Regional Issues
It is easy to quote someone famous, and elaborate upon their words. It is easy to quote Jesus, Muhammad, Siddhartha, or Krishna, and then comment on them.
It is not easy to be original. Jesus was original, genuine.
When the scholars, the men of letters asked him what was the first commandment, he took no time thinking. “Love God with all your mind, heart, and soul.” The questioners were smart, They did not ask Jesus about his teachings. Theirs was a generic question, “what is the first commandment”. And, Jesus answered in the same generic language too! (more…)
Letters
In December 2008, I met Anand Krishna (of Anand Ashram) in Singapore on the sidelines of a conference on religion and politics in Southeast Asia. He told me how that June members of the FPI had attacked a pro-pluralism gathering at Monas (the National Monument in Central Jakarta). The gathering was held in order to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the Pancasila state ideology and to show support for the embattled Islamic minority Ahmadiyah sect.
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Letters
On Sunday, 18 October 2009, 33 Chinese temple contingents paraded through the streets of Jakarta’s Chinatown in what was probably the largest Chinese religious festival to be staged in the city from even before the New Order. Hundreds of devotees formed teams to carry 38 palanquins bearing the images of Chinese deities. Accompanied by musicians, lion and dragon dancers, they formed a foot procession that stretched more than one kilometre long. Three police cars were in the vanguard to clear the way through the city’s perpetual traffic jams as the parade wound its way around a ten-kilometre circuit starting and ending at Glodok.
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World Affairs
Sometime back, when i was interviewed by Indian Press in Sarnath (India) regarding the Tibetan Struggle for independence, i suggested that all Tibetans boycott the chinese products. The communist regime of China knows only one language, that of matter, of material – so they must be dealt with using the same language.
I reminded our Tibetan brothers and sisters that it was sue to similar resistance that the South African regime finally shunned apartheid.
I am thrilled to read that the Palestinians are now FINALLY LISTENING TO GANDHI….. I suggested this to the Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia many years ago, at that time the then Ambassador even promised to present my sentiments before President Yasser Arafat.
Indian Express dt. 26.03.2009. We were even supposed to meet, but soon after President Arafat fell sick and left us….
BUT, NOW FINALLY…….READ THIS AS REPORTED BY THE INDIAN EXPRESS ON MARCH 26TH, 2009:
“Inspired by Gandhi, Palestinians to Boycott Israeli Products
Deriving inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s Indian National Movement, Palestinian activists in 50 villages of northern West Bank decided to launch a boycott campaign against Israeli products.
“We know change will go slowly, but we are determined to imitate what Gandhi did in India when he boycotted English salt,” Khalid Mansour, the chairman of the Popular Committees in Nablus told Palestinian news agency ‘Maan’.
As per official statistics Palestinians consume 2.6 billion shekels (USD 0.6 billion) worth of Israeli goods each year, Mansoor said.
28 per cent of this money is said to be spent on the purchasing cement from Israel.
Palestinians also consume 30 million shekels (USD 2.40 million) worth of medicines and 10 million worth of gold produced in Israel every year.
He said that subcommittees will be formed in each of the 50 villages to monitor the boycott and start awareness campaign at schools.”
Regional Issues
I send you my greetings from Brazil, where i am attending Earth Dialogues, all continents are represented. People all over the world are becoming disillusioned with human made boundaries and limitations thus created.
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Letters
Permit me to draw your attention to my first desperate call for help last month. I am compelled to write to you again on this matter, since the situation has worsened.
Two of our ministers have issued public statements supporting the chairman of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), Habib Rizieq and his organization.
They are those in charge of co-operatives and forestry. These ministers represent two different political parties, supporting the government.
Indeed there are a couple of such other parties. So far, however, they have been supporting from behind the scenes.
Such support definitely has political implications, and has weakened the thrust of police investigations (into the attack by FPI members at the National Monument (Monas) park in early June.
One of the ministers, in a recent statement, made an appeal for the release of Rizieq and to declare his organization not guilty.
Right now, only seven out of more than 50 suspects originally detained are still in custody.
I once again make an appeal to the world community to help us in this matter. In view of the latest happenings in the Philippines and Pakistan, if these radicals are not punished, then not only this region, but the entire world will become their playground.
ANAND KRISHNA
Jakarta
The Jakarta Post | Sat, 07/12/2008 11:41 AM | Opinion
