ISABELA CITY, Basilan, Dec 11 (PIA) – An open
and tolerant Islam has made Indonesia what it is today, “a non-Islamic State
that is home to most Muslims of the world” that enjoys peace and progress amidst
diversity.
Respect for multiculturalism and the desire
of the tribes to unite for one Indonesia was the key to the prosperity and
peace that Indonesia enjoys today, which she hoped the people of Mindanao could
draw inspiration from.
Through the GusDurian Network, she said that
she is able to share the dream and ideals of her father who said in 2005 that
“our goal must be to illuminate the hearts and minds of humanity, and offer a
compelling alternate vision of Islam, one that banishes the fanatical ideology
of hatred to the darkness from which it emerged.”
The GusDurian Network was established by the
Wahid family to honor the former president and keep fresh his legacy of values
and personal philosophy for the development of Indonesia and the promotion of
an open and tolerant Islam.
Wahid explained the name “GusDurian Network”,
saying that Gus is an honorific name used in her country to refer to a young Ustadz
and Dur is a nickname derived from the second syllable of her father’s name.
Gus Dur was also a Ramon Magsaysay awardee.
She said that Indonesia became a state as a
result of the decision of its very diverse tribes to become one country.
“The present 235 million population of the
country live in several islands that make up the archipelago, speak some 300
different languages, and follow different religions. The majority of the
population however, some 85%, are Muslims. Against this background, it was very
important to promote respect for multi-culturalism if an Indonesian ‘nation’ is
to prevail,” she stressed.
This was a dream of her father, who besides
having been a president of the country, was educated to be a Muslim cleric. He
was president of the Muslim group Nadhlatul Ulama which counted some 40 million
members. “Islam is about inclusion, tolerance, community” he once said.
“My father promoted solidarity among Muslim,
solidarity among Indonesians and solidarity among humanity. It is good to note
that the word INDONESIA has nine letters and the second group of 3 letters
spelled ONE. The values espoused by Gus Dur were to promote one country in
spite of its diverse religious and cultural differences,” she said.
The Silsilah Dialogue Movement with the
Interfaith Council of Leaders in Isabela City has made it possible for the
GusDurian Network to visit Basilan.
Aminda E. Saño, Silsilah Dialogue Movement
President said that the visit is “timely that we in Mindanao learn about the
values of Gus Dur since we are still forging a Mindanao that seems at times
being pulled in different directions.” She noted that Indonesia is the biggest
Muslim country in the world and although it is not homogenous in everything it
has been lucky that once upon a time there was a president schooled as a Muslim
cleric who believed firmly in an inclusive, tolerant Islam and who dedicated
his life to this personal philosophy.
In its demographics Indonesia is 85% Muslim
and 15% other religions. In Mindanao the numbers are the opposite. For
Silsilah, however, the numbers do not matter, saying that “what matters is how
we look at each other and what our vision is of living together in one country.”