By and large, I feel that this is fair objective commentary, but an editor’s job is not so much to agree with a writer’s viewpoint as to ensure a reasonable ‘flow’ for readers and, where necessary, to double-check factual information. It is that last point which has taxed my brain.
When I first came to Indonesia twenty odd, very odd, years ago, I was warned to never admit to being an atheist because that was equated with communism.
That, of course, is irrational. I could have been a Christian communist, someone who may or may not agree with various parts of Marxism [but] certainly do not agree with the atheistic views often held up as representative of most Marxists, but do agree with at least some of the economic aspects of Marxist theory, such as the idea that capitalism exploits the working class by extracting surplus value from the workers in the form of profits.
With that definition, there could presumably also be Muslim communists. There are some who contend that Barack Obama Is A Zionist Muslim Communist. This leads to a couple of observations: firstly, yes, it is possible for folk of ‘faith’ to value Marxist values and secondly that some writers online are totally nuts.
(NB. Zionists are defined as those who defend the Jewish state, usually but not necessarily Jewish.)
Surely Marxism and its polar opposite, capitalism, are concerned with the here and now, whereas religions are concerned with the ever after.
Therefore, atheists are not necessarily communists, but could be. So why is atheism an underground movement here in Indonesia?
The ‘compulsory’ belief in one supreme being is enshrined in Pancasila, the Sukarno doctrine he first publically outlined on 1st June 1945 to the preparatory committee for Indonesia’s independence, which was sponsored by the Japanese during their World War II occupation. Sukarno argued that the future Indonesian state should be based on the Five Principles: Indonesian nationalism; internationalism, or humanism; consent, or democracy; social prosperity; and belief in one God.
Chapter XI, Article 29, of the 1945 Constitution states the following about religion:
1. The State shall be based upon the belief in the One and Only God.
2. The State guarantees all persons the freedom of worship, each according to his/her own religion or belief.
It was not until Sukarno’s ouster in 1965, followed by the pogrom against the Partai Kommunist Indonesia (PKI) that under Gen. Suharto’s ‘guided democracy’, a new interpretation of Pancasila was promulgated and just five religions became acceptable: Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism and Hinduism.
Beginning in 1978, a national indoctrination program was undertaken to inculcate Pancasila values in all citizens, especially school children and civil servants. From an abstract statement of national goals, the Pancasila was now used as an instrument of social and political control. To oppose the government was to oppose the Pancasila. To oppose the Pancasila was to oppose the foundation of the state.
The effort to force conformity to the government’s interpretation of Pancasila ideological correctness was not without controversy. Two issues in particular persistently tested the limits of the government’s tolerance of alternative or even competitive systems of political thought. The first issue was the position of religion, especially Islam; the second issue was the role of legal opposition in Pancasila democracy.
That Catholics are deemed to be non-Christians is something of a mind boggler.
Johannes Nugroho pointed out a year ago that Indonesian Hinduism is today perhaps more monotheistic than its counterpart in India, stressing its devotion to Sang Hyang Widi. And although Buddhism is a state-recognized religion, the concept of Almighty God is in fact nonexistent in this religion that emphasizes every human’s own ability to reach nirvana.
Perhaps more importantly in the context of this post, he pointed out that the monotheistic juncture is also in direct conflict with the Constitution, which guarantees religious freedom in whatever form, even the freedom to disbelieve religion.
In 2000, President Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) issued a presidential decree which revoked Suharto’s Presidential Instruction No. 14/1967 which had, since 1967, oppressed Chinese religion, traditions, beliefs, and status as Indonesian citizens. Confucianism was thereby added to the list of accepted religions.
However, none of this answers my question: is atheism actually illegal here?
A nationwide census is currently underway. We had a long chat with our form-filler, a local resident we’ve long known, and he pointed out that with a new level of transparency, there shouldn’t be dead people voting in future elections. That I am now counted but won’t have a vote is largely irrelevant.
That ones’ religious affiliation will still be shown on ID cards, however, continues to be a contentious issue.
At the end of last year, shortly before the death of Gus Dur, Johannes Nugroho wrote in another article that Gus Dur had petitioned the Constitutional Court to review the 1965 presidential decree that recognizes only six religions as “official” and criminalizes heresy within them. Backed by a number of NGOs, the petition argues that in sanctioning only six faiths the decree violates the concept of religious freedom as guaranteed by Article 29 of the Constitution and discriminates against other faiths. By all criteria, this argument is valid as the article specifically allows all Indonesian citizens to adhere to and practice any faith according to their conscience.
The legal question that perhaps needs answering is whether a Presidential decree, without the approval of Parliament, has the force of law. However, even if there were a law, it surely would not be valid in international law because Indonesia, as a pre-requisite for being a member of the United Nations, has ratified the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.
Article 2 of the Declaration states: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
For the past five years, Indonesia has been an elected member of the United Nations Human Rights Council and as such should “uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights.”
(In the light of last weeks killings of anti-government protesters on the streets of Bangkok, it perhaps rather unfortunate that Thailand has just been elected as an Asian representative and a replacement for Indonesia.)
That atheism (animism and a host of other ‘sects’) is not ‘allowed’ is, de facto, an infringement of human rights. One may hope that Gus Dur’s petition will eventually receive a fair hearing in the Constitutional Court and that it is not swayed by fundamentalist forces.
Will the Indonesian Atheist Society along with the Forum of South-East Asia Atheists have the courage to be co-petitioners?
Unfortunately, until the powers-that-be allow the oft-stated pluralism of Indonesia to be a reality, independent thinkers will remain mute for the sake of a peaceful life.
As a recent correspondent points out, we are all subject to the whims of ignorant bureaucrats.
Whatever your actual religion, officials simply wouldn’t let you fill in anything other than the official list. I tried recently when renewing my KTP (ID card) to ask that they put Jedi as my religion, but the software doesn’t have this option.
While we’re on the subject of silly forms, during last week’s census they asked my ethnicity. Since I’ve no clear idea what to put in I simply entered ‘Labrador Retriever’ – surprisingly enuff they didn’t say anything.
And I’m not saying anything about my labels either.
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