The article in Indonesia that "cannot even be proposed to be changed": the Palestinian cause

JAKARTA

We are in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, the most populous country of the Islamic world and the fourth most populous in the world, and, after Tokyo, with its population of more than 35 million, the most populous city in the world. We are opening the Jakarta office of the Justice and Democracy Forum, formed with the participation of 26 political parties from 18 different countries of the Islamic world. Dr. Jazuli Juwaini, the charismatic parliamentary group chairman of the Justice and Prosperity Party, the Forum's member from Indonesia, beyond his excellent hospitality, offers us throughout our visit an exceedingly broad panorama of Indonesia with its culture, politics, international standing and history. Dr. Juwaini has made important contributions from the very beginning to the Forum idea's evolving a little more with each passing day, but now, as we see his zeal in realizing the idea of opening a Forum office in Jakarta, the perception, always hanging at the edge of our minds, of Asia's rise manifests itself in all its reality in his person.

Every kind of unity in the Islamic world surely brings great good. Unfortunately, today the regimes of the Muslim countries in the Middle East serve not the unity of Muslims but their further fragmentation and the further widening of the distances between them. No one can say that they are unaware of the power they could have if they were united. What remains is only the possibility that they have received serious instructions not to form this power, which is not much of a surprise. The reason that brought the Middle Eastern regimes into being was in any case their commitment to this mission.

That is why, in these days when we most expect the Muslim world to emerge concretely, many Arab regimes have invested in Israel's chance of destroying Hamas far more than Israel itself. There is no need even to say that these regimes in no way represent their own peoples, that is, the Arab peoples. On the contrary, these regimes perform the function of closing the strip, so that Muslims can in no way represent themselves.

Yet God's earth is wide, and God's servants are as many as can be. God removes those who do not fulfill the requirements of the trust and replaces them with brave peoples who do good, forbid evil, and do not fear the blame of any blamer. The brave men of Gaza are among the signs God has shown to this ummah. But in place of the peoples who, despite all He has given, do not fulfill the requirements of the trust, the Almighty God, as a requirement of His sunnah, also shows the rise of other peoples as a kind of punishment.

Today Asia's rise of course has economic and political causes, dynamics and infrastructure. But this dimension of wisdom in this rise must in no way be disregarded.

With its incredibly sincere, pure, devoted Islam, the Indonesian people are the shining star of the Islamic world. About 50 orphan guests had been invited to the dinner given on the occasion of the opening of the Justice and Democracy Forum. Dr. Juwaini said that it is an Indonesian custom, that at every kind of opening they include orphans in the matter both as partners in prayer and in earnings. At the end of the opening, giving them a tooth-rent (a small gift) is also an important part of it. What elegance, what refinement.

Indonesia, with its population of over 280 million and its national income of over 1 trillion dollars, the only ASEAN country that is a G20 member, has very great potential. Economically, it is first in Southeast Asia and the 16th largest economy in the world. Indonesia, expected to enter the top 10 economies in the world by 2030, aims to become the fourth largest economy by 2045. Aiming to be a leader in the battery industry in the region, Indonesia strategically prioritizes the production of nickel, a mineral critical for electric vehicles.

Politically, with its 205 million voters it is the 3rd largest democracy in the world after India and the US, and moreover this democracy is not a show democracy as in some Arab regimes. It is a democracy that works with all its rules and can realize the mechanism of representation in society at the highest level. Since 87 percent of its population is Muslim, it is, although it has a minority population of 13 percent, a country with a strong level of religious peace. This makes Indonesia important in many respects; among many things that can be said about Islam and democracy or religious peace, Indonesia stands out as a distinctive and impressive example. But we of course do not see it mentioned enough. Who would be interested in such beautiful examples, and why?

Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, elected President in the latest election held in October, showed, by forming after his election a remarkably inclusive cabinet and giving places in the cabinet to the parties that had not supported him, that he is making a very emphatic investment in Indonesia's vision of the future. The human rights minister is a Christian, for example, but like a very strong philosopher of human rights. The fervor in his interest in the Palestinian issue could be read in his eyes.

Incidentally, the Palestinian issue in Indonesia is a matter of complete consensus, and not the slightest dissenting voice that would break this consensus is permitted. The Speaker of the Assembly, the Speaker of the Senate and many other politicians whom we visited as a Forum mention, interestingly, with pride, the commitment to the Palestinian cause as one of Indonesia's never-changing political articles. And I, of course, could not help my mischievousness there: "Can it not even be proposed to be changed?" I asked. Just look at the articles in our case that cannot even be proposed to be changed.

A political party from Indonesia opening an office for the Justice and Democracy Forum is a step with without doubt important gains both for Indonesia and for the Forum. As a political vision, for this great Asian state to embrace and care about such an organization is without doubt quite rational for itself too. Being in contact in Asia with the political parties representing the Muslim peoples of the Middle East will certainly bring important contributions. Meanwhile, for a forum seeking possibilities of justice and democracy, human rights, freedom of expression, human dignity, development and cooperation in the Islamic world, an office in a strong country with a quite brilliant record in these areas, besides Turkey, will without doubt have very important functions. There is no need even to say that this will have very important gains for Turkey too.

We will continue to convey our Indonesia impressions.