REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly Zulkifli Hasan asked the public to reduce political misunderstanding. He said, misconceptions of politics has created greater friction in the society.
"The people of Indonesia are now surrounded by many sharp and serious misunderstanding of politics," he said during a speech at the National Symposium ICMI Expert Council, Socialization of the Four Pillars of Nationality in the MPR on Saturday (September 23).
He uttered the first misconception is assumption growing in certain party who thought people who practice their religion -- such as a devout Muslims -- are moving away from the spirit of nationalism.
"This is a serious misunderstanding," he argued.
He believed, nationalism and religious understanding mutually support in Indonesia. Being a devout believer is the way to be a good citizen. "In Islam, as conveyed by KH. Hasyim Asy'ari, loving the homeland is a part of faith," he said.
For Muslims in Indonesia, practicing religious teaching is the base of the nation. Zulkifli believed Christians, Catholics, Hindus, Buddhists and Confucians share the same spirit.
Labelling others during a political contestation is the second misconception, Zulkifli said. People were stamped intolerance, not devoted to Unitary State of Republic Indonesia, kafir, hypocrite and so on as they have different preference of candidate in the election.
"Winning and losing in the election is a common thing. Don't labelled people because of politics," he said.
Zulkifli noticed the friction also emerge in the case of G30S/PKI movie screening. People were divided by grouping and accusing one another as pro to the New Order and pro to the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).
"Surprisingly, those who claimed themselves as the most loyal to Pancasila tend to group the people," he said.
Denying the role of ulemas and Muslims in Indonesian history is the third misconception, according to Zulkifli.
To be honest, Muslims and ulema have a significant role to liberate this nation, in addition to other religious believers, he said.
"Muslims are taught to tolerate. We are very mature on understanding tolerance," he reiterated.
He deplored Muslims are constantly fighting and splitting on a very trivial matters. "We are still fighting about tarawih prayers rakaat whether 11 or 8 and determining hilal while gold mines and strategic positions are taken by foreigners," he said.
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