Individualism
Jun 23rd, 2007, in News, by PatungPeople are anti-social and individualist, allowing terrorists to hide easily.
On the recent arrests of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leaders Zarkarsih and Abu Dujana (Yusron Mahmudi/Ainul Bahri) the chairman of the Magelang parliament in Central Java, Achmad Labib (PKB, dprd-magelangkab), complains that the modern tendency towards individualism is the reason why terrorists are able to hide and evade capture for so long.
People are becoming individualistic, they don’t want to know about the affairs of other people.
In the past this anti-social individualism was only to be found in the cities but now it had spread to the villages. Villagers now just concerned themselves with their own interests and affairs and took no notice of what was going on around them. One example of this was the tendency of people to build high fences around their homes, he said.
Achmad Labib.
Terrorists had often been found to have rented homes in villages and on the outskirts of towns, and a lesson had to be learned from this. People had to give up their individualism and become involved and interested in the social life of their area.
Above all be on guard about terrorists hiding in your neighbourhood.
He made a plea to any terrorists still on the run: antara
They have to understand that Indonesia is a pluralistic country, there are many religions, and jihad is not synonymous with war, swords, and violence.
Meanwhile, in the little village of Donoharjo, Ngaglik, Sleman, Yogyakarta, a kind of party was held on 22nd June in which residents celebrated the capture of several suspected terrorists in their village a week before. About 200 villagers attended and said the Muslim recitation of faith, “there is no God but Allah”, as a form of thanks to God for being rid of the arrested men.
The Ngaglik local government head and police chief were on hand to advise the villagers:
If you need to, ask for [newcomers’] identity papers. At the least people should report to the local neighbourhood chief.
Said Mardiyono of the Ngaglik municipial government. Policemen Suradiyono urged the villagers: detik
Don’t look for anyone to blame, let the police handle things. Just go back to your normal activities.
Meanwhile again a Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) leader, Said Aqil Siradj, said he was very happy about the arrests of violent men who used Islamic symbols. He said there needs to be a new effort to teach people about true Islam, especially young people, so extremist groups do not find new recruits.
Said Aqil Siradj.
The many young people today who are enamoured with Islam could be easily fooled by the terrorists’ use of Islamic symbols and language, he said.
Having a long beard and wearing a turban is fine but it’s just symbolic and not enough to say that that person understands Islam.
Faith was not enough even, he said, but had to be complemented by charity, prayer, and good behaviour. republika
5 Comments on “Individualism”
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Abdul Khalid al Jumhuri says:
Bas,
Even in modern countries there is a sort of “neighborhood watch.” A country is only an extended size of a neighborhood. I do not see any dictatorship in the making here. What I see is a lot, and I mean a lot, of deaths of innocent bystanders were unaccounted for because of this damn wahabi terrorists. I mean, as a moslem I cannot simply say “Damn idiotic, incompetent, and sloppy Indonesian police!” when a bomb exploded in Bali; and then feel real good about it. They simply don’t jive in my brain; sorry. The fact is, there are “sleepers” in the midst and people are afraid to tell the authority because those sleepers seem to have religious authority (by virtue of dress code, fluency in Arabic, etc.) Which is what wahabis are selling to the naive. Look at what happens in Palestine now!I agree that we should not go back to the mid 60s when people’s life could be in danger simply because some other folks gossiping that others are members of the PKI. I believe today’s police is better (in handling arrest, at least) compared to 1966 when soldiers could knock on one’s door, and people just simply vanished to the abyss. I believe it is fair to be watchful and to be alert while at the same time respecting privacy of others. But common courtesy dictates that if I invite strangers to my house I will tell my neighbors who they are so that they know. I do not own the neighborhood, our neighbors also own it. I think, it is fair what the local authority is doing in the local context.
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Ihaknt says:
Having a long beard and wearing a turban is fine but it’s just symbolic and not enough to say that that person understands Islam.
Then how come if a woman doesnt wear a jilbab she maybe labelled a hooker? Even many of the ustadz seem to be salah kaprah and not understand Islam.
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Bas says:
Sorry but what I see here is very far from a normal a “sort of neighborhood watch”. Just as an example, in any free country you don’t have to register to Pak RT when you move somewhere.
And that security rules are so useless. A terorist will have a fake ID (only Rp. 140.000 in any town). Phone number registering? What a joke, you can register by sms and provide any fake name and address you want. All these things don’t make any good to Indonesia. Just make normal people lifes more difficult.
Does anyone know where that anti-democratic RT system is from? Isn’t it a legacy from the Japanese occupation? Implemented to watch citizen?
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Julita says:
Said Aqil Siradj.
The many young people today who are enamored with Islam could be easily fooled by the terrorists’ use of Islamic symbols and language, he said.Faith was not enough even, he said, but had to be complemented by charity, prayer, and good behavior. [4]
Jlta. Excellent! Faith complemented by charity, prayer, and good behavior.
It is important since charity can overcome many issues. One thing though, which is not less important, ‘God helps those who help themselves.’ How could we be charitable if we are miserable and in need ourselves (it does mean that the poor cannot be charitable people)? How could we give what we do not have? So I hope Mr. Said goes one step further and promote that work/study is also very important. Keep their mind and body occupied and on contrary to what Mr. Said stated, they will not be easily fooled.
Work is not a punishment, but, on the contrary, dignity of life and a duty imposed by the Creator, for man was created, that he might work. Work is a means by which man shares in the task of creation, and therefore, whatever it may consist of, it is not only something that dignifies man, but is an instrument by which he attains human-earthly-perfection, as well as, supernatural perfection. Work is a blessing, something good, a fundamental dimension of human existence on earth. A talent that man receives in order to make it produce fruit, and it bears witness to his dominion over creation. It provides an opportunity to develop one’s personality. It is a bond, solidarity with other men, and is the way to support one’s family, a means of contributing to the improvement of the society in which we live and in aiding the progress of all humanity.
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That’s a good thing! It’s the police job to find terrorist. Let people live their lives without gossiping and trying to see what others do, with who they sleep, tell others how they must live and what they must do! F*** that dictatorial mentality.