Paras Indonesia, September, 19 2006 @ 12:37 pm
Indonesia Plays Down Furore Over Pope's Comments
By: Roy Tupai
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the country's mainstream Muslim leaders
have accepted the Vatican's apology over Pope Benedict XIV's comments linking
Islam to violence, with all but a few fringe Islamic groups continuing to protest.
Yudhoyono, speaking in the Cuban capital of Havana on Sunday (17/9/06) at the end
of the 14th Non-Aligned Movement summit, expressed hope the apology will end the
international furore among Muslims. He praised Indonesia's Muslim leaders for calling
on people to respond calmly to the Pope's controversial speech delivered in Germany
last week.
In his September 12 speech at the University of Regensburg, the Pope quoted
criticism of Islam and the Prophet Mohammad by 14th century Byzantine Emperor
Manuel II Paleologus, who wrote that everything Mohammad introduced was evil and
inhuman, "such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached".
The full text of the Pope's speech, 'Faith, Reason and the University; Memories and
Reflections', can be read online at the Vatican's website. Following are the parts
pertaining to Islam:
"I was reminded of all this recently, when I read the edition by Professor Theodore
Khoury of part of the dialogue carried on - perhaps in 1391 in the winter barracks near
Ankara - by the erudite Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus and an educated
Persian on the subject of Christianity and Islam, and the truth of both. It was
presumably the emperor himself who set down this dialogue, during the siege of
Constantinople between 1394 and 1402; and this would explain why his arguments are
given in greater detail than those of his Persian interlocutor. The dialogue ranges
widely over the structures of faith contained in the Bible and in the Qur'an, and deals
especially with the image of God and of man, while necessarily returning repeatedly to
the relationship between - as they were called - three "Laws" or "rules of life": the Old
Testament, the New Testament and the Qur'an. It is not my intention to discuss this
question in the present lecture; here I would like to discuss only one point - itself
rather marginal to the dialogue as a whole - which, in the context of the issue of "faith
and reason", I found interesting and which can serve as the starting-point for my
reflections on this issue. In the seventh conversation edited by Professor Khoury, the
emperor touches on the theme of the holy war. The emperor must have known that
surah 2, 256 reads: "There is no compulsion in religion". According to the experts,
this is one of the suras of the early period, when Mohammad was still powerless and
under threat. But naturally the emperor also knew the instructions, developed later
and recorded in the Qur'an, concerning holy war. Without descending to details, such
as the difference in treatment accorded to those who have the "Book" and the
"infidels", he addresses his interlocutor with a startling brusqueness, a brusqueness
which leaves us astounded, on the central question about the relationship between
religion and violence in general, saying: "Show me just what Mohammad brought that
was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command
to spread by the sword the faith he preached". The emperor, after having expressed
himself so forcefully, goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith
through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature
of God and the nature of the soul. "God", he says, "is not pleased by blood - and not
acting reasonably is contrary to God's nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body.
Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason
properly, without violence and threats... To convince a reasonable soul, one does not
need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a
person with death...".
The decisive statement in this argument against violent conversion is this: not to act
in accordance with reason is contrary to God's nature. The editor, Theodore Khoury,
observes: For the emperor, as a Byzantine shaped by Greek philosophy, this
statement is self-evident. But for Muslim teaching, God is absolutely transcendent.
His will is not bound up with any of our categories, even that of rationality. Here
Khoury quotes a work of the noted French Islamist R. Arnaldez, who points out that
Ibn Hazm went so far as to state that God is not bound even by his own word, and
that nothing would oblige him to reveal the truth to us. Were it God's will, we would
even have to practice idolatry."
In response to widespread criticism, Vatican State Secretary Tarcisio Bertone on
September 16 issued an apology, part of which states:
- As for the opinion of the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus which he quoted
during his Regensburg talk, the Holy Father did not mean, nor does he mean, to
make that opinion his own in any way. He simply used it as a means to undertake - in
an academic context, and as is evident from a complete and attentive reading of the
text - certain reflections on the theme of the relationship between religion and violence
in general, and to conclude with a clear and radical rejection of the religious
motivation for violence, from whatever side it may come. On this point, it is worth
recalling what Benedict XVI himself recently affirmed in his commemorative Message
for the 20th anniversary of the Inter-religious Meeting of Prayer for Peace, initiated by
his predecessor John Paul II at Assisi in October 1986: "... demonstrations of
violence cannot be attributed to religion as such but to the cultural limitations with
which it is lived and develops in time... In fact, attestations of the close bond that
exists between the relationship with God and the ethics of love are recorded in all
great religious traditions".
- The Holy Father thus sincerely regrets thhat certain passages of his address could
have sounded offensive to the sensitivities of the Muslim faithful, and should have
been interpreted in a manner that in no way corresponds to his intentions. Indeed it
was he who, before the religious fervor of Muslim believers, warned secularized
Western culture to guard against "the contempt for God and the cynicism that
considers mockery of the sacred to be an exercise of freedom".
On September 17, the Pope offered a personal apology in his traditional Sunday
Angelus prayer at the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo near Rome: "At this time, I
wish also to add that I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few
passages of my address at the University of Regensburg, which were considered
offensive to the sensibility of Muslims. These in fact were a quotation from a medieval
text, which do not in any way express my personal thought. Yesterday, the Cardinal
Secretary of State published a statement in this regard in which he explained the true
meaning of my words. I hope that this serves to appease hearts and to clarify the true
meaning of my address, which in its totality was and is an invitation to frank and
sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect."
Yudhoyono, speaking at Hotel Nacional de Cuba, welcomed the apology and said he
hoped it would end the current crisis. "I made an official statement in connection with
the statement of Pope Benedict XIV and I have followed developments in the
international mass media concerning the Pope's apology yesterday. In my opinion,
this will be spread and swiftly lead to an appropriate end to this crisis," he was quoted
as saying by detikcom online news portal.
"I also give my appreciation and gratitude to the many Muslim leaders and scholars in
Indonesia. I must mention Nahdlatul Ulama leader Hasyim Muzadi, Muhammadiyah
leader Din Syamsuddin and also Aa Gym, who gave their opinions wisely and
calmly," he said.
The president said that although the clerics regretted the Pope's statement, "they
also asked everyone to be patient, resist [violence] and believe that the problem could
be resolved well".
"The Pope has personally apologized. So I reiterate that we should study one another
wisely, and to prominent world figures, I really hope they could understand the
feelings of the other side when there are disturbing statements. And this learning will
hopefully increase our maturity in interaction at the global level, between different
civilizations, different religions, different nations, et cetera," he said.
The previous day, Yudhoyono had expressed regret over the Pope's "unwise"
statement. "As the head of state of Indonesia, I regret the Pope's statement, as it is
unwise and inappropriately mentioned," he said. "To Indonesian people, especially the
Muslims, although I understand your feeling, please remain patient and refrain from
committing violence."
Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah & FPI
Indonesia's two largest Muslim organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and
Muhammadiyah, which have a combined total of about of 50 million members, said
Monday they accepted the Pope's apology.
"The Pope has apologized and that's enough, so let's calm down," said NU leader
Hasyim Muzadi. "If we remain angry, then the Pope will be considered correct," he
said.
Muhammadiyah leader Din Syamsuddin said the Muslim community would be wise to
respond to the apology with relief. "It was natural for us to feel insulted by the Pope's
remarks, but because the pontiff has offered his apology and is now aware of his
mistake, it is good for Muslims to accept his apology."
Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni concurred, saying it was time "to forgive and
forget".
People's Consultative Assembly speaker Hidayat Nur Wahid said Monday that
"Muslims must maintain the harmony with other religious groups and not be
provoked". He said Muslims should respond to the Pope's academic speech by gently
pointing out that the Byzantine emperor's claim that "Islam is spread by the sword”
is wrong. He said the Pope's apology was an indication of his nobility of character, as
he had not directly insulted Islam.
The radical Islamic Defenders' Front (FPI), which has only a few thousand members,
was not so willing to forgive. About 100 FPI members rallied outside the Vatican
Embassy in Jakarta on Monday, waving banners with slogans such as "Pope go to
hell” and "Pope builds religious hatred”.
"His comments really hurt Muslim all over the world. We should remind him not to say
such things, which can only fuel a holy war," FPI spokesman Umar Nawawi was
quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
Nawawi said the Pope had merely issued a statement of regret and not a formal
apology or retraction. "We asked that Pope Benedict apologize to all Muslims. That's
all, nothing more. What he said earlier was only a statement of regret, but he did not
wish to apologize," he was quoted as saying by detikcom.
He claimed the Pope's comments on Islam could damage East-West relations and
inter-religious tolerance in Indonesia. "He must apologize directly, not just via a
deputy and in any way," he added.
FPI executive Machsuni Kaloko, who spent five months and 15 days in jail earlier this
year for inciting an attack on the US Embassy in Jakarta, said that if the Pope fails to
make a more direct apology, the FPI will demand the government severe diplomatic
ties with the Vatican.
Ten representatives of the protesters were later allowed inside the heavily guarded
embassy building for a meeting with Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, the Vatican's top
envoy to Indonesia. After the meeting, FPI internal affairs head Ahmad Sobri Lubis
said they had also asked the Vatican not to meddle in Indonesian affairs, specifically
the impending execution of three Christian militiamen in Central Sulawesi. The
Vatican had last month sent a telegram to Yudhoyono requesting the three men be
spared the death penalty.
Gus Dur Unfazed, Catholic Leader Apologizes
Former president Abdurrahman 'Gus Dur' Wahid, also a former leader of NU, denied
the Pope's comments had denigrated Muslims. "Oh no. The only people saying that
are the FPI or FBR [Betawi Brotherhood Forum]. I saw his comments as just being
very normal," he said Monday.
He said the Pope had only apologized because his statement had caused some
disturbances. "The Pope apologized because of causing furore, not because his
[comments] were unsubstantiated," he said.
Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja, chairman of the Indonesian Bishops' Conference
(KWI), a Catholic organization, on Monday expressed regret over the Pope's
comments. Perhaps fearing violent reprisals, he offered an apology on behalf of all
Indonesian Catholics. "The KWI shares Muslims' feelings of concern if their prophet is
insulted and Allah is humiliated," he was quoted as saying by state news agency
Antara.
"We support the Pope's expression of regret and his apology," he added.
Earlier Criticism
Prior to the Pope's apology, Syamsuddin told Reuters the pontiff''s comments
reflected "his lack of wisdom". "It is obvious from the statements that the Pope
doesn't have a correct understanding of Islam," he said, adding the remarks could hurt
"harmonious" relations between Muslims and Catholics. Nevertheless, he called for
restraint. "Whether the Pope apologizes or not, the Islamic community should show
that Islam is a religion of compassion," he said.
Fauzan Al Ansori of the radical Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI) led by Abu Bakar
Baasyir, said the Pope's comments "show a misunderstanding of Islam". He
challenged the Pope to a dialogue, saying "Muslims can't eliminate jihad from the
Islamic discourse, the same way Christians can't do away with the doctrine of Trinity".
Former Muhammadiyah leader Syafii Maarif had called for restraint. "Let us be cool
headed and first have a real look at what he said and the entire context of what he
said, and only then can we make a comment. We have also to see what is his own
opinion on the statement he quoted," he told Agence France-Presse.
NU executive Al Maschan Musa said the Pope's statement was "regrettable". "The
Prophet's use of the sword is for defensive purposes, when he or the religion is
attacked," he said.
Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia spokesman Muhammad Ismail Yusanto said: "As a Pope, he
should not have uttered those words, especially since efforts are being made
everywhere to step up interfaith dialogues." He said jihad was simply a means of
defending the Muslim faith and not for conducting aggression. "The jihad you see in
the Middle East, in Afghanistan, is perfectly justified because Muslims there are being
oppressed by the US and its allies."
The uproar over the Pope's comments is so far nowhere near the furore that erupted
earlier this year following a Danish newspaper's publication last year of cartoons
depicting the Prophet Mohammad.
Copyright (c) 2005 - PT Laksamana Global International. All rights reserved
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