Organizations and Political Parties React to Sukmawati`s Poem
4 April 2018 11:38 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The poem read by Sukmawati Soekarnoputri entitled ‘Ibu Indonesia’ or mother Indonesia at the 29th anniversary of Anne Avantie Berkarya at the 2018 Indonesia Fashion Week sparked various reactions from institutions and political parties.
Some have taken the position of support, while others demanded Sukmawati’s accountability. Someone had even gone further by filing a police report against the daughter of President Soekarno for allegations of religious blasphemy.
Read also: Alumni 212 Brotherhood Compares Sukmawati Soekarnoputri to Ahok
Here is the summary of the several reactions:
East Java’s Nahdalatul Ulama (PWNU):
- The poem that Sukmawati read disrespected Islam as a religion.
- Regrets that the substance of its verses compared Islamic idioms such as sharia, burkas, and adzan (prayer calling) with the Javanese tradition.
- PWNU dispatched Anshor to file a formal police report.
- Requests authorities to legally process Sukmawati to avoid public dispute.
Golkar’s central board (DPP) Deputy General Secretary:
- Sarmuji urged Sukmawati to provide clarification in regards to her poem.
Chairman of Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) Faction Jazuli Juwaini:
- Offended the Muslim community
- Considered it flawed to praise an Indonesian culture while demeaning the use of hijabs, burkas, and the azan.
- Requests for an immediate public apology and to not defend her poem in the name of art and freedom.
Setara Institute:
- The institute’s deputy chairman Bonar Tigor Naipospos said that Sukmawati’s police reports are saturated with political agendas.
- It only proves that the Article on blasphemy is a tool to attack political oppositions and nationalist groups.
- The blasphemy Article also shackles the freedom of expression.
- Sukmawati’s poem was merely a form of expression done through art.
The 212 brotherhood:
- Will hold a rally demanding Sukmawati to be legally processed.
- Plans to report Sukmawati to National Police Criminal Investigation agency (Bareskrim) for blasphemy.
- Considered her poem worse than the speech delivered by former Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok.
Nahdlatul Ulama's Indonesian Muslim Artist and Cultural Activist Organization (Lesbumi NU):
- Dragging Sukmawati’s poem to the realm of the law is considered unnecessary
- Taking it to the courts will be ineffective since it would cause disruption among members of the public.
- If the polemic of Sukmawati’s poem is kept afloat, it will only add more problems about the orientalism belief that mainly talks about the absence of conflict between Islamic tradition and nationalism.
- Urged the Muslim community to not be reactive and maintain to be critical about the matter by tabayyun or clarification.
- Using a cultural approach to suppress the level of polemic.
ARTIKA FARMITA | AHMAD FAIZ | VINDRY FLORENTIN | SHINTA MAHARANI