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Actions from various mass organizations held a Ust. Abdul Somad defense in Banda Aceh City, Aceh, Friday, August 23, 2019. (Photo: Tagar/Muhammad Fadhil) |
By: Benardo Sinambela
“[..] you don’t mess with us, wake up you are minority”
These days the
sentences are so populer in social media. There are many people write this
comment in their social media like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.
Terminology
“majority-minority” become so populer in Indonesia. First when the General
Election happens and second when there is problem with religion or religion
figure.
When other
country outside Indonesia have already spoken about humanity, but it’s
different in our country that we loved Indonesia. People in Indonesia still
speak about the privilige of being majority and the minority must obey the
majority and the minoriy should not demand anything though it is about the
country law.
Actually, at the
beginning i dont like this terminology, because for me that is part of the
discrimnination attitude. That formed in to narration to weaken certain group.
That is clear that the polarisation like this is so far away from the spirit of
humanity.
Seven house of
worship ,two vihara and five temple were burned down in just few hours by certain group of people in Tanjung Balai,
Sumatera Utara – Indonesia. The reason is Meliana or so we called Chinese
people in Indonesia tell about her complain when the loud speaker of the Mosque
in front of her home was too loud.
After that,
Meliana sentenced by the court guilty for 18 month and deemed to prison because
religion mockery according to Indonesian law verse 156a (156a KUHP).
Basuki Tjahaja
Purnama (BTP) or known as Ahok have been demonsrated by group of people so that
the court punish him because of religion mockery and sentence for 2 years in
jail because of his speech that connected with the verse from quran Almaidah 51
in Pramuka island, DKI Jakarta.
From 2017-2018,
International Amnesty have recorded there are 17 people in Indonesia that has
been punished for religion mockery or break the law article 156a KUHP. There
are 4 case in Sumatera island, 9 case in Java island, 1 case in Kalimantan, 1
case in in Nusa Tenggara Timur, 1 case in Bali island and 1 case in Papua. If
we look at the spreading Map, case about religion mockery concentrated in Java
Island and Sumatera.
Mockery to Islam
and Moeslem figure have the biggest number, according to that case there are
also connected with PKI (communist party) issue, Gafatar and false religion
according to Indonesian law. The victim about this case also come from many
background and profesion, there are from civil society and military society.
According to the
fact and short data above, it is happen not by accident that thoose people are
minority and punished or sentenced guilty in jail by the majority that is Islam
religion. Until this poin, at least the Indonesian article 156a about religion
mockery habe been used to sentence people to jail.
The next quesion
is, how about the law progress of Ustadz Abdul Somad Batubara that until now.
He has been reported to Police Department about his mockery to Christian and
Catholic religion according to his speech about cross of the Christ.
In the case of
UAS(ustadz abdul somad), Christian and Catholic people in Indonesia demand an
apogize, but it seems that UAS do not want to apologize because he said it
based on his faith in Islam.
As a Christian, i
totally understand the lesson and emotional feeling of Christian people about
love that has been taught by Jesus Christ. In Christianity dogma, Cross is the symbol of
redemption, hope and free from sins because already redempt by the blood of
Christ that flows because of his love to Human his Creation.
Before the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ, cross have been asummed as symbol of death, or
punishment to the people that consider guilty
or criminal. After the crucifixion cross became the simbol of
redemption, as reminder to the people that Jesus has overcome death.
If we look
carefully to the clip in the video that has been spreaded in social media, at
least there are two note that can release UAS from his sentence. It is about
the word “[...] so called like this :
Hallelujah” and body gesture like he have been crucified with word out of
his mouth like this “[...] his head lean
to the right or left?” and every one start to laugh. It is happen in one of
his speech or in Islam in Indonesia known as “pengajian”.
This word above are
clearly direct to Christian people and Catholic, because these two religion use
the word “Hallelujah” that come from Hebrew language “Hallelu” that means “to
worship/to say grace” and word ”Yah” means “God”. If the two word combined it
means “praise to the Lord”. According to that meaning, UAS explanation about
the word “Hallelujah” in his video are clearly wrong and provocative, adding by
his gesture to explain become a joke to his people that listen his speech.
As we know, that
loving and forgiving has been the responsibility of the follower of the Christ.
This is the standart behaviour from the people whom admit to follow Christ. For
that, there is no need to say I’m sorry , because whom they labeled Minority has already
forgiving.
But, there is
important thing that we cannot ignore as citizens, the law and the civil
society are ruled by law that has been agreed together.
The law must be
upheld even the sky is falling. If we don’t obey the law, this country will
fail as the Government. The Law exist to make sure that every people have the
same right in this country. The Government must act fair and square.
If Meliana and
Ahok case make the Moslem do demonstration because they feel insulted . i am
sure this UAS case will make his follower angry for the reason to defend their
religion figure (Ulama).
The other side that
insterested to observe, Majelis Ulama
Indonesia (MUI) the community of Islam figure act wisely with persuasive
approach that has been done to many Christian figure and to the people who
report UAS to the Police.
There are so many
offer from MUI to resolve this conflict, one of them is to wihtdraw the report
from Police, so that the law progress is stop.
But we must remember , that in the other mockery case. MUI don’t act the
same way, even the law enforcer often use MUI word to sentence the people who
mock their relligion.
Through the law
is the most correct and wisdom way of citizens seeking justice, not use presure
with mass mobilization and depend on who’s majority and who’s minority, because
we live in Indonesia that uphold Law above all.
Today , with the
case of UAS, Indonesia the country that we loved must show justice and law as
the commander in chief in every legas problems. So that every single citizen
have the same right and responsibility in the eyes of Law without looking the
colour of the skin, ethnic group, religon or race.
This country must
make sure that there will be no son and daughter of Indonesian Motherland
crying because of his/her right to get justice is gone, just because his/her
born was born as minority and the law is not upheld for minority, everybody is
equal before the law.
Every citizens
must realize though they are majority or they are not, that the progress and
supremacy of law must be upheld and respected for the benefit of this Nation.
I
hope there will be no intervention to the law and mass mobilization and also there
will be no court decision based on subjective consideration and politic pressure
so that the weak, the poor and the minority can find justice in this country. Through
this i want attention from every single International citizen in the world to
campaign to revoke the mockery of religion law Indonesia. Because this law have
a potential to discriminate minority in Indonesia.
*Head of Sector Media, Comunication and Information
National Executive Committee Indonesian Student Christian Movement (GMKI)