I hope I am not crossing the line when I say I hope that peace is upon both of you. Because I know first hand that you both have no peace within yourselves. And how do I know? From the Monas tragedy on June 1.
I witnessed the tragedy with my own eyes, in fact I was one of the victims with severe injuries myself. The attack was led by Munarman, as well as a group led by Habib Rizieq. The tragedy caused myself and several of my brothers and sisters to be badly injured. Physical wounds may heal, mental trauma can also be handled with therapy. But the way I see it, it is both of you that are hurting badly.
I have never seen such hatred and anger in a human. And I can't imagine what burden you have had to carry all this time. Your hatred, your anger and the violence that follows can eat you alive. After all you have violated the rights of other citizens in the name of a religion, which may spark national disintegration. It was also an insult to Pancasila and the Constitution.
But I still appreciate both of you as Indonesians. You cannot deny it with any reason -- both of you, I and other survivors are brothers and sisters, we are Indonesians. We live on this land, we have the same bond, the same memory of this country.
Although we were born into different family religious backgrounds. You were born into a Muslim family and I was born into a Hindu family. You are men and I am a woman. I believe there is one thing we have in common, which is that we are Indonesians.
The thing is that differences are inevitable, they are a certainty. There is nothing you can possibly do to eliminate it, including the existence of sects in a religion.
Pancasila, with its "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" (Unity in Diversity) slogan, is what unites this country. Our country consists of thousands of islands, many different tribes, races and religions, that have been united for many years by Pancasila. Again, this is not something you can deny. The question is, why are you so scared of it? If I am not mistaken, differences are a blessing from God, according to your Koran, right?
Therefore, I suggest you start to find some peace in yourselves. Manage your hatred and your anger in healthier ways, such as singing and dancing. I guarantee, you will find beauty everywhere. And you will find the beauty in difference, which previously always fired you up. Oh, by the way, if you are finished with yourselves, do not forget to spread it among your group. Indonesia will be much better off without hatred.
NYOMAN AISANYA WIBHUTI - Yogyakarta
Mon, 06/30/2008 10:49 AM | Reader's ForumSource -> www.thejakartapost.com