28 June 2010

FPI, Violence, Protest, Tolerance & Respect...

This is the Islamic Defenders' Front in action (as opposed to inaction). The photo is a 'file photo' that I found floating around on The Jakarta Globe website. The photo is of the FPI demonstrating in front of the US Embassy.

I have always been one for supporting the right to protest. I am also very much for non-violent protest, and this includes acts of civil disobedience. In that respect, I much admire the determination of men like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr, both of whom paid the ultimate price in the pursuit of their ideals.

I guess the point of this very short post is to say something about tolerance and respect. If "we" as people are going to move forward to a more peaceful, harmonious and prosperous existence then we are going to have to become more tolerant and respectful of out differences. Quite simply, violent protest that results in the destruction of people and property is not going to advance our causes and out beliefs over the long term.

Perhaps it is time for others to take the lead? Perhaps those others are those that are committed to peaceful co-existence based on mutual tolerance and mutual respect.

Always the eternal optimist, but you just never know...maybe one day the world will become the place that I desire it to be (at least in the little part of it that I inhabit). I guess when it is all said and done, it is about being the change that you want to see in the world.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Rob,
The FPI problem exist because the laws have not been enforced every time they violated. There were many case when FPI raided restaurant, cafe etc. but the police do not take action against them.
That's why FPI think that they are powerful.
The saddest thing was when FPI act as mediator between the officials and citizens during the last riot at Tanjung Priok.

Rob Baiton said...

@ Harry...

It is partly law enforcement, agreed. However, the cynics amongst us (and perhaps a couple of conspiracy theorists) might find something a little more sinister at play on this one.

Yep, pretty sad, the FPI as mediators for anything.