Encroaching Sharia in Indonesia. “Although it has not openly declared its intent, the party aims to introduce sharia and uproot the principals [sic] of the Constitution.”
"Elections in Jakarta, Catholic’s [sic] fear an 'Islamic Governor,'” by Mathias Hariyadi for Asia News (thanks to The One Who Must Not Be Named):
Tomorrow citizens in the capital will choose a new governor. On the eve of the vote, the Archdiocese’ Commission for Apostolate to the lay writes a letter warning of the risks of a victory of candidates linked to the PKS: “Although it has not openly declared its intent, the party aims to introduce sharia and uproot the principals of the Constitution”.Jakarta (AsiaNews) – The imminent elections for the governor of Jakarta are worrying religious and ethnic minorities; in a possible victory by the Prosperous and Justice Party (PKS) they see the erosion of the principles of national unity and secular values enshrined in Indonesian law and the nearing of an Islamic State. The Commission for Apostolate to the lay of the capital’s archdiocese has launched the alarm; the body also known by KAJ, has published a letter to the city’s inhabitants, on the eve of the vote due to take place tomorrow August 8th.
The letter notes that the PKS, of Islamic inspiration, “has never publicly expressed its political agenda. However, there have been scores of reason to believe that PKS’ political is the to change what is the so-caled 'secular state" with new policies with the religion-based orientation". The KAJ warns against “some radical right-wing Muslim-based parties and groups attempts to implement sharia at a local level (such as in Aceh); this is once again a “political violation” against the very basic principle of the Constitution and “ideas” voiced by Indonesia’s Founding Fathers”.
The letter proceeds to highlight the closure of domestic churches and the violence carried out by Islamic Defender Front (FPI) against some night clubs in Jakarta, as “preliminary steps” towards an Islamic State. “The PKS –underlines Krissantono, KAJ president – has officially claimed and declared itself a “conservative Muslim-based party” and rejects any idea of “Muslim fundamentalist”, but in the real day-to-day politics the PKS has been the only political power in the modern Indonesian society which maintains that the morals of a certain religious belief (Islam) should be implemented in the country”.
Jakarta.
The very place where Snouck Hurgronje once advised the government of the Dutch East Indies on how to handle the Muslims.
The very place where ethnic Chinse have been raped, and murdered, and had their stores looted, mainly for being non-Muslim.
The very place where young lochinvar, the earnest "weapons systems analyst" Paul Wolfowitz, learned so much about Islam when he served there as the American ambassador, which permitted him, of course, to get below the surface of things. It was that stay in Indonesia, and then his close liaison with an Arab woman of the "reforming" variety, and his friendship with Chalabi and other completely westernized and secularized Shi'a in exile, who maniuplated Wolfowitz and company to do their bidding in Iraq, that taught Paul Wolfowitz all of his certainties about Iraq, and about Islam.
For more on this, google "Paul Wolfowitz: After Such Ignorance, What Forgiveness." Incipient blindess in Batavia (Jakarta), still more blind blind -- as a result of sentiment and sentimentality -- later in Washington. With the results we all see.
Jakarta, nee Batavia.
Sprawling city of mystery, where C. Snouck Hurgrunje once advised the government of the Dutch East Indies.
And also the place where, many decades later, a weapons-systems analyst, "brilliant" by repute, was sent as the American Ambassador. And he was famous for going out into the field, for not letting protocol and formality get in the way of his meeting with the "real" Indonesians, which "real" Indonesians also demonstrated to the Ambassador's satisfaction their deep desire to be friends with America and even, perhaps, to establish relations with Israel -- something they knew the ambassador would like.
That Ambassador was blinded by a surface that is famously deceptive in Indonesia. He did not take the time to study Islam, but looked at the gaudy-colored batiks, and the gamelan music, and Abdulwahid with his special indonesian sense of humor, and declared that it was good. And then, back in Washington, he learned a bit more about the world of Islam. He learned it from his Arab girlfriend, who taught him so much about the yearnings of the Arab reformers, and the possiblities of Arab reformation, and about the bad Saudis, but nothing at all, really, about the permanent problem of Islam.
And then he learned a bit more from Ahmad Chalabi and other westernized, secularized Shi'a in exile, who helped persuade Wolfowitz, and he helped persuade others, that the invasion of Iraq and the transormative power of "democracy" in Iraq -- a place without, Wolfowitz publicly assured us, any history of significant "ethnic conflict" (by which he meant any conflict, sectarian or ethnic, among groups) -- would be a smashing success.
Blinded by sentiment and sentimentality, Wolfowitz was an important contributor to the fiasco of Iraq.
And remember: it all started in Jakarta, where Wolfowitz became, so he thought, knowledgeable about the world of Islam.
For more google "Paul Wolfowitz: After Such Knowledge, What Forgiveness?"
At some point in time Indonesians made a decision to do nothing about their problem and to just let it keep on going. At some point if they don't want the violence that muslim's bring they need to put a halt to it, but they decided to let it go. And doing nothing is just as much a decision as doing something.
quote:"The letter notes that the PKS, of Islamic inspiration, “has never publicly expressed its political agenda. However, there have been scores of reason to believe that PKS’ political is the to change what is the so-caled 'secular state" unquot
The Christian leaders and clergy in Indonesia have become more and more of a dhimmi these past 15 years. Of course they don't see it as being a dhimmi but as survival.
As someone living outside Indonesia I can understand the necessity of "not trying to anger" the Muslims. After all it's a matter of having your church attacked/torched or not.
PKS in its campaign has cleverly omitted any words/signs of shariah. But one only has to go to their website and see their "vission and Mission" http://pk-sejahtera.org/2006/index.php?op=isi&id=110
and their charter: http://pk-sejahtera.org/2006/index.php?op=isi&id=109
If you can read Indonesian you can see that Islam and dakwah is their aim, vission and mission for all of Indonesia.
Of course democracy was mentioned. But Islam's democracy is not the democracy as we know it in the west. To them, it is only a vehicle to get to power and when in power it's thrown out the window, because sharia is uber alles.
Below is a translation of a chapter in their charter that says it all:
"Democracy forms the backbone of the struggle, an avenue for the participation of the peoples in all aspects. Based on this awareness, a political party was formed as a vehicle for dawah to realize the universal aspirations and to channel the political aspirations of muslims in particular as well as all levels of society in Indonesia in general. "
So, all of Indonesia, muslims and non muslims alike aspire to do dakwah and be under shariah.
The head of the People's Consultative Assembly used to be the head of PKS.
The 'moderate' Indonesian government has not taken steps to protect the non Muslims. They have just stood by when the minorities were attacked.
They also covertly suppress religious freedom, among others by not changing the religion on someone's national ID if that person leaves Islam.
Of course you don't see this in the State Departmnet's country report.
jasmine, if one reads about islam - its teachings, its history, its 'prophets' life, one can figure out that islam is a political movement that uses religion as a front and god as a weapon. They, and a heck of a lot of other people around this globe now and throughout time, have chosen to not know their 'enemy'. They have chosen to do nothing, to be ignorant. And this is what they all have gotten - it is the same M.O. every, single place muslims have immigrated to and then have had their numbers grow.
Now, the shameful part is that we, too many of us, are doing the same, exact thing and allowing them to carry on their same M.O. here in the USA. They are doing it in Europe now, they did it in Lebanon, the Middle East, Africa, etc. In Africa it is a lot more violent, as it has been in Eastern Europe. But, INdonesia has had a lot of violence too started by muslims.
I don't know - this thing seems to get out of control sometimes - or it could be the news reports. One day it seems we make headways and the other day we read things like this or that some part of EUrope is caving to all muslim requests and will be dhimmi soon.
And so Indonesia continues on the path and in the footsteps of MILITANT ISLAMIC MALAYSIA the Pakistan of S.E.Asia where the Web and satellite TV is censored and Sharia Law already overrules State Law in ALL matters of religion Muslim or otherwise and where Sharia is actually THE Law in two Malaysian States an where the Bumiputera Laws giving rights and privileges to Malay Muslims over and above the rights granted to other Malay citizens Chinese,Indian and Europeans who comprise 40% of the population and needless to say generate 99% of the wealth.