Forgive Me for Not to Obey Your Fatwa

It’s still fresh in my mind, where Megawati’s PDI (Indonesia Democracy Party) harshly knocked-out by Suharto’s power in 1996. I was still 3 months since I set my feet on Jakarta from my hometown.

Everybody knew Megawati was a serious menace of Suharto’s Golkar at that time, and 1996 was only a year ahead of the election. Like previous elections, Golkar always wanted vote majority in order to keep Suharto in reign. Time could not be stopped and Megawati popularity has made the Suharto’s circle depressed. They seemed so fearful the Soekarno’s spirit was coming back.

With a very dirt scenario, Suharto’s regime created drama by conspiring with several PDI executives to organize a congress in Medan. The congress, as predicted clearly by everyone, finally appointed Soerjadi as PDI chairman, Fatimah Ahmad as deputy chairman and Butu Hutapea as the secretary general (Soerjadi is Megawati’s predecessor). It means, Megawati who had been selected by National Meeting in Surabaya in 1993, was kicked-out of the position as chairwoman. The government then gave a blessing on Soerjadi and team.

Soerjadi, backed by the government then forcefully seized the PDI head quarter in Jl. Diponegoro Jakarta. The bloody incident then popularly known as “27 July tragedy” where claimed so many lives (the exact numbers of the victims is still not clear till today). After the incident, Megawati had been attempted to take legal action against the government, but, it’s totally failed.

***

1997 had come, and general election was conducted. Many national figures suggested Megawati to boycott the election, but others also said it apparently would not create significant impact since the government already had a “puppet” PDI chaired by Soerjadi. In other words, general election would keep running because the 3 contestants were ready to participate.

Other figures suggested Megawati to campaign for blank vote (golput=golongan putih) 1). Arief Budiman said: “If Megawati asked her followers not to cast their vote, the blank vote numbers would increase significantly and it would make government fearful upon the election legitimacy.”

On 22 May 1997, several days ahead of election, Megawati stood before her followers who fully congregated in her house in Jalan Kebagusan Pasar Minggu Jakarta, declared: “I decided not to exercise my political right to cast my vote in the election.” It means, Megawati had to choose “not to choose” alias golput in the election. That was a very logic decision. After that time, the United Development Party (PPP), the Islamic based party, tried to woo the disappointed Megawati loyalist to cast their vote to PPP (popularly known with “Mega-Bintang” 2) slogan), however, Megawati clearly rejected because of the wide difference of ideology between the two parties.

As a minority, I was impossible to cast my vote to PPP. So, the options were only two, either Golkar or PDI under the traitor Soerjadi. As I so hurtful looked at Megawati who displaced by the very dirt conspiracy, I then felt so disgust to PDI’s Soerjadi. So, what would I do? Should I maintain my obedience as a good citizen to cast my vote? If so, which party should I choose? Is it Golkar? - the vehicle of dictatorship that shameless of doing everything for the sake of power? The party that blindly and arrogantly claimed that people is still behind them (at that time?)

In church, a couple days ahead of D-day of voting, my Pastor who was wearing a yellow coat said at the end of preaching: “Brothers and sisters, you all see what do I wear and why do I wear such attire like this. I just want to remind you the event next couple days. Just don’t forget this."

After the church service ended, many people walked out of the church and whispered about the statement. I assumed part of us was being confused. But I walked surely and convinced myself to follow Megawati 3). On the D-day, I went to the voting location, entered the voting booth, but punched nothing. I went out of the booth and put the ballot paper in the ballot box. I had become a golput in 1997 election. Please forgive me not to obey your fatwa, my Pastor.

Today we are surprised with fatwa (edict) issued by Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), who states that it’s haram (forbidden) to be a golput.4) But after thinking for a while, I decided to calm and not so reactive. It’s ok for MUI to issue a fatwa. Don’t be angry, my friend. That is MUI’s job, right? It is up to you whether to follow the fatwa or not, like what I did in 1997. Just do what you think is right. But you have to have a strong reason in decision to vote or not to vote. Are you being frightened by hell if you choose being golput?

Do you know what had happened to the regime that formed by 1997 election? Just remember the May 1998 tragedy – the most tragic of modern Indonesian history that I’ve ever seen.

***

Serpong, 28 January 2009
Titus J.

Note:
1. Golput - stands for “Golongan Putih”, is actually a term of abstention in an election procedure. It is mentioned as golput (white group) because people who not feel adequately informed (or comfortable) on particular issue, cast a blank (or white) vote. Blank vote is considered as protest vote.
2. Bintang (star) was PPP’s party logo. The “Mega-Bintang” slogan was suddenly appeared in the middle of 1997 campaign period to entice Megawati followers to pro PPP. It was not a coalition, but only a slogan which in reality not rising the PPP votes significantly in 1997 election.
3. In a statement recently, Megawati stated that people who choose to be a golput are not deserve to be an Indonesian citizen (WNI). The statement was made in Ambon when she campaigned for Karel Albert Ralahalu - Said Assagaff for governor of Maluku (Kompas, 5 July 2008). I deeply deplore her statement, and confuse she made such statement. I hope she remember what she did on 1997 election.
4. The suggestion for MUI to issue an edict to forbid a golput is suggested by Hidayat Nur Wahid, the People Consultative Assembly speaker and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) chief patron. I don’t really understand why it’s dragged to religion.
5. In 1997 I was golput, but in this year election (2009), I will not, because I have had a choice.

When God Is Not Powerful Anymore

We often perceive that God has to be powerful and can do anything. We force HIM to show His power, force HIM to do something that we want to. We are sure He will always hear us and help us because what we ask is any good things. We are trying to praise HIM and adore HIM by saying: “Oh God, You are so powerful, You could do anything and You could change anything as nothing is impossible for You.” But, then, after days gone and nothing happen, we disappointed to, and, even mock HIM.

A drunk fights with his habit and intends to stop the behavior, but the more he attempts to stop the more he faces temptation. He then prays to God asking God to change him to be a good man. After several years he still struggles with that, but instead deeper involved as a drunken master. In the desperate and hopeless situation he eventually tells everybody: “God is not powerful. In fact He could not change me. What’s wrong with my request? I asked a good thing!”

A woman experiences a bitter relationship with her husband. She’s complaining her husband of being dull and not as attentive as she expected. The husband even does not care with her, so egoistic as he loves his job more than her. He even forces her to work helping him otherwise she will not deserve getting money from him. The woman then asks God to change her husband. She asks God to change him to become more romantic man so he will be able to gently caring her. Fifteen years passed, their children are growing to teenagers, but the situation is deteriorated.

She then makes affairs with a man. The woman feels falling in love again with the man who gives her the whole things that she’s never received from her husband. She is intoxicated with love, like a teenager who every time and every moment wants a meeting with the boy friend. After knowing the affairs, the husband asks her to end the affairs. He seriously begs apology for all of his faults, and asks her to give a chance for him to rectify. But the woman says: “It’s too late.”

Now the woman tells God: “Oh God, you might touch my husband so that he realized his faults, then asked me regretfully to understand his failures, but now it’s difficult to me to forgive him as I have had someone who cares me and loves me. I got everything that I missed for so long time. I could not forget my boy friend unless You changes me. Tell me if I am doing something wrong, or force me to come back to my husband if You really want me to reconcile with him.”
Then the scandal moves-on. The woman more intensive in meeting and walking with the man. Her friends and relatives deplore her blunt feeling and criticize her demeanor that she would not open her heart – neither for her husband nor her children. “It’s too late,” she repeatedly says. “Why doesn’t God change my husband long time ago? Does God really understand my bitterness, and really have a power to force my husband for repentance?”

***

For some people, God often irritates them. God’s way also confuses them many times. “He is not powerful anymore,” says the drunk man who asks God to change him to be a good man. “God too slow to take action, He always late,” says the woman who asks God to change her husband.
Is God blind or deaf?
We usually demand God to be proactive to prevent us from doing bad things. In our praying we always praise His power that can do anything. We expect HIM to help us in our difficult time. We ask God to be our helper, then we thought everything will be God’s business afterward. That’s why if we’re still doing wrong, that is not our failure, that has to be God’s failure because He didn’t take us out of the evils.

The drunk man wants his attitude to be changed, but he never says “NO” when friends entice him to take alcoholic drinks. He never avoids gathering between drinkers either. He keeps alcoholic drinks as a collection proudly. He enjoys his job which always makes him deal with anything distressful. And when he experiences a distress, he takes it.

The woman asks God for her husband to repent, so their family will be restored. However, she continuously claims she is right and her husband wrong, and surely says the one who needs changes and repentance is him, not her. She tries to stop having affairs with the her boy friend, but, she never stops meeting with the man, calling him, and “sms”ing 1) him continuously. When her husband came to her asking forgiveness, she rejected it. She was doubtful her husband really repented. Her heart burned with revenge. She even accuses God for doing unfair to her, because everybody defends the husband for the repentance, but not consider her hurt feeling for so long time living together with him. She expects everybody understand her difficulty to forgive him, even if she bring the revenge till the end.

Yeah, God is not powerful anymore – HE could not change the drunk man to be a good man as well as change the woman to stop the affairs and forgive her husband. Is God really no longer powerful? I am worry, it is us who make God being powerful or powerless.


Serpong, 20 January 2009
Titus J.

Note:
1. sms = short message service

Let's Pray For Peace In GAZA

I received an email from my friend who has been working in Dubai since 2006 telling me that new year’s eve in the country (UAE) was not so as lively as usual before. While we, who are living in Indonesia particularly Jakarta so cheerful celebrating new year with fireworks and long night party. My friend told me the people of Dubai quietly stayed at home or went to mosques and churches to pray for Palestinian. There was no party, no fireworks, no trumpet blown in the night of 31 Dec 08.

The UAE government asked everybody to welcome new year calmly as part of apprehensive attitude upon what was happening in Gaza – Palestine. The UAE government said it was not a wise attitude conducting a party while brothers and sisters in Palestine are moaning from pain in the war zone.

War always creates deep misery, not to the elite figures, but to ordinary people. We don’t need to care either Israel or Hamas is standing in the right side. We don’t need to blame either Simon Peres or Ismail Haniya who creates so long troubles in the disputed zone. Ask them and they will claim each other that the truth is theirs. That is the never ending story, never ending dispute, and never ending distrust between the two.

When I put this article’s title of “Let’s pray for peace in Gaza”, honestly I also doubtful it could come to the reality. Am I skeptical about God’s power to create a peace there? Not at all. Isn’t HE the true peace itself? Yes, He is the peace, and He once said to His followers: “My peace I give unto you…” However, why the peace so faraway, going somewhere and never come, particularly in the Palestine land which till now is claimed by two nations, i.e. Israel and Palestine?

So many peace talks organized by sponsor of many countries, their leaders shake-hand on the table, smiling, cheek kissing and holding hand in hand in front of journalists from all countries, from Yitzhak Rabin - Yasser Arafat to Ehud Olmert - Mahmoud Abbas, but, are we sure Israel and Palestine have strong willingness for peace? If they both still distrust each other, why we ask God to force the peace to happen there?

***

Today there is war in the land, in Gaza, the stronghold of hardliner Hamas faction of Palestine. Israel warplanes strikes everything in Gaza, blind-eyes drops the bombs not only to Hamas office but also to civil residences. And everybody in the world including Indonesia tells everything, thought they could resolve it by this and by that, raids on demonstration across the world, burning Israel national flags, burning Bush effigy, while people of Palestine dying!

I learned from my previous company that whenever the trouble occurs, just refrain to seek and point-finger who is fault. Restore the operation as quickly as possible in order to run the business back to normal. Afterward, we could search more carefully the root cause. That was the key principle from which I learned from.

Now, Gaza is under fire, casualties has already reached more than 500 lives, of which were the civilians and innocent people. Is it necessary to discuss the land history, the broken truce, where are the missiles coming from, why the attacks happens, why Israelis so aggressive, why Hamas stubborn and do not want to step back, who launch the rockets first, who offensive and who defensive, where is Ban Ki Moon, why UN Security Council looked powerless to stop the war, why US always backs Israel, why Obama silent???

Everybody condemns Israel since it looked so excessive, aggressive and being reckless towards worldwide voices to stop the attacks. I do so, not because I am in Hamas side, but it merely for the sake of humanity. Natural feelings always tend to protect the inferior against the superior, no matter who they are. They are just human being, like me, like us. I just could not let myself look at the terrible situation, where tearful father carrying his boy’s body to the grave, where a little girl crying before her mother’s dead body in the middle of ruins and billowing smoke, where children hide fearful with their innocent gaze. I felt so desperate looking at the wounded screaming, groaning, dying, while no medicines, no paramedics to help them.

The most important and crucial point right now is to stop the fighting by anything, not to blow the fire by idea of physical jihad to the zone. Are we trying to become heroes by doing jihad carrying a weapon there? Are we sure they need jihad like this? The Palestine people right now need a basic aid such as foods, medicines, shelters, and paramedics. I glad some of our humanitarian volunteers went there to disburse all of those things. Wish it is not political motivated. However, besides such materials, moreover, Palestinian need a moral support to convince them that the world cares and they are not alone, like in Dubai that my friend wrote in his email – they were asked by UAE government to pray in mosques, in churches, in everywhere for peace in Gaza.

Unfortunately Indonesia, the most moslem population country in the world, celebrated new year’s eve as usual: with fireworks, with blowing trumpets, with parties, no sign of sincere sympathy, isn’t it?

***

Serpong, 6 Jan 2009
Titus J.

related story: Will Peace be Keen to Come?