*this post is actually a reply comment posted on of my best friend’s blog, Andika. of course with some minor modifications. just trying to share my opinions towards this matter.*

it really worries me to see that fundamentalism is growing steadily in Indonesia. i have spoken to many people concerning this matter, from my lecturers to some politicians and also to social-cultural specialists, and they seem to have the same voice, fundamentalism will not take over Indonesia and turn Indonesia into a Islamic state or in other words the implementation of Syariah Islam. They keep convincing me that our future, although uncertain, will certainly not be an Islamic state.

but, it’s rather hard for me to believe in such a thing. yes, i understand that many will certainly object if Indonesia does indeed become an Islamic state such as the minority groups, the armed forces and the nationalistic-pluralist groups. nevertheless we can not deny the fact that fundamentalism has planted itself deeply in many universities in Indonesia such as Institut Pertanian Bogor(IPB). Even some high schools have been somewhat effected with fundamentalism.

it is rather sad to see this unsettling circumstance. it is more saddening to see that fundamentalists care more about their brothers and sisters who are thousands of miles away then their “real” brothers and sisters in their very own country. nationalism seems to subdued by fundamentalism and this can clearly be seen almost everywhere and anywhere.

i was quite upset when i saw KAMMI(Kesatuan Aksi Mahasiswa Muslim Indonesia) protesting to the local government concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict while reciting verses from the Holy Quran and shouting “Save our Muslim brothers and sisters in Palestine!”.  they seem to care more about the Palestinians than the Papuans who were struck by an earthquake just recently. this led me to an unpleasant question, am i not your brother/sister if i am not a Muslim? perhaps this question is rather racist but the current conditions has led me to consider this. What upset me even more was the

how about saving Indonesia first?

jackets they were wearing, on the back of the jacket was embroidered,  “SAVE OUR PALESTINE!” OUR PALESTINE? what about OUR INDONESIA? rather depressing isn’t it?

the government and us, really needs to address this problem quickly, perhaps Indonesia won’t be a Islamic state in the near future. However there is always a possibility of becoming one if this nonsense is allowed to cultivate and spread. and please do remember that fundamentalism spreads quite easily in 3rd world countries such as ours. the government should tackle this problem by reforming its education system, it should emphasize on morality not religion. to tell you the truth, I do not really believe that Indonesians are ready for these imported religions. we lack the moral prerequisites needed for a healthy religious environment.

fundamentalism is the result of a morally undereducated individual embracing religion as the way to satisfy his or her spiritual needs because of the lack of his or hers physical needs.

to minimize fundamentalism is not as complex as many have said. we just need an effective education system that emphasizes itself on moral values rather than religion. because when we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a dogma, we become automatons. we cease to grow. let us not become of that. let us grow, let us be strong, let us be just and let us become the Indonesia our forefathers wanted us to be.

“Kami menggoyangkan langit, menggempakan darat, dan menggelorakan samudera agar tidak jadi bangsa yang hidup hanya dari 2 ½ sen sehari. Bangsa yang kerja keras, bukan bangsa tempe, bukan bangsa kuli. Bangsa yang rela menderita demi pembelian cita-cita”

Ir. Soekarno.