By: Bustaman al Rauf *)

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, Realizing Indonesian people's lives to get to a developed and prosperous level based on human resources and sustainable development in the Internet age, political freedoms and democracy, undeveloped mental revolution in the midst of national plurality is not an easy task. 

Therefore, efforts to continue to assimilate the nationality and strengthen the national integrity is still very necessary because in fact this country has a great potential to experience social segregation. A warning to anticipate the emerging of social segregation is the issue of defamation of religious teaching in the elections of Jakarta.

Even though it is taking place in Jakarta, the case has been responded widely through rallies conducted in not only Jakarta, but also many other regions, including South Sulawesi.  

Assimilation nationality is the implementation process of community members integration activities of different races, tribes, and ethnicities through social interaction in the field of languages, customs, arts and culture, education, and economy.

The intermingling of nationalities can be reflected in the form of patriotism that has a lot of indicators, such as: being aware, understanding, and loving the territory, keeping the surrounding environment or other areas good; having awareness of the state and nation, fostering harmony, keeping the unity of the nation and the state; setting Pancasila as the state ideology, understanding and implementing the nature or value of Pancasila as well making it as unifier of the nation and the state; willing to sacrifice for the nation, sacrificing time, energy, thoughts, body and soul for the advancement of the nation.

Precautions against the decline in national values need to be filled with pillars comprehension or now called national basis consensus, the Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, the Unitary State of Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), and Unity in Diversity.

Intermingling steps can be implemented by promoting community activities, such as mutual assistance in social work, religious events and mutual respect among religions. Related to the location of the community which is still problematic and temporarily taken care of by the government and security forces at the level of Ministry of Home Affairs, the public should not act anarchist and not be worried about the location possession right as long as a real fact in the form of official land deed is available.

Strengthening the national integrity

Our national integrity, whether admitted or not, has been eroded by the spirit of conquest of power by any means, including putting the personal one’s group interest before public’s one and massive corruption that lead to wonder if the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is able to eradicate, demolish, help diminish the demoralization and improve the trust of subordinates to their leaders, and other acute problems.

One of the efforts of many ways to strengthen national integrity is to maintain religious harmony whose situation, whether recognized or not, is also less improved today. The younger generation, such as students, play an important role in strengthening the national integrity through maintaining religious harmony. Students and youths are future leaders and figures in the community, so they need to take the role to maintain religious harmony.

Before the Indonesian state was formed, matters relating to the religious harmony has been set. That people entitled to be citizens of Indonesia are those who believe in God.

In 1945 constitution, it is affirmed that the Indonesian government will protect citizens in conducting religious activities. Additionally, the Alquran has also stated that the Almighty created people in diverse ethnicity, race, and so on to know each other, not to tackle down each other. 

The current conditions occurring in Indonesia are that matters relating to religion is used by certain groups to attack their opponents, either in terms of politics or other matters.

Young generations are not expected to be deceived of the spreading issues. Youth need to understand the history background of the establishment of the state, so that they are not easily provoked by cheesy issues.

Every religion never taught to attack each other among religions. That racial issue is always used before the elections should leave us questioning. Youth must carefully observe these things that such issue will definitely be used by those who wish to gain power. Indonesia is a country of law, so if there is a friction between religious communities, public is expected to let the issue settled by the authorities.

Religious harmony is very important for the national life. Indonesia is a country that is inhabited by a variety of people, that makes the religious harmony becomes very important. Harmony can be achieved by increasing tolerance among inter religious groups, as well as religious society and the government.

Tolerance must be raised by religious communities in Indonesia amid the reality that we face today of a distance between people of different religions and the lack of interaction that is easily provoked by sensitive issue of religion. Therefore, the youth should take the role to maintain religious harmony in society.

Last but not least, to maintain a sense of nationhood, strengthen the national integrity, and maintain religious harmony, according to the author, is determined by the attitude, leadership and personality of leaders and officials of the country. If they can hold the mandate, not carry out corruption, and love the people and subordinates with no exception, the national safety will still be intact. If not, the other way around would happen.

*) The author is an observer of strategic issues in Indonesia working at LSISI Jakarta.

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