon, Lilis buru-buru menelepon salah seorang teman suaminya. Namun, sang suami yang hari Selasa menderita tekanan darah tinggi ternyata tidak muncul di sidang pengadilan sehingga ia dimasukkan ke Lembaga Pemasyarakatan Wanita.

Tak pulangnya Lilis ke rumah membuat suaminya, Kustoyo (42), bertanya-tanya. Namun, karena ia sedang sakit dan sama sekali tak punya uang, Kustoyo memilih menunggu sang istri pulang. Selasa malam seorang rekannya yang mendapat telepon dari Lilis baru sempat memberi kabar bahwa istrinya ditahan karena kena razia.

Malam itu juga Kustoyo datang ke Kantor Satuan Polisi Pamong Praja Kota Tangerang sambil membawa kartu tanda penduduk, surat nikah, dan kartu keluarga. Petugas menyarankan, guru yang sudah mengabdi selama 20 tahun
dengan golongan 3C tersebut datang keesokan harinya (Rabu).

"Saya tak punya uang sama sekali, untung sama teman saya dikasih Rp 5.000. Tapi malam itu saya tak berani pulang, takut tak punya ongkos buat besoknya," tutur tamatan sekolah pendidikan guru agama itu.

Malam itu ia nekat minta izin seorang yang bekerja di warteg (warung tegal) kenalannya untuk menginap di bangku belakang warung. "Semalaman itu saya tak bisa tidur, bingung harus bagaimana," katanya.

Ia mengatakan, Lilis dua bulan terakhir bekerja di sebuah rumah makan di Tangerang. Sang istri biasa berangkat kerja siang hari dan sampai di rumah sekitar pukul 23.00 dengan naik angkutan kota yang berganti beberapa kali.

Rabu pagi Kustoyo datang ke Kantor Cabang Dinas Pendidikan Kecamatan Karawaci untuk melapor kepada Ius, atasannya. Atas saran Ius, Kustoyo membuat surat klarifikasi bersegel yang menyatakan bahwa Lilis adalah istrinya dan bekerja di sebuah restoran di Tangerang.

Surat klarifikasi itu ditujukan kepada Kepala Dinas Penertiban dan Ketertiban Kota Tangerang. Ketika ia membawa surat ke kantor tersebut, petugas di sana meminta dia pergi ke Pusat Pemerintahan (Puspem) Kota Tangerang untuk bertemu dengan petugas bernama Lubis.

"Uang di kantong tinggal dua ribuan. Supaya cukup untuk ongkos pulang,saya jalan kaki ke Puspem. Tapi, di kantor itu saya diminta membayar Rp 300.000 jika ingin membebaskan istri saya," tuturnya lirih.

Ia sempat agak marah ketika beberapa petugas di Puspem menyatakan istrinya mengaku sebagai pelacur. Atas petunjuk pegawai di Puspem,Kustoyo pergi ke Kejaksaan Negeri Tangerang dengan berjalan kaki untuk menemui seorang jaksa yang menangani perkara istrinya itu.

Sampai di kejaksaan, petugas menyatakan jaksa yang ia cari tidak ada di kantor karena sedang sidang. "Mereka minta saya membayar denda untuk istri saya, tapi dalam hati saya menolak karena istri saya bukan pelacur," katanya saat ditemui Kompas, Rabu sore.
Hingga kemarin Kustoyo belum berhasil membebaskan istrinya yang ia nikahi tahun 2001. "Ia sedang hamil. Saya takut ia keguguran lagi," tuturnya.

Lilis ditangkap hari Senin lalu sekitar pukul 19.00-22.00 ketika petugas melakukan razia di jalan-jalan utama dalam kota itu. Saat itu juga 27 perempuan dan seorang waria yang sedang berada di tepi jalan dan di dalam kamar hotel ditangkap.

Tak peduli saat itu mereka sedang berdiri menunggu angkutan kota, tengah minum teh botol, makan di warung sendirian, atau berada di dalam kamar hotel. Pokoknya, dalam keberadaan seperti itu, mereka langsung diangkut ke kendaraan menuju Kantor Satuan Polisi Pamong Praja Kota Tangerang. Di sanalah mereka diproses berdasarkan perda kota tersebut.

peseg5

April 11th, 2006, 06:15 AM

belum baca keseluruhan sih, tapi gw juga tidak setuju ada pasal yg tangkap wanita keliaran malam2. Karena isi pasalnya masih tidak jelas dan kabur. Bagaimana dengan buruh/pegawai yang lembur?? Yang bekerja demi menghidupi keluarganya? Apalagi kalau ternyata dia single parent. Apa pemkot tangerang mau menjamin kesejahteraan dia dan keluarganya kalo bekerja lembur saja dilarang2?

Maksudnya gw cuma mau opini ttg bagian pasal seperti larangan ciuman di tempat umum, menurut gw ga aneh, walau emang ga nyambung sama namanya memberantas pelacuran. Mungkin lebih tepat dimasukin perda ketertiban umum kali ya. Karena basicly di Indo, pasangan kan juga rada risih ciuman di tempat umum. Biasanya kan mereka prefer tempat2 private. Kalau sekedar kecup masih toleran lah, tapi kalo french kiss infront of dozen of people, hmm? Ada yg udah pernah coba di Indo??

@peseg5

Kamu tau gak keseluruhan isi pasal yang dianggap kontroversial itu
Salah satu nya adl menangkap wanita2 yg berkeliaran diluar pada malam hari
Mereka semua dikenakan pasal anti pelacuran
Pokoknya mereka ditangkap dulu baru dibuktikan salah ato engga

Ntar deh aku cari2 lagi artikelnya buat ssc member semua

Fir3blaze

April 11th, 2006, 11:19 AM

Maksudnya gw cuma mau opini ttg bagian pasal seperti larangan ciuman di tempat umum, menurut gw ga aneh, walau emang ga nyambung sama namanya memberantas pelacuran. Mungkin lebih tepat dimasukin perda ketertiban umum kali ya. Karena basicly di Indo, pasangan kan juga rada risih ciuman di tempat umum. Biasanya kan mereka prefer tempat2 private. Kalau sekedar kecup masih toleran lah, tapi kalo french kiss infront of dozen of people, hmm? Ada yg udah pernah coba di Indo??

Bener tuh, jauh lebih masuk akal kalo larangan ciuman itu buat bagian perda ketertiban umum. Buat pelacuran, kalau memang mau diberantas ya harus ada bukti2 jelas (misalnya ada rekaman transaksi) sebelum orangnya diciduk. Kalau penangkapannya hanya karena 'sikap atau perilaku mencurigakan' itu kan nggak jelas dan kabur.

Pada dasarnya aku cuman khawatir, aparat Indonesia kan terkenal korupnya; takutnya aturan2 yg model begini itu cuman dijadikan alat untuk memeras orang lain. Sama halnya dengan larangan ciuman dan larangan2 lain yg batasan batasannya nggak jelas. Makanya aku juga nggak setuju dengan RUU APP, karena di dalamnya masih banyak pasal2 yg kabur seperti diatas. Contohnya aturan dress code dan larangan tentang gerakan2 yg 'sensual'. Siapa yg menentukan apa itu sensual atau bukan? Yang melihat atau yang dilihat?

Blue_Sky

April 11th, 2006, 01:22 PM

makanya klo di luar polisi ngumpulin bukti dulu baru nangkep
di tangerang ditangkep dulu baru dibuktikan :bash:

David-80

April 11th, 2006, 09:11 PM

sorry gue ga setuju ama perda tangerang, pembantu sodara gua ketangkep pas lagi beli nasgor di deket benteng stadium, cuman gara2 dia nongkrong nungguin nasi goreng nya eh malah keciduk....blah..stupid rules...kasian sodara gua padahal nyokapnya lagi sakit nungguin makanan nya, malah harus urusan sama tuh pamong praja. Apesnya lagi dia ga bawa KTP...

Thats why im leaving CGK/Tangerang...this town is becoming a taliban city! no shit man.

cheers

Zorobabel

April 11th, 2006, 10:30 PM

That's too bad to hear...

Alvin

April 12th, 2006, 12:03 AM

laba-laba

April 12th, 2006, 04:14 AM

Tangerang seems to be under some sort of night curfew, only for women. That's terrible.

Usut semua masalah. Beri ganti rugi moral dan moril kepada korban salah tangkap.

laba-laba

April 12th, 2006, 04:22 AM

David-80

April 12th, 2006, 02:50 PM

gimana kalo yg ditangkap itu turis lokal dan asing ?

perda ga perduli mereka tourist apa bukan..yang penting ada di tangerang, mereka bakal di tangkep kalo ngelanggar...

chees

Blue_Sky

April 12th, 2006, 03:09 PM

thats pretty shity man

Blue_Sky

April 13th, 2006, 02:12 PM

Polda Metro Resmi Minta Playboy Tak Beredar di Jakarta

Nala Edwin - detikcom

Jakarta - Anda warga Jakarta? Jika ya, di waktu mendatang Anda akan kesulitan mendapatkan Playboy Indonesia. Penyebabnya, Polda Metro Jaya telah meminta agar Playboy tidak diedarkan di wilayah Ibukota.

Permintaan itu diumumkan Kabid Humas Polda Metro Jaya Kombes Pol I Ketut Untung Yoga Ana usai pertemuan antara Polda Metro dengan pihak Playboy Indonesia. Pertemuan berlangsung sekitar 30 menit di Mapolda Metro Jaya, Jl Gatot Subroto, Jakarta, Kamis (12/4/2006).

"Dasar pertimbangannya adalah masalah keamanan," kata Ketut Untung.

Ketut Untung mengungkapkan, pihaknya tidak bisa melarang penerbitan majalah berlogo kelinci bertuksedo itu. Alasannya, polisi tidak memiliki kewenangan tersebut.

"Hal itu kalau kita lakukan melanggar kebebasan pers," imbuh Ketut Untung.

Menanggapi permintaan Polda Metro tersebut, salah seorang pimpinan majalah Playboy, Ponti Carolus, menyatakan akan berkonsultasi dengan pihak direksi sebagai tindak lanjut.

"Saya kira hasil ini akan dijadikan sebagai dasar dalam pertemuan dengan direksi nanti," ujar Ponti.

Ketika ditanya apakah majalah itu akan terbit lagi, Ponti tidak memberikan jawaban spesifik. "Saya kira sangat spekulatif untuk menjawab hal itu. Sebagai warga negara kami tentu akan menghargai masukan ini," katanya sambil tersenyum.

Penyerangan

Ponti juga sangat menyayangkan penyerangan pada kantor Playboy Indonesia pada 12 April kemarin. Seharusnya hal-hal tersebut tidak perlu terjadi karena pihak Playboy siap melakukan diskusi untuk menyelesaikan masalah.

Akibat penyerangan itu, Ponti mengaku kantor Playboy harus pindah dari Gedung AAF di Jl TB Simatupang, Jakarta Selatan. Alasan keamanan bagi pekerja kantor yang bekerja di gedung itu adalah pertimbangan utama.

"Untuk sementara kami menempati ruangan kecil yang biasanya digunakan untuk menyimpan berbagai dokumen yang ada," ujar Ponti tanpa menyebut lokasi baru kantornya. (nvt)

http://www.detiknews.com/indexfr.php?url=http://www.detiknews.com/index.php/detik.read/tahun/2006/bulan/04/tgl/13/time/182648/idnews/575577/idkanal/10

Blue_Sky

April 13th, 2006, 02:13 PM

By Clare Harkey
BBC East Asia editor

The head of police in the Indonesian capital Jakarta is to hold a meeting on Thursday with the publishers of the local edition of Playboy magazine.

General Firman Gani said he would ask the magazine not to publish a second issue.

Playboy appeared for the first time in Indonesia, without nude photos, a week ago.

It has been a hugely controversial project in Indonesia despite the fact that pornography is widely available.

The famous Playboy brand name has proved a magnet for criticism by Muslim groups in particular, worried about its effect on local morals.

There have been frequent demonstrations against the magazine. On Wednesday its offices were stoned by protestors.

The magazine has now changed locations.

The capital's police chief is having a meeting with the publishers and although he has no powers to stop publication, he says he will ask the magazine to delay the next issue to prevent what he called "more reaction".

The Playboy issue is part of a wider debate in Indonesia, where parliament is being asked to consider an anti-pornography bill.

Critics say the draft law is too vaguely worded and could lead to women, Hindus and traditional tribes being discriminated against.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4905640.stm

Zorobabel

April 14th, 2006, 07:34 PM

Picture from BBC:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41560000/jpg/_41560512_indonesia416_afp.jpg
About 1,000 worshippers take part in an Easter procession in Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population.

Blue_Sky

April 14th, 2006, 08:07 PM

^^
Can u give me the link?
I want to read the news

thx

Zorobabel

April 14th, 2006, 08:30 PM

It's just on a page of 8 pictures showing different Easter celebrations. You can find it here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/4909858.stm

I found it interesting because it shows Indonesia's multi-cultural, ethnic, and religious make-up.

XxRyoChanxX

April 14th, 2006, 10:11 PM

wow! thanks for sharing the web!

Ara

April 15th, 2006, 06:40 AM

KAPOLDA Jakarta harus cepta di pecat. it's obvious that dia tidak menghargai law and order. Kenapa dia tdk ke pusatnya Preman (FPI) dan bawa mereka semua ke jail?

Blue_Sky

April 17th, 2006, 06:41 AM

Raperda Kota Depok
Menjiplak Perda Pelarangan Pelacuran Kota Tangerang

Depok, Kompas - Komisi A DPRD Kota Depok menyerahkan Rancangan Peraturan Daerah Pelarangan Pelacuran ke pihak eksekutif di Balaikota Depok, Kamis (13/4). Draf itu diserahkan Komisi A yang terdiri atas delapan orang dipimpin ketuanya M Triyono dan diterima Wakil Wali Kota Depok Yuyun Wirasaputra.

Sekretaris Komisi A DPRD Depok Ahmad Dahlan mengatakan, penyerahan Raperda Pelarangan Pelacuran itu terkait upaya Komisi A mencari masukan dari berbagai pihak, termasuk dari kalangan eksekutif.

Ihwal kekhawatiran banyak pihak tentang akan maraknya razia dan penggerebekan di rumah kos mahasiswa di Depok, Dahlan minta pemilik rumah kos dan mahasiswa tidak perlu khawatir. "Petugas akan melakukan razia dan menggerebek rumah kos bila ada bukti, saksi, dan laporan warga. Kalau tak ada, masak mencari-cari? Mengapa harus mengganggu hak pribadi orang?" ujar Dahlan.

Sementara itu, Fraksi Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (F-PKS) DPRD Depok belum menentukan sikap secara resmi. "Kami belum resmi membahas raperda pelacuran ini dan masih melihat perkembangan. Kalau memang ada penolakan sebagian besar masyarakat, ya akan ditunda. Kami akan lihat apakah raperda ini betul-betul mewakili sebagian besar warga Depok dan merupakan prioritas di Depok?" kata Wakil Ketua F-PKS Depok M Suparyono, Kamis.

Dapat ditunda dulu

Wakil Ketua DPRD Kota Depok Amri Yusra mengakui raperda pelacuran itu merupakan jiplakan atau copy paste (memindahkan begitu saja) dari peraturan serupa di Kota Tangerang.

"Ini kan sebetulnya baru wacana Komisi A. DPRD belum resmi mengajukan raperda ini karena memang isinya belum matang. Belum ada kajian akademik dan lainnya," kata Amri yang juga kader PKS itu.

Amri khawatir raperda pelacuran ini menimbulkan keresahan masyarakat. Sebab, yang dia serap saat ini, adanya pengaturan berlebihan yang membuat masyarakat Depok tidak nyaman. "Kalau memang masyarakat menganggap raperda pelacuran tidak perlu, kami akan tunda pembahasannya. Sebab, masih banyak persoalan lain yang lebih penting, apalagi bila nantinya tidak efektif," katanya.

Yang dimaksud "ditunda dulu", kata Amri, dalam arti perda yang sudah ada dapat dioptimalkan dan penegakan hukumnya diefektifkan. "Kami akan lihatlah, apakah solusinya dengan membuat perda baru atau cukup aparat hukum menegakkan hukum berdasarkan perda yang sudah ada," ujarnya.

Amri juga sepakat akan meneliti lebih jauh sebenarnya apakah pembuatan raperda pelacuran ini kebutuhan masyarakat atau sebenarnya kebutuhan anggota DPRD. "Apa sih latar belakang persoalan ini? Sebab, kami tidak ingin ada kesan ujung-ujungnya duit. Membuat perda kan butuh uang juga," katanya terus terang. (KSP)

sumber:kompas (http://kompas.com/kompas-cetak/0604/15/metro/2586546.htm)

Alvin

April 18th, 2006, 09:37 AM

Great article. :applause: pretty much summarises what i've been trying to say all this time.

www.parasindonesia.com
---------------------------------------------------------------

April, 18 2006 @ 12:28 pm

Agama Dalam “The Indonesian Dream”

M. Imdadun Rahmat adalah penulis buku Arus Baru Islam Radikal: Transmisi Revivalisme Islam Timur Tengah ke Indonesia (2006)

Minggu-minggu ini berlangsung polemik dan diskusi di media massa menyangkut dua hal; RUU APP dan relevansi Pancasila sebagai falsafah/ideologi negara. RUU APP menimbulkan perang statement dan argumentasi dari pihak yang pro dan kontra. Sedangkan tentang hal kedua Sulastomo menulis di harian Kompas dengan judul ”Masih Relevankah Pancasila?” (Kompas, 4/3) yang ditanggapi oleh M. Alfan Alfian di koran yang sama berjudul ”Mimpi Pancasila yang Tidak Pernah Terwujud” (Kompas, 14/3) yang kemudian ditanggapi lagi oleh Sulastomo dalam ”Merekonstruksi ’The Indonesian Dream’” (Kompas, 17/4). Polemik dan diskusi ini tidak saja menarik dari segi discource, tetapi juga sangat penting karena muaranya akan menentukan tidak saja nasib kita sebagai warga negara tetapi juga eksistensi kita sebagai bangsa. Dua tema ini seakan-akan terpisah satu sama lain tetapi seungguhnya mendedah hakikat yang sama; keindonesiaan yang semakin pudar.

Salah satu hal yang menjadi kontroversi dari RUU APP adalah penyeragaman nilai dan standar etika. Ukuran susila dan asusila milik satu golongan dipaksakan untuk menjadi ukuran kesopanan bagi semua golongan bangsa ini. Pengertian porno dan tidak porno dibangun dari keyakinan, sumber, paradigma dan perspektif tunggal. Bagi bangsa yang plural baik dari sisi budaya, adat maupun agama ini uniformisasi nilai dan etika tidak saja akan menimbulkan masalah, tetapi juga memantik rasa ketidakadilan.

Pengalaman di masa lalu memberikan pelajaran yang berharga bahwa segala macam penyeragaman akan menuai perasaan ketertindasan bagi kalangan minoritas. Kebijakan penyeragaman sistem budaya dan politik beraroma Jawa yang berjargon ”membangun jatidiri bangsa” di masa Orde Baru mudah sekali dibaca sebagai ”Jawanisasi”. Ini tidak saja mendistorsi hakekat ke-Indonesia-an tetapi juga melahirkan sentimen anti Jawa bahkan membangkitkan sentimen kedaerahan yang sempit.

Ketika RUU tentang pornografi dan pornoaksi ditengarai abai terhadap keragaman budaya, keanekaan adat dan ketidaktunggalan nilai-nilai agama, orang kemudian muncul daya kritisnya dan bertanya; ini kepentingan siapa? Jawaban terang-benderang muncul ketika pendukung RUU ini tidak saja ormas-ormas Islam mainstream semisal NU dan Muhammadiyah tetapi juga kalangan gerakan Islam yang lebih ekslusif lengkap dengan aksi massanya. Maka bukan hal aneh kalau kaum minoritas menolak sembari berujar ”ini Islamisasi”.

Perasaan terdiskriminasi yang mebuncah tak pelak melahirkan kehawatiran bercampur kemarahan kalangan kaum minoritas. Eksistensi mereka sebagai bagian sah dari Indonesia terasakan sedang dieliminasi untuk tidak mengatakan dinegasikan. Budaya dan nilai-nilai unik yang hidup dan menghidupi komunitas suku-suku dan agama-agama minoritas tidak diakui sebagai hakikat yang legal dan berhak hidup di negeri ini.

Dalam situasi krusial ini perbincangan tentang Pancasila menemukan momentumnya. Barangkali kita sepakat bahwa Pancasila telah gagal menunaikan mandatnya menjadi landasan karacter building bangsa ini. Kita dihadapkan pada kenyataan orang-orang yang paling getol mendakwahkan Pancasila justru menampilkan perilaku yang berpunggung-punggungan dengan ciri ”Pancasilais” sebagaimana dikehendaki Soekarno dan generasi founding fathers kita. Sistem politik, ekonomi dan budaya yang dikampanyekan sebagai ”berlandaskan Pancasila” terbukti menghasilkan bangunan yang menindas tetapi rapuh. Kira-kira demikian ungkap Alfan Alfian (Kompas, 14/3). Akibatnya di mata generasi kita, Pancasila bagaikan macan dalam sirkus; dianggap angker sambil ditertawakan jadi hiburan.

Di tengah citranya yang sedang terpuruk, sesungguhnya Pancasila meletakkan landasan kokoh yang belum tergoyahkan hingga kini; ia menjadi acuan nation state kita yang meletakkan seluruh agama pada posisi yang sama. Kesetaraan kedudukan agama-agama menjadi pilar teramat penting tidak saja bagi keutuhan teritorial tetapi juga eksistensi Indonesia. Sejak mula, Indonesia dibangun di atas keragaman. Adalah keajaiban dunia, sebuah bangsa bisa muncul dari keberbedaan yang tak terhingga, dan bertahan ketika bangsa-bangsa lain pecah berantakan tak tahan menampung geliat perbedaan. Inilah satu-satunya yang bisa kita banggakan sebagai bangsa.

Meskipun menghadapi berbagai tantangan dari waktu ke waktu, prinsip kesetaraan agama-agama dalam konteks negara ini tetap bertahan sebagai penyangga berkembangnya multikuturalisme. Di tengah situasi politik dan ekonomi yang teramat rentan, multikulturalisme menjadi palung penyelamat. Modal sosial kultural yang berbasis ko-eksistensi (saling menghormati) bahkan pro-eksistensi (saling menghidupi) antar golongan, suku, ras dan agama ini menjadi benteng pertahanan dari berbagai triger ke arah kekacauan sosial. Mau tidak mau kita harus bilang ”Pancasila tak ada matinya”.

Adalah suatu hal yang memprihatinkan ketika asas multikultur berbasis pengakuan yang sama terhadap nilai-nilai budaya dan agama-agama mengalami reduksi dari waktu ke waktu. Asas kesetaraan agama-agama merupakan salah satu aspek yang oleh Sulastomo disebut sebagai ”The Indonesian Dream” yang terkait dan sejajar dengan asas lain seperti keadilan sosial, kesatuan bangsa dan representative democracy yang berbasis musyawarah. Memudarnya sensitifitas para pengambil kebijakan terhadap keberbagaian agama dalam meramu RUU APP menunjukkan adanya erosi jati diri ke-Indonesia-an kita sebagai bangsa. Kearifan dan kebajikan KH. Agus Salim, KH. Wahid Hasyim, Mr. Kasman, KH. Mas Mansyur dan teman-temannya gagal diwarisi oleh generasi kita saat ini. Dengan kesalehan yang tak diragukan para ulama negarawan ini menghormati eksistensi golongan lain yang berbeda. Mereka tidak terbelenggu hasrat memutlakkan keyakinan atas orang lain. Karena bagi mereka inilah hakekat Indonesia; keberagaman.

Dengan demikian, tak hanya Pancasila yang harus direaktualisasi tetapi juga penghayatan kita terhadap ke-Indonesia-an. Hal yang perlu menjadi agenda kita adalah meneguhkan kembali komitmen kita terhadap hakekat negara yang bercorak “secular religius” dalam arti bukan negara teokratis tetapi menempatkan agama-agama sebagai aspek yang amat penting dan memiliki hak dan kewajiban yang sama dengan Pancasila sebagai payung bersama (common denominator).

Dalam konteks ini ummat Islam sebagai mayoritas seyogyanya tidak menampilkan diri dalam warna ekslusif. Dalam arti, gerakan Islam tidak menampakkan warna keislamannya, tetapi mengintegrasikan amal baktinya dalam kegiatan bangsa secara keseluruhan. Agenda dan pilihan masalahnya adalah masalah bangsa. Paradigmanya, “berangkat dari agama untuk menyelesaikan masalah-masalah bangsa”. Artinya, Islam berperan sebagi sumber inspirasi dan motifasi bukan sebagai dasar system social yang berlaku secara keseluruhan. Dalam konteks RUU APP, Islam bukan alternatif bagi system social lainnya tetapi menjadi factor pelengkap dari spectrum yang lebih luas dari factor-faktor lain dalam kehidupan bangsa. Dengan kata lain, RUU APP mesti direvisi dengan meletakkan sumber moral Islam sebagai salah satu saja dari sekian sumber yang berasal dari kenyataan keberagaman budaya dan agama.

Prasyarat untuk hal di atas adalah adanya komitmen ummat Islam terhadap impian bangsa Indonesia tentang sebuah tatanan politik yang dihasilkan oleh proklamasi kemerdekaan di mana semua warga negara memiliki derajad yang sama tanpa memandang asal-ususl agama, ras, etnis, bahasa dan jenis kelamin. Konsekwensinya, politik ummat Islam Indonesiapun terikat dengan mimpi tersebut. Segala bentuk ekslusifisme, sektarianisme dan –privelege-privelege harus dijauhi. Maka cita-cita yang perlu diperjuangkan umat Islam dalam politik adalah sebuah masyarakat Indonesia di mana ummat Islam kuat, dalam pengertian berfungsi dengan baik sebagai warga negara. Mereka memiliki hak serta kewajiban yang sama dengan ummat yang lain untuk mewujudkan mimpi Indonesia tentang demokrasi, keutuhan bangsa dan kehidupan yang adil. Wallahu a’lam.

Alvin

April 18th, 2006, 03:23 PM

SCANDAL IN ACEH.....
http://indcoup.blogspot.com/
-------------------------------------------------------

Monday, April 17, 2006

Were the Achenese worth saving?
When the global community came to Aceh’s rescue by agreeing to donate billions of dollars of aid following the devastating tsunami on Boxing Day in 2004 everyone was emotionally lifted at how caring and generous people can be.

Sure, a few cynics might have raised concerns over how the huge amounts of money would be spent given Indonesia’s reputation for corruption, but they were quickly muzzled.

This was not the time to talk about such things. No need to be so pessimistic. After all, given the extent of the suffering and misery, how could anyone be so callous to steal the funds anyway? Give the Indonesians the benefit of the doubt for God’s sake.

Yeah right.

Flash forward a few years and here are some interesting facts on the relief effort as revealed by an astonishing article in the UK’s Sunday Times:

- 30% to 40% of all the aid funds, Indonesian and international, are estimated to have been stolen.

- Of the 170,000 homes promised to the people of Aceh, only about 15,000 have been built, one year and four months after the tsunami (contractors simply stole the money given to them by aid agencies and didn’t bother to build the houses).

- UK charities Save the Children and Oxfam gave money to building contractors that constructed structures so flimsy that “a new wave would wash them away”.

- Because of the graft, funds have now been frozen. Bureaucratic and political paralysis means only 10.4% of the funds allocated by the Indonesian government have actually been spent.

- Indonesia’s government reconstruction agency spent £6.3m on temporary housing that was either overpriced or fictitious. A visit was made to one site in Aceh Besar and the barracks didn’t even exist.

- More than £40,000 was embezzled from one children’s food distribution centre alone.

- One aid group paid for 70 new houses, only to find that its own local staff had occupied most of them.

Etc etc.

But worst of all, “the betrayal is all the more cruel because it has been committed, in the main, by the Acehnese themselves”. And this in a region considered to be the most staunchly Islamic part of Indonesia!!!

Arggggggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fir3blaze

April 18th, 2006, 03:26 PM

An article taken from jawapos.co.id. It discusses the 'Playboy issue' from an angle we don't normally see.

Selasa, 18 Apr 2006,
Jenis Kelamin Playboy Indonesia

OLEH: IMAN D. NUGROHO
DALAM sebuah pertemuan di Jakarta, seorang sahabat dari Banda Aceh, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, mengatakan kepada saya tentang kemungkinan sulitnya dirinya mendapatkan majalah Playboy Indonesia terbitan perdana di daerah yang dikenal dengan Serambi Makkah itu. Padahal, dia adalah salah seorang pencinta seni fotografi dan kebetulan bekerja di bidang yang sama.

Kekhawatiran sahabat itu menjadi kenyataan. Ketika Playboy Indonesia resmi di-launching, tidak semua kota kebagian majalah yang tidak lagi mencantumkan logo kelinci tersebut. Bahkan, di beberapa tempat, agen media dan pedagang asongan menolak menerima jatah Playboy Indonesia yang hadir dengan warna merah menyala itu.

Kemunculan majalah khusus dewasa Playboy Indonesia pada pertengahan April ini laksana sebuah gelombang baru "modernisasi" dunia pers di Indonesia. Gelombang atas nama kebebasan berekspresi, kebebasan pers, serta globalisasi media tersebut menciptakan riak-riak kecil dan membuat gelombang baru yang berlawanan arah. Pertemuan gelombang itu memecah perhatian masyarakat dan memunculkan perbincangan soal pornografi.

Menteri Komunikasi dan Informasi Sofyan Djalil memilih melaporkan Playboy Indonesia kepada polisi jika isinya melanggar kesusilaan. Sementara itu, Ketua PWI Pusat Tarman Azzam, seperti yang dikutip Antara, menolak menyebut Playboy Indonesia sebagai produk pers karena majalah itu adalah produk dunia industri seks.

Bahkan, dalam diskusi soal Playboy di Stikosa-AWS pada Sabtu lalu, terungkap bahwa MUI Jatim berencana mengirimkan surat ke gubernur Jawa Timur untuk meminta agar Playboy Indonesia tidak beredar bebas di Jawa Timur.

Ironisnya, perang argumentasi menyangkut kata yang berasal dari pronos dan grafis itu diwarnai pula oleh aksi anarkisme massa Front Pembela Islam (FPI) terhadap gedung tempat redaksi Playboy Indonesia berkantor. Ujung-ujungnya, redaksi Playboy Indonesia pun harus "diusir" dari gedung tersebut dengan dalih telah menyimpang dari izin awal penyewaan kantor.

Pihak penentang mengaitkan persoalan pornografi dalam isu Playboy Indonesia itu. Kalau memang mengandung persoalan pornografi, hal ini tidak perlu dibawa dalam konteks yang mengerikan dan destruktif seperti itu. Apalagi, masalah Playboy Indonesia tersebut tetap persoalan pers yang sudah diatur mekanisme mainnya.

Membahas Playboy Indonesia paling pas menggunakan sandaran UU Nomor 40 Tahun 1999 tentang Pers. Dalam UU yang meski oleh sebagian orang dianggap tidak sempurna dan perlu direvisi itu, diatur jelas tentang berbagai hal dalam ranah pers. Pertama adalah persoalan identifikasi "jenis kelamin" Playboy Indonesia. Benarkah Playboy Indonesia adalah produk pers?

Tengoklah UU Pers pasal 1 ayat 1 dan ayat 2. Di sana disebutkan, pers adalah lembaga sosial dan wahana komunikasi massa yang melaksanakan kegiatan jurnalistik meliputi mencari, memperoleh, memiliki, menyimpan, mengolah, dan menyampaikan informasi baik dalam bentuk tulisan, suara, gambar, suara dan gambar, serta data dan grafik maupun dalam bentuk lainnya dengan menggunakan media cetak, media elektronik, dan segala jenis saluran yang tersedia.

Dan, dalam ayat 2 termuat, perusahaan pers adalah badan hukum Indonesia yang menyelenggarakan usaha pers meliputi perusahaan media cetak, media elektronik, dan kantor berita, serta perusahaan media lainnya yang secara khusus menyelenggarakan, menyiarkan, atau menyalurkan informasi.

Benang merah dalam dua ayat itu adalah hadirnya kata "informasi". Nah, informasi yang dimaksud dalam ayat tersebut tidak lain adalah berita yang berhubungan dengan kepentingan publik. Dengan kalimat lain, pers hanya mencari, mengolah, dan menyiarkan informasi yang berhubungan dengan publik. Sebaliknya, sesuatu yang tidak berhubungan dengan publik tidak usah disiarkan.

Pertanyaannya, apakah Playboy Indonesia menyiarkan informasi yang berhubungan dengan publik? Bila kita urai materi yang ada dalam Playboy, selain foto-foto artis, ada artikel news yang, menurut saya, memiliki bobot tinggi. Misalnya, feature berjudul Negara, Agama dan KTP yang menceritakan tentang kisah pemeluk agama Sunda Wiwitan yang tidak diakui sebagai agama oleh negara.

Juga, artikel cerdas berjudul Melupakan Indonesia yang menceritakan tentang sulitnya rekonsiliasi mantan warga Timor Leste. Dan, yang tidak kalah menarik, dimuatnya wawancara dengan penulis legendaris Pramoedya Ananta Toer, selain tulisan berjudul Car Wars tentang tergesernya mobil AS oleh mobil buatan Asia. Bukankah itu semua adalah informasi yang dibutuhkan masyarakat?

Bila Playboy Indonesia yang jelas-jelas memuat berita tersebut dianggap bukan produk pers, bagaimana dengan media infotainment yang nyata-nyata sering memuat berita yang sama sekali tidak ada hubungannya dengan kepentingan masyarakat? Apa urgensinya masyarakat mengetahui proses perceraian Tamara Blezynski atau kisah percintaan Glen Fredly dan Dewi Sandra?

Meski demikian, tentu, munculnya foto-foto syur ala Playboy Indonesia tidak boleh diabaikan begitu saja. Oleh sebagian orang, foto-foto Playboy dianggap melanggar UU Pers, khususnya pasal 5 ayat 1 yang berbunyi: Pers nasional berkewajiban memberitakan peristiwa dan opini dengan menghormati norma-norma agama dan rasa kesusilaan masyarakat serta asas praduga tak bersalah. Bukan hanya itu. Sebagian lainnya menilai bahwa Playboy Indonesia melanggar Kode Etik Jurnalistik pasal 4 yang berbunyi, Wartawan Indonesia tidak membuat berita bohong, fitnah, sadis, dan cabul.

Pendapat seperti itu boleh-boleh saja. Tapi, hendaknya kita tidak mengabaikan mekanisme penyelesaian sengketa pers yang diatur dalam UU Pers dengan melaporkan persoalan pers kepada Dewan Pers. Dewan Pers-lah yang akan mengkaji, memberikan pertimbangan, dan mengupayakan penyelesaian pengaduan masyarakat atas kasus-kasus yang berhubungan dengan pemberitaan pers.

Selain itu, sudah waktunya Indonesia membuat undang-undang yang mengatur tentang distribusi barang-barang yang memerlukan penanganan khusus. Mulai bahan kimia, obat-obatan, hingga adult stuff, seperti alat kontrasepsi, diktat kesehatan, sampai buku-buku yang memuat gambar-gambar "manusia polos".

Di Asia, UU Distribusi tersebut sudah ada di beberapa negara seperti Thailand dan Korea Selatan. Secara sederhana, UU Distribusi akan mengatur pihak-pihak yang bisa memanfaatkan objek-objek yang disebut dalam UU tersebut. Langkah itu jauh lebih konstruktif daripada berdemonstrasi sembari melempar batu. ***
IMAN D. NUGROHO
Ketua Aliansi Jurnalis Independent (AJI) Surabaya dan koresponden The Jakarta Post

Zorobabel

April 19th, 2006, 05:05 AM

stoofy

April 19th, 2006, 04:09 PM

Alvin

April 19th, 2006, 04:16 PM

a well written article...we need more of these kind of people that could postively influence our society..i also like aa gym :)

AA Gym might run for President in my opinion...I wonder if he'll continue wearing his 'turban' if he became president, or will he stick to convention and where the peci instead :D

stoofy

April 19th, 2006, 04:35 PM

AA Gym might run for President in my opinion...I wonder if he'll continue wearing his 'turban' if he became president, or will he stick to convention and where the peci instead :D

haha you think?he should pair up with SBY, since JK intent on pairing up with someone else... :D

Alvin

April 20th, 2006, 04:04 AM

Everyone's afraid of the FPI now...even the Police...sad.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Future of Indonesia's Playboy uncertain as advertisers bail, editor says
374 words
20 April 2006
00:54
Associated Press Newswires
English
(c) 2006. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Advertisers have deserted an Indonesian version of Playboy because of protests by Muslim groups and the future of the magazine in the world's most populous Muslim nation is in doubt, the magazine's editor-in-chief said Wednesday.
Despite the fact that Playboy Indonesia contains no nudity and is less risque than other magazines already for sale, Islamic politicians and preachers reacted angrily to its first edition this month and one group attacked its offices with stones.
Most say the name of the magazine alone is grounds for the government to ban it.
"I keep telling them (the magazine's critics) to please review my magazine and compare it with ... adult men's lifestyle magazines already in Indonesia," Erwin Arnada told Dow Jones Newswires in an interview. "But they keep telling me to change the name 'Playboy,' not the content. It's ridiculous."
The row over the emergence of Playboy is a part a larger debate in Indonesia over the extent that Islam should play in public life. The country is traditionally moderate and secular, but in recent years it has seen the emergence of a vocal conservative fringe who want to make the country an Islamic state and see themselves as arbiters of public morality.
Arnada said he and 10 other members of Playboy Indonesia's editorial team will face questioning at Jakarta city policy headquarters on Thursday in response to charges by Islamic groups that the magazine violates articles of the criminal code regulating distribution of materials that "violate morality."
Perhaps of more concern to the magazine, Arnada said 26 corporate advertisers involved in the first issue have refused to continue placing ads because of the protests.
This is despite the first edition selling 100,000 copies, Arnada said.
"All our advertising clients have pulled their ads ... they are afraid of the FPI," he said, referring to the hardline group that stoned its offices.
Advertisers in the magazine were not immediately available for comment.
Arnada said he and other staffers have received letters, text messages and phone calls promising unspecified "physical action and legal action" if publication continues.
"I'm concerned about my employees," he said.

Zorobabel

April 20th, 2006, 05:48 AM

I knew the organized crime syndicate would only grew if it was never prosecuted, and it never was.

Alvin

April 20th, 2006, 06:12 AM

Religious intolerance a betrayal of Islam

Mirza Tirta Kusuma , Chicago
1162 words
20 April 2006
The Jakarta Post
6
English
(c) 2006 The Jakarta Post
Islam is a very tolerant religion, but a significant rise in religious extremism and intolerance throughout the world, including Indonesia, makes us wonder what kind of Islam we are facing today. Religious intolerance has entered a new boom period.

Indeed, when we learn of the fatwa (edict) issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Indonesia's highest Islamic authority, the limits of tolerance are reached. The MUI fatwa in July 2005, a revision of a 1984 ruling, which declares the Islamic religious sect Jamaah Ahmadiyah heretical, along with Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni's statement that the Ahmadiyah congregation should find a new religion or renounce their beliefs, is an example of the lack of tolerance.

Following the issuance of the verdict, some hard-line groups declared the blood of the Ahmadiyah congregation halal (permissible). There is no justification in the Koran for slaying fellow Muslims. Instead the Koran forbids the killing of believers ( An-Nisaa : 92).

Not only was Adam created with rights, but the entire cosmological universe (the heavens and the earth) was similarly created with haqq , an Arabic term that can mean "right", "truth" or "justice". The idea that all created things posses rights that are part of their ontological nature is fundamental to the Islamic conception of justice. The Koran strongly guarantees all fundamental human rights. These rights are so deeply rooted in our humanness that their denial or violation is tantamount to a negation or degradation of that which makes us human.

The first and most basic right emphasized by the Koran is the right to be regarded in a way that reflects the sanctity and absolute value of human life. Each person has the right not only to live but also to be respected, not by virtue of being a man or a woman, but by virtue of being a human being. Following this right is the right of free choice, without which divine judgment would be meaningless.

In addition, for faith to be true and reliable it must be a voluntary act, born out of conviction and freedom. So, then, compulsion and external interference would be the antithesis of Islamic faith. In fact, even the Prophet Muhammad was strongly admonished by God not to compel people to follow the truth of revelation.

The Prophet himself let a Christian, who was not sure about Islam, to keep his original belief and return to his home safely. Thus, the principle of the freedom of conscience is firmly established in the Koran and the Sunnah.

Islam as a religious belief has been distorted and betrayed in the Ahmadiyah case, and the MUI and the religious minister let the extremist-fundamentalists degrade Islam not only by legitimizing the totalitarian rule they seek, but also by silencing "moderate" Muslims. Indeed, religion must remain a faith. If it is politicized, then we have Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu fundamentalists slaying one another while justifying their violence in the name of religion.

Why has Islam been betrayed? In the case of Ahmadiyah, are they really so threatening that we have to destroy them? Please, "stay away from takfir (condemning others as nonbelievers)." This is really a tragedy.

God is most of all communicable. God has manifested and revealed himself in various ways to different people in their respective situations. Since human beings are not generic but unique, the expressions of response to the firman (Word of God) will be many and varied, rather than one and the same; people's capacities to experience and express the ultimate reality are diverse and conditioned. The spark of divine creativity animates every culture, and God can be worshiped and encountered in myriad ways

Leave God for God's sake. Stop speaking in God's name. The Koran says, "no one can know the soldier of God except God". This verse is a negation of authoritarianism -- it denies any human being the claim that he or she is a soldier of God endowed with God's authority. In addition, there is no concept of "church" in Islam, and that no person, or set of persons, embodies God's divine authority and thus no authority can issue a religious edict and expect it to be accepted universally by all Muslims.

In Islam, the principle of ijtihad (thorough exertion of a person's mental faculty in finding a solution to a case of law) was used right from the beginning, and every mujtahid (a person who applies ijtihad ) is correct. According to the Hadith, if the mujtahid is correct in his or her ijtihad , he or she receives two bounties, and if he or she is wrong, he or she receives one. In other words, one must try without fear of failure; one is rewarded for the success and the failure. The idea conveyed and constantly reinforced as part of the Islamic ethos is that Islam rejects elitism and emphasizes that truth is equally accessible to all Muslims regardless of race, class or gender. It is this notion of individual and egalitarian accessibility to the truth that results in a rich doctrinal diversity in Islam.

Let us learn from the story of Moses and the shepherd, by Rumi, a mystic. Moses once heard a shepherd praying as follows: "O God, show me where thou art, that I may become Thy servant. I will clean Thy shoes and comb Thy hair, and sew Thy clothes, and fetch Thy milk."

When he heard the shepherd praying in this senseless manner, Moses rebuked him, saying, "O foolish one, though your father was Musulman, you have become an infidel. God is a Spirit, and needs not such gross ministration as, in your ignorance, you suppose." The shepherd was abashed at his rebuke, and tore his clothes and fled to the desert.

Then a voice from heaven was heard, saying, "O Moses, wherefore have you driven my servant? Your office is to reconcile my people with me, not to drive them away from me. I have given to each race different usages and forms of praising and adoring me. I have no need of their praises, being exalted above all such needs. I regard not the words that are spoken, but the heart that offers them. I do not require fine words, but a burning heart. Men's ways of showing devotions are genuine, they are accepted."

So, religious leaders, your office is to reconcile God's people with God, not to drive them away from Him. Your office is to "call people to the way of God", to let them share and benefit from the Supreme vision of religious truth, which they have appropriated. Hold the fatwa , the fundamentalists in the illegal opposition may use it to justify the slaying of others!

The writer, the director of the Center for Human Rights and Religious Values, is a Ford Foundation and Bernardin Scholar in Chicago. She can be reached at mirzatk@yahoo.com .

Document JKPOST0020060420e24k0000o

Alvin

April 21st, 2006, 01:39 AM

Indonesia: Draft "state secrets" law would curb media

21 April 2006
00:30
BBC Monitoring Media
English
(c) 2006 The British Broadcasting Corporation. All Rights Reserved. No material may be reproduced except with the express permission of The British Broadcasting Corporation.
An article in the 20 April 2006 online edition of Jakarta publication Koran Tempo reports that the government has drafted a State Secrets Bill which would no longer allow the media to publish leaked information they have acquired on police investigations - a common occurrence to date.

Media outlets disregarding the law will be deemed to have disclosed state secrets. "If a media outlet disregards the law, it will be regarded as having harmed national interests," said Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono.

The bill divides secrets into two categories - "top secret" and "secret". The former is information which, if disclosed to the public, would endanger national sovereignty, while the disclosure of secret information would harm the conduct of state functions, national resources and law and order.

The article reported that Sudarsono would also chair a State Secrets Council which would be established to determine policies pertaining to state secrets. The defence minister foresaw media opposition, saying: "The media will certainly protest."

Source: Koran Tempo website, Jakarta, in Indonesian 20 Apr 06

Alvin

April 21st, 2006, 06:51 AM

Indonesia's Islamic hardliners: God's stormtroopers or thugs in robes?

21 April 2006
11:54
Agence France Presse
English
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2006 All reproduction and presentation rights reserved.
JAKARTA, April 21, 2006 (AFP) -

With their trademark white uniforms and noisy protests, the hardline Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) has become the highly visible face of radical Islam in Indonesia, but critics charge they are little more than thugs in robes.

Claiming a membership of several thousand, with links to various Muslim groups, the eight-year-old FPI made international headlines in 1999 when it launched violent anti-vice raids on bars and other venues deemed sinful.

It was in the media spotlight again last week when some 300 members scandalised by the local debut of Playboy in the world's most populous Muslim nation attacked its editorial office, lobbing rocks at police and injuring two.

The magazine suspended its operations on Thursday, with its editor saying security was taking precedence over the publishing of a second edition.

It had been encouraged by Jakarta's police chief Firman Gani, who suggested last week that the glossy -- which contains no nudes and is no more risque than its competitors on sale here -- wrap up its operations as it was stoking unrest.

"Playboy is synonymous with pornography. The name itself means a man who likes to play around with women. Who can guarantee that they won't publish nudity in the future?" FPI leader Muhammad Rizieq Shihab told AFP last week.

Separate FPI protests have also forced a local tabloid to apologise for publishing the controversial Danish cartoons and together with another Muslim group have managed to close dozens of Christian churches, church leaders say.

The group also managed to close the main event on Jakarta's contemporary art calendar last September when it was outraged by a work depicting a nearly-nude male and reported an Indonesian soft rock band for using a logo on an album it claimed was blasphemous.

But commentators wonder whether a few hundred demonstrators should be able to impose their values on a country of 220 million.

In an editorial Monday, the Jakarta Post railed against these "stormtroopers of God and ideology", comparing the FPI and other militants to Italy's fascist Blackshirts.

"In a confused libertarian society such as ours, lawlessness is glorified and agents of chaos knighted as persons of authority," the editorial titled "Thuggery as law" went on to say.

Although 88 percent of Indonesians are Muslims, most practise a very tolerant form of the faith and do not appear to support FPI demands.

"It's part of the growing vocality of conservatives. Now I'm not so sure that the more noise represents more people," Bambang Harymurti, editor of Indonesia's leading investigative magazine Tempo, told AFP.

Rarely have FPI members been prosecuted for their attacks.

By dressing in flowing Arabic robes and claiming to represent the Islamic community, the FPI and other hardline Muslim groups are able to take the moral high ground, analysts say.

"Police are seen to be corrupt by society, so they are a bit afraid of someone who does something for morality," Harymurti said.

The Playboy demonstrations are largely seen as part of a push among conservatives for parliament to adopt a wide-ranging anti-pornography law which would ban kissing in public and arousing movements, observers say.

"It's a political hot potato," said Martin Hughes, a security analyst at Control Risks, a risk consultancy, referring to Playboy and the pornography debate.

"The pendulum of law and order has swung in the other direction (from when Indonesian police were notorious for their heavy-handedness). Police are a lot more image sensitive," Hughes told AFP.

"If they were seen to crack down heavily on FPI then lots of people would think the police support Playboy."

Some fear the FPI is not just an activist group lobbying for their fellow Muslims, but rather Islamic hardliners trying to convert multi-ethnic and religiously tolerant Indonesia into a fundamentalist state.

"There are some groups in Indonesia would like the concept of Islam to be like the Taliban," said Leo Batubara from the independent Press Council, comparing the FPI to the Afghan radicals.

mak/sb/ben

Zorobabel

April 21st, 2006, 07:49 AM

There is no longer a concept of rule of or by law in Indonesia. I think the early reform period saw hopes for that, but they no longer exist. Now Indonesians are accepting rule by vigilante criminals. It reminds me of Iran.

Alvin

April 21st, 2006, 12:15 PM

Playboy will be banned from being distributed in Jakarta for security reasons, the Jakarta police chief has declared. THis is a sad day for rule of law in Indonesia.

Alvin

April 22nd, 2006, 04:38 PM

Presenting...INDONESIANS:

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20060422/i/r379812797.jpg?x=380&y=280&sig=.NvPgblsq2LHAlWMOlaBlQ--http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20060422/i/r1058865135.jpg?x=380&y=287&sig=rxTsDxDOwSpc3fZ4t0KeHg--
Sellers of the traditional herbal drink jamu carry their products during an anti-pornography rally in Jakarta April 22, 2006. Hundreds rallied in Jakarta on Saturday against a plan by the government to implement an anti-pornography bill that had been discussed by parliament. REUTERS/Supri

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20060422/capt.jak10404220639.indonesia_anti_pornography_bill_jak104.jpg?x=232&y=345&sig=2VeR311ewjkbcTAqEPu2FA--
Indonesian activists march during a rally against a proposed law banning pornography and obscene acts in Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, April 22, 2006. Hundreds of people took the street in the protest opposing the bills that critics say is a threat to the secular and moderate traditions of the world's most populous Muslim nation. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20060422/capt.jak10104220632.indonesia_anti_pornography_bill_jak101.jpg?x=380&y=255&sig=WA5L5DeJwsDuw.JPMrs0hg--
Indonesian women in Papuanese tribal dress dance during a rally in Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, April 22, 2006. Hundreds of people took part in the rally against a proposed law banning pornography and obscene acts that critics say is a threat to the secular and moderate traditions of the world's most populous Muslim nation. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) Email Photo Print Photo

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20060422/capt.jak10204220631.indonesia_anti_pornography_bill_jak102.jpg?x=380&y=247&sig=ZPzxwuClhTaIWNcnmzLyvA--
Indonesian Muslim women chain themselves during a rally against a proposed law banning pornography and obscene acts in Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, April 22, 2006. Hundreds of people took part in the protest opposing the bills that critics say is a threat to the secular and moderate traditions of the world's most populous Muslim nation. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20060422/i/r4013385995.jpg?x=380&y=261&sig=GarPIv5EaztM1ltvam4TiA--http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20060422/capt.jak10304221042.aptopix_indonesia_anti_pornography_bill_jak103.jpg?x=380&y=266&sig=bExYk5clrpe2ftV47kOl4g--
Papuans in traditional dress protest during an anti-pornography rally in Jakarta April 22, 2006. Hundreds rallied in Jakarta on Saturday against a plan by the government to implement an anti-pornography bill that had been discussed by parliament. REUTERS/Dadang Tri

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20060422/capt.jak10504220645.indonesia_anti_pornography_bill_jak105.jpg?x=380&y=244&sig=p0nFiI7JpBdOgnRpKO0f7A--
Traditional Javanese 'Angguk' dancers march during a rally against a proposed law banning pornography and obscene acts in Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, April 22, 2006. Hundreds of people took part in the protest opposing the bills that critics say is a threat to the secular and moderate traditions of the world's most populous Muslim nation. The bill bans pornography and calls for prison terms and fines for kissing in public, exposure of a woman's 'sensual' body parts and the display of 'erotic' artworks. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

These too are Indonesians - but they shouldn't impose their beliefs on the rest of society because they are only one part of our incredibly rich and culturally diverse country:
http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/afp/20060420/capt.sge.kni89.200406153139.photo01.photo.default-380x279.jpg?x=380&y=279&sig=erGvQsFKQCMp2JJ4w54FWQ--

Protesters in traditional costumes rally against Indonesian anti-porn bill

By ZAKKI HAKIM
Associated Press Writer
272 words
22 April 2006
20:18
Associated Press Newswires
English
(c) 2006. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Dancers, musicians and models rallied in the world's most populous Muslim nation on Saturday against a proposed anti-pornography bill that could impose jail terms for kissing in public or baring "sensual" body parts.

Most of the nearly 1,000 protesters were women dressed in colorful traditional costumes that showed off their shoulders, cleavage, calves and midriffs.

"This bill defies logic," said rally coordinator Yeni Rosa Damayanti as they marched through the streets of the capital, Jakarta, under a light drizzle. "The state should worry about the distribution of pornographic materials -- it shouldn't try to dictate how women dress."

Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous nation and 90 percent of its citizens are Muslim. The vast majority practice a moderate form of the faith.

But some Islamic-based political parties say globalization is chipping away at the country's moral fiber and have dusted off an anti-pornography bill that was originally drafted in 1999. It is currently being considered by a special parliamentary committee.

In addition to forbidding pornography, the bill calls for prison terms and fines for kissing in public, exposure of a woman's "sensual" body parts and the display of "erotic" artworks.

The protesters said they fear traditional dancing, skimpy clothes and even bathing in rivers could be declared illegal if it is passed.

Muslim groups should not be allowed to force their beliefs on the whole country, said the demonstrators, who included actors, writers, beauty pageant finalists, and a truck loaded with transvestites.

Blue_Sky

April 22nd, 2006, 05:33 PM

Go papua
Go Koteka
:tongue2:

stoofy

April 22nd, 2006, 06:10 PM

arghhhh :rant: damn it!so if they cant control their crotch, they have to control us, women? huh. so typical.
its so embarassing to see that our society is sliding backwards instead of forward

stoofy

April 22nd, 2006, 06:16 PM

they should be spending their time making laws that control the thugs of our city!!those premans..especially those 'high-class' premans :rant:
arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh :rant: we pay them and they're wasting our tax money to collate laws of pornography?? whats wrong with these people? its not like we wear bikinis to malls?!! and no public affections?? at least im not the one who has a collection of wifes or having affairs!! huh.men.ego.

end of rant

F-ian

April 22nd, 2006, 06:33 PM

^^ agree 100%

Zorobabel

April 23rd, 2006, 12:38 AM

Go Papuans!

627

April 23rd, 2006, 04:41 AM

how about making the laws work first before making new stupid ones? this whole deal is so lame dude.. and why are they calling it a "pornography bill"??? its not even pornography. wearing a tanktop, a bikini, a skirt, or whatever isnt porn.. its not like people are streaking the streets or have sex on the sidewalks... stupid dimwits.

627

April 23rd, 2006, 04:46 AM

btw i dont know why peole are making such a big deal out of the playboy mag.. there isnt even any nudity, i see worse stuff on channels like VH1, FOX, KTLA, MTV n stuff, and theyre all PUBLIC television channels. i mean look at all those reality shows wehre u see people having sex under sheets or walking around naked (even though its censored). indos playboy mag is pansy stuff, i even see more skin from allt he junkmail i get

Alvin

April 23rd, 2006, 05:33 AM

http://www.kompas.com/koleksifoto/0604//big6042201.jpg
The banner reads: "It is true that Indonesia is not America, but neither is it Saudi Arabia"

http://www.kompas.com/koleksifoto/0604//big6042202.jpg
Inul, with the wife of former president Gus Dur, champion of tolerance.

http://www.kompas.com/koleksifoto/0604//big6042203.jpg
"Oppose pornography and the Bill"

http://www.kompas.com/koleksifoto/0604//big6042204.jpg
Hmm, are those tourists? :)

Pawai Budaya
Penolakan RUU APP Kian Meluas

Jakarta, Kompas - Penolakan atas Rancangan Undang- Undang Antipornografi dan Pornoaksi serta Pornografi kian meluas. Pawai budaya menolak RUU APP yang digelar di Jakarta, Sabtu (22/4), diikuti sekitar 6.000 peserta dari berbagai kelompok masyarakat di Indonesia.

Peserta pawai Bhinneka Tunggal Ika terdiri dari berbagai lapisan dan kelompok masyarakat, antara lain kelompok kesenian dari Bali, Kepulauan Riau, Papua, Dayak, DI Yogyakarta, Flores NTT, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Sulawesi Utara, komunitas Batak, Betawi, dan Maluku.

Mereka berpawai seraya memeragakan kesenian daerahnya, antara lain tanjidor, gambang kromong, gondang batak, tari ular, reog ponorogo, ondel-ondel, campursari, tarling, tayub, kuda lumping, barongsai, dan wushu.

Kelompok perempuan, seperti Koalisi Perempuan Indonesia, Aliansi Mawar Putih, parade sepeda ontel, mobil hias, andong, drumband, kaum waria, dan para ibu penjual jamu gendong dari kelompok jamu gendong di Mampang Prapatan, Jakarta, pun turut beraksi.

Mereka berpawai dengan mengenakan pakaian adat daerah masing-masing dan kostum kesenian daerah yang bila RUU APP diberlakukan akan menjadi terlarang. RUU yang merupakan hak inisiatif DPR itu menimbulkan kontroversi di masyarakat antara yang mendukung dan menolak.

"Apakah ini pornografi atau budaya?" tanya bintang sinetron Rieke Diah Pitaloka kepada ribuan penonton di seputar panggung di depan Hotel Indonesia (HI). Pertanyaan Rieke itu dijawab serempak, "Budaya!!"

Kelompok kesenian ini ada yang datang ke Jakarta dengan biaya sendiri, seperti wakil dari Aceh yang dikirim Dewan Kesenian Aceh. Mereka mementaskan tari seudati di panggung disertai narasi pentingnya menjaga keberagaman budaya dari Sabang hingga Merauke dalam konteks negara Indonesia. Kesenian Rung-sarung dari Pacitan, Jatim, memperlihatkan tarian rakyat oleh enam perempuan dengan menggunakan sarung sebagai media ekspresi. Kostum mereka mirip tank top dengan paduan celana sepanjang tengah betis.

Menurut koordinator organizing committee pawai, Nia Sjafirudin, sebagian kelompok kesenian mendapat dukungan pemerintah daerahnya, seperti kelompok kesenian dari Pacitan.

Inisiatif masyarakat

Banyaknya jumlah peserta dari berbagai kalangan dari berbagai wilayah ini menunjukkan dukungan mereka pada penolakan RUU APP dan pornografi yang dianggap mengancam keberagaman budaya Indonesia.

Cendekiawan Dawam Rahardjo dalam orasi singkat di atas panggung di depan HI mengatakan, keberagaman dalam persatuan adalah yang membentuk Indonesia. Persatuan, ujar Dawam, berbeda dengan persamaan. Justru potensi konflik sangat besar bila di Indonesia dilakukan penyamaan atau penyeragaman.

Pawai dimulai dari lapangan Monumen Nasional (Monas) Jakarta sekitar pukul 11.00, diawali pembacaan pernyataan sikap oleh Ny Sinta Nuriyah Wahid. Pawai budaya dibuka Ratu Hemas dari Yogyakarta dengan memecahkan kendi. Ny Nuriyah Wahid mengikuti pawai dengan menggunakan kursi roda bersama putrinya, Yenny Wahid.

Sejumlah sosok dari berbagai kelompok turut dalam pawai, seperti Franky Sahilatua, Ratna Sarumpaet, Dawam Rahardjo, Inul Daratista, Ayu Utami, Adi Kurdi, Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, Jajang C Noer, Rima Melati, Yeni Rosa Damayanti, Butet Kertaradjasa, Sukmawati Soekarnoputri, Garin Nugroho, Goenawan Moehammad, dan Nia Dinata.

Pawai bergerak dari Monas menuju Bundaran HI-Jalan Panglima Sudirman dengan membagi pamflet dan mawar putih. Di Bundaran HI sudah berdiri panggung untuk peserta mengekspresikan kesenian mereka.

Menurut salah satu steering committee pawai, Hermandari, pawai ini sepenuhnya merupakan inisiatif masyarakat. Dana untuk membangun panggung, menyewa truk tronton untuk pentas, dan berbagai hiasan, berasal dari individu-individu.

"Pawai diorganisasikan dalam 12 hari. Tiap orang mengontak teman yang lain hingga terkumpul jumlah peserta sebanyak ini," tutur Hermandari, Ketua Yayasan Gerakan Pemberdayaan Swara Perempuan yang didirikan antara lain oleh Ratu Hemas, Ny Herawati Diah, dan Prof Mayling Oei- Gardiner.

Untuk mengamankan jalannya pawai, Polda Metro Jaya mengerahkan 1.500 personel. Menurut Kepala Biro Operasi Polda Metro Jaya Komisaris Besar Komang Udayana, sepanjang acara pawai dikerahkan 700 personel.

Tolak pornografi

Pernyataan sikap Aliansi Bhinneka Tunggal Ika yang dibacakan Ny Sinta Nuriyah Wahid dengan tegas menolak keras maraknya pornografi karena itu adalah sebuah bentuk eksploitasi berlebihan atas seksualitas melalui majalah, buku, film, internet, dan sebagainya yang tersebar secara meluas dan dengan mudah diakses masyarakat. Itu semua dinilai sangat merusak moral bangsa dan melecehkan perempuan.

Namun, mereka juga menolak dengan tegas apabila pencegahan atas peredaran pornografi dilakukan dengan melahirkan undang- undang yang mengatur moral dan akhlak manusia Indonesia secara pukul rata, seperti yang tertera dalam RUU APP. RUU APP berpotensi melakukan penyeragaman budaya dan merupakan bentuk pengkhianatan/pelecehan terhadap dasar negara Indonesia, UUD 1945, Pancasila dan Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, serta mengancam terjadinya disintegrasi.

"Kalau DPR RI serius hendak menghentikan pornografi, DPR harus memanfaatkan seluruh kewenangan yang dimilikinya untuk mengontrol kerja pemerintah dalam memberantas produk pornografi, bukan malah merancang undang-undang baru yang mencampuri dan mengatur moral orang per orang, karena pengaturan moral dan etika lebih merupakan wewenang lembaga pendidikan, lembaga agama, budaya, dan keluarga" tegasnya. (LOK/CAL/DHF/NMP)

Alvin

April 23rd, 2006, 05:44 AM

To me, this looks like a veiled attack against the anti-porn bill by the President.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Tumbuhkan Semangat Bhinneka Tunggal Ika

Makassar, Kompas - Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono mengingatkan bangsa Indonesia untuk menumbuhkan kembali semangat Bhinneka Tunggal Ika dalam kehidupan berbangsa dan bernegara. Keberagaman yang ada di Indonesia dan toleransi atas keberagaman itu terbukti dapat mempersatukan bangsa ini. Kebersamaan dan keberagaman yang tumbuh dalam toleransi membuat bangsa ini kuat dan dapat mengatasi berbagai persoalan, termasuk krisis berat tahun 1998-2000.

Hal itu dikatakan Presiden saat berbicara pada Perayaan Nasional Dharma Shanti Hari Raya Nyepi Tahun Baru Saka 1928 di Balai Prajurit M Jusuf di Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan, Sabtu (22/4) malam. Turut hadir pada acara itu Ny Ani Yudhoyono, Menteri Dalam Negeri Moh Ma’ruf, Menteri Agama Maftuh Basyuni, dan sejumlah menteri lainnya. Rencananya, hari Minggu ini Presiden akan menghadiri peringatan Hari Bumi di Universitas Hasanuddin, sekaligus berdialog dengan mahasiswa.

"Indonesia negara majemuk, terdiri atas banyak suku, adat, budaya, dan agama yang berbeda-beda. Kita bersyukur di antara keberagaman itu tercipta kerukunan antarumat beragama, saling menghormati satu sama lain, seperti dilakukan pendahulu kita. Karena itu, mari kita tumbuhkan kembali semangat Bhinneka Tunggal Ika," ujar Presiden.

Presiden mengingatkan, Indonesia pernah mengalami krisis yang berat pada era 1998 hingga 2000 yang meliputi krisis ekonomi dan berbagai konflik antarwarga. Berbagai persoalan itu akhirnya bisa diatasi dengan kebersamaan dan persatuan antarwarga. "Kita bisa pulih, pertumbuhan ekonomi terjadi, fundamental ekonomi bisa terjaga, investasi berjalan, dunia percaya pada kita. Semua itu bisa diatasi dengan semangat Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, kebersamaan dan persatuan. Karena itu, mari kita kembali ke semangat Bhinneka Tunggal Ika," kata Presiden.

Menurut Presiden, dalam situasi negara yang terus membaik ini, bangsa Indonesia perlu terus menjaga dan mempererat persatuan dalam toleransi dan keharmonisan. Karena itu, segala tingkah laku dan perbuatan yang tidak sesuai dengan semangat Bhinneka Tunggal Ika harus ditinggalkan. Dalam keberagaman dan kehidupan keseharian yang kerap penuh dengan kekerasan, kesombongan, dan keangkuhan, bangsa Indonesia diminta selalu saling mengingatkan berbuat kebaikan dan menjauhi kejahatan.

"Kita semua harus kembali ke jalan Tuhan, dalam agama masing-masing. Saya berharap seluruh komponen pemuka agama melakukan pembinaan, pencerahan kepada umatnya yang mengajak pada kebaikan dan harmonisasi, baik manusia dengan Tuhan, manusia dengan manusia, dan manusia dengan alam semesta," kata Presiden.

Dalam kerangka toleransi dan kebersamaan, Presiden mengingatkan untuk menjaga dan meningkatkan rasa kemanusiaan, terutama menghadapi berbagai bencana alam belakangan ini.

"Kita menyaksikan banjir dan longsor terjadi di mana-mana. Kita menyaksikan sebagian saudara kita di Yogyakarta sedang bersiap-siap menghadapi bencana letusan Gunung Merapi. Apakah kita masih punya keinginan, punya kesetiakawanan, dan rasa kemanusiaan untuk menyantuni dan membantu mereka yang terkena musibah?" katanya. (Ren)

Blue_Sky

April 23rd, 2006, 06:08 AM

http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/4638/230406app28mq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

JAKARTA-Ribuan massa turut ambil bagian dalam Karnaval Budaya menolak Rancangan Undang-Undang Anti Pronografi dan Pornoaksi (RUU APP) kemarin. Mereka melakukan long march dari kawasan Monas menuju Bundaran Hotel Indonesia, Jakarta.

Aksi bertajuk Selamatkan Bhinneka Tunggal Ika ini diikuti oleh beragam kalangan. Mulai tokoh masyarakat Sinta Nuriyah, GKR Hemas, hingga kalangan artis dan seniman seperti Rieke Diah Pitaloka, Becky Tumewu, Rima Melati, Inul Daratista, Putu Wijaya, Garin Nugroho, dan Nia Dinata. Tak ketinggalan, para Puteri Indonesia, Nadine Chandrawinata, Artika Sari Devi, Marcia Margaretha, Elisa Astuti, dan Maya. Termasuk juga mbok penjual jamu gendong, anak TK dan waria.

Mereka mengenakan pakaian tradisional dan mengusung kesenian daerah dari daerahnya masing-masing. Pun para putri Indonesia yang tergabung dalam Aliansi Mawar Putih. Mereka berdemo dalam balutan kebaya-kebaya yang cantik dan menarik.

’’Kami tidak setuju dengan RUU APP ini. Ada yang bilang senyum saya seksi, mata saya sensual, sampai jempol saya pun seksi. Lalu bagaimana saya kalau berfoto, harus seperti apa,’’ ujar Nadine Chandrawinata dalam orasinya di hadapan ribuan massa tersebut.

Nadine menyatakan, seksi itu terdapat dalam persepsi pikiran masing-masing orang yang tidak bisa dibatasi dengan undang–undang. Nadine khawatir jika keanekaragaman budaya Indonesia akan hilang jika RUU ini disahkan. ’’Bagaimana dengan tarian-tarian tradisional kita. Saya pakai kebaya seperti ini juga bisa dilarang. Padahal ini warisan budaya,’’ paparnya bersemangat.

Pendapat ini juga diamini oleh Artika Sari Devi. Penyandang 15 besar Miss Universe 2005 ini menganggap RUU ini malah melecehkan martabat kaum wanita. ’’RUU ini tidak melindungi wanita, malah melecehkan wanita, sangat naif jika etika dan moral harus diatur dengan undang-undang,’’ ujarnya.

Menurutnya, RUU ini sudah terlalu jauh memasuki wilayah pribadi orang per orang. Akan lebih baik, menurutnya, jika pemerintah mematangkan kembali UU Kekerasan Dalam Rumah Tangga ketimbang membuat UU APP ini. Meski sempat diguyur hujan, semangat para peserta aksi tidak surut. Mereka tetap mengikuti acara yang dipusatkan di panggung seni.

Penyanyi Inul Daratista yang disodori microphone untuk berorasi memilih diam. Inul baru mau membuka mulut saat Rieke Diah Pitaloka memberikan jaminan orasinya bakal aman. ’’Ayo ngomong saja, jangan takut rumahmu digrebek lagi. Nanti kita ganti grebek,’’ bujuk Rieke yang bertindak sebagai MC di acara tersebut.

Mendengar hal itu, Inul tak ragu-ragu untuk menyuarakan penolakannya terhadap RUU APP ini. Inul bahkan menyumbangkan lagu plus goyangan ngebornya. Tak kurang dari 600 personil kepolisian diterjunkan untuk mengantisipasi tindakan anarkhis. Namun, aksi yang sempat memacetkan ruas Jalan Tamrin ini tetap berlangsung dengan damai hingga acara diakhiri pukul 17.00 WIB.

Sayangnya, aksi damai ini sempat diwarnai dengan aksi pamer dada yang dilakukan oleh seorang waria yang juga menjadi peserta aksi di mobil tronton, tempat panggung didirikan di pojok kawasan Bundaran HI. Mereka mengenakan pakaian serba seksi. Tiba-tiba salah seorang dari mereka mengangkat pakaiannya ke atas dan memamerkan payudaranya. Teman-teman satu kelompoknya juga tampak tertawa-tawa.

Panitia Karnaval mengaku tidak mengetahui ada aksi pamer payudara ini.

“Saya tidak tahu,” kata Steering Committee Karnaval Budaya Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, Ratna Sarumpaet. Ratna tidak mau berkomentar lebih banyak mengenai hal ini, termasuk saat ditanya apakah aksi yang dilakukan sekelompok waria itu mengotori aksi damai menolak RUU APP.(nik/jpnn/*/dtc)

=========================================================

Cuma Waria

:D:D

stoofy

April 23rd, 2006, 07:00 AM

im so proud of those women! if im in jakarta, im sooooo there!

Blue_Sky

April 23rd, 2006, 08:04 AM

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a270/Personal_Worker/demo6.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a270/Personal_Worker/demo2.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a270/Personal_Worker/demo1.jpg

source : http://www.detik.com/beritafoto/public/index.php?fuseaction=detik.readfoto&tahun=2006&bulan=04&tgl=22&time=161232&idnews=580423&idkanal=157&id=2

XxRyoChanxX

April 23rd, 2006, 11:27 PM

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a270/Personal_Worker/demo6.jpg

im sorry but WTF is she trying to proof?...that's just stupid...

Zorobabel

April 24th, 2006, 02:47 AM

Well, her and her friends don't look too smart in the first place.

Blue_Sky

April 24th, 2006, 05:48 AM

im sorry but WTF is she trying to proof?...that's just stupid...

Well, her and her friends don't look too smart in the first place.
Read my previous post
It's a HE not SHE
The rest of your statement I agree

Zorobabel

April 24th, 2006, 06:55 AM

That would explain his looks.

us_lukman

April 24th, 2006, 07:59 AM

http://i3.tinypic.com/wb3oeq.jpg

http://i3.tinypic.com/wb3pqf.jpg

http://i3.tinypic.com/wb3pud.jpg

http://i3.tinypic.com/wb3pzc.jpg

http://i3.tinypic.com/wb3q51.jpg

If we see these pictures, you can see how old they are and so brutal.

Blue_Sky

April 24th, 2006, 08:01 AM

Bonek never change

sanhen

April 24th, 2006, 09:14 AM

and when they older they will join demonstration claiming government never provide place for them to work.. they can not feed their family.. why they stay poor.. why they never have money etc etc.....

what a bunch of assholes.

Alvin

April 26th, 2006, 08:04 AM

April, 24 2006 @ 01:09 pm

Membendung Shahwat Kok Minta Bantuan Negara!

Masalah moral masalah akhlak biar kami cari sendiri
Urus saja moralmu urus saja akhlakmu
Peraturan yang sehat yang kami mau
(Iwan Fals)

Ratu Hemas, istri Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, raja sekaligus gubernur Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, menelpon juru bicara presiden Andi Malarangeng, pada pagi Sabtu 22 April 2006 dari Monas, Jakarta. “Saya membawa rombongan 150 seniman dari Yogyakarta. Saya tak mau seniman saya terluka atau lecet sedikit pun karena pemerintah dan polisi tak mampu mengendalikan
sekelompok masyarakat yang menggunakan kekerasan untuk memaksakan kehendaknya!”

Telpon Ratu Hemas tadi mengkhawatirkan serangan dari FPI (Front Pembela Islam) yang akan mengganggu jalannya aksi damai Pawai Bhinneka Tunggal Ika dari Monas ke bundaran Hotel Indonesia. Kekhawatiran itu beralasan karena banyak bukti polisi tak bisa bertindak maksimal saat terjadi aksi kekerasan FPI seperti terakhir terhadap kantor majalah Playboy.

Tujuan pawai yang diikuti sekitar 7.000 orang itu adalah menegaskan penolakan terhadap segala bentuk pornografi, namun juga menolak Rancangan Undang Undang Anti Pornografi dan Pornoaksi (RUU Porno). Mereka menolak RUU Porno harus ditentang? Karena RUU Porno tak mengakui "kebhinnekaan" masyarakat Indonesia, membunuh kebudayaan ratusan suku bangsa dengan memaksakan penyeragaman budaya dan tak memberikan perlindungan kepada kaum perempuan, bahkan menyudutkan perempuan dengan menempatkannya sebagai penyebab utama bejatnya moral bangsa.

Pawai Budaya Bhinneka Tunggal Ika mengingatkan kembali bahwa bangsa Indonesia memiliki keragaman budaya dari Aceh sampai Papua. Keragaman itu selain ditunjukkan dengan aneka kesenian daerah, juga diperagakan dengan aneka pakaian tradisional. Pakaian daerah dari yang semi tertutup dari Aceh, semi terbuka, sampai terbuka dari Papua. Semua itu dalah kekayaan budaya yang tiada taranya.

Soal pakaian ini menjadi penting karena salah satu tokoh MUI pendukung RUU Porno mengatakan, “Pakaian adat Indonesia yang mempertontonkan aurat sebaiknya disimpan saja di musium. Itu harus dianggap sebagai pornoaksi dan harus masuk dalam kategori porno yang diatur dalam RUU APP. Simpan saja di musium, jangan dilestarikan, karena tidak sesuai dengan martabat bangsa ini. Biar jadi sejarah.” (KCM, 13/3/06)

“Sungguh ini menghina saya sebagai lelaki. Masak soal mengatur shahwat harus minta bantuan negara?” tanya Butet Kartarejaja Raja Monolog yang memimpin rombongan seniman dari Yogyakarta. “Masak sampean yang ngaceng kok perempaun yang disalahin?” ujar Dadang Ismawan, Presiden Jaringan Kafir Liberal (Jakar). Peserta pawai lainnya, Marto Art dari Komunitas Bintang Sabit mengatakan, “Indonesia bukan Arab Saudi. Jangan samakan shahwat orang Indonesia dengan Arab Saudi. Karena itu harus ditentang penyeragaman budaya, apalagi penjajahan budaya Arab di Indonesia.” Coba bayangkan berapa TKW kita yang diperkosa di Arab Saudi meski mereka memakai baju tertutup. Bandingkan dengan para TKW di Hongkong yang tak memakai pakaian tertutup seperti di Arab Saudi. "Jadi bukan karena TKW kita yang kegenitan, tetapi memang shahwat para majikan mereka kelewatan!" tambah Marto.

Sungguh bangsa Indonesia sedang menghadapi ancaman besar yaitu Talibanisme. Ancaman itu sungguh berbahaya karena akan membawa bangsa ini kepada apa yang dimaksud zero culture. Sebuah masyarakat tanpa kebudayaan, sebab senua diseragamkan. Pakaian perempuan harus seragam agar para mullah tak ngaceng kalau sedang berjalan-jalan. Para lelaki harus memakai jenggot. Permainan layang-layang diharamkan entah apa penjelasan akal sehatnya, patung-patung bersejarah peninggalan zaman duku mungkin harus dimusnahkan termasuk patung Rara Jonggrang yang tak pakai beha.

Sekali lagi. Pecinta Indonesia yang berbhinneka harus melawan setiap usaha negara untuk menyeragamkan pikiran dan tingkah laku. Ancaman itu ada di depan mata yaitu RUU Porno. Kita tak ingin Indonesia terpuruk menjadi sebuah negara atau tatanan masyarakat seperti Taliban di Afghanistan atau di Arab Saudi.

By: Tri Agus Siswowiharjo | Category: Society & Culture

stoofy

April 26th, 2006, 04:59 PM