Institute Islam terutama tentang Al-Qur'an dan tafsir. Jln. Ibnu Sina I/25 Kompleks UIN Ciputat, Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia, 15419. Email: salmanhar2000@yahoo.com
Indra adalah sebuah potret pelaut kita sekarang ini di Afrika Selatan. Bekerja di sebuah kapal penangkapan ikan berbendera Korea semenjak 2008. Areal penangkapannya Samudera Hindia dan Atlantik sampai Trinidad.
Sebelum menjalani pekerjaannya sekarang Indra adalah sales bahan-bahan pewarna pakaian di daerah Tanah Abang, Cipulir, dan Kebayoran Lama. Pekerjaan itu tidak lama digelutinya yang kemudian menjadi penganggur. Ketika kakak iparnya, seorang pelaut di kapal tanker, pulang dan mengajaknya menjadi pelaut, ia pun menyambutnya. Ia, katanya, dibawa ke sebuah sponsor tenaga kerja di daerah Bekasi. Ia percaya saja karena yang membawanya adalah kakak iparnya itu.
Ia diminta untuk membayar Rp. 5 juta, dengan rincian Rp. 1,5 juta untuk pengurusan paspor dan buku pelaut, dan Rp. 3,5 untuk jasa sponsor.
Pada 1 November 2008 ia diberangkatkan. Sebelum sampai di Bandara Sukarno Hatta ia diberi tahu bahwa ia akan diberangkatkan ke Taiwan. Sesampai di Bandara ia diberi tahu bahwa ia akan dibawa ke Cape Town Afrika Selatan.
Pekerjaan yang digelutinya adalah melemparkan bola-bola pancing sampai sebanyak 280 bola yang panjangnya bermil-mil dan berisi ribuan mata pancing. Bila ikan tidak ada pancing-pancing itu harus ditarik semua, yang memakan waktu sampai 30-36 jam. Dalam keadaan seperti itu waktu istirahat hanya diberikan 3 jam. Bayangkan berapa lama waktu diperlukan bila pancing-pancing itu berisi ikan.
Indra ingin keluar dari pekerjaannya setelah bekerja dua tahun. Tetapi ia terancam kehilangan bonus Rp. 12 juta yang dijanjikan akan diberikan bila seorang pelaut memenuhi kontrak kerjanya selama tiga tahun. Ia sudah menelepon pejabat yang mengontrol sponsor-sponsor tenaga kerja pelaut di Jakarta, tetapi pejabat itu menyatakan tidak bisa. Ketika Indra mengadukan masalahnya kepada Konsulat Jenderal Indonesia di Cape Town, pihak Konsulat menyatakan tidak bisa berbuat apa-apa karena kontraknya demikian. Yang sangat urgen diusahakan, menurut mereka, adalah menaikkan gaji pelaut. Umumnya gaji pelaut Indonesia hanya US $500/bulan. Itu perjanjian di atas kertas, sedangkan prakteknya mereka hanya diberi US $50/bulan. Rendahnya upah pelaut Indonesia itu terjadi karena Upah minimum regional (UMR) yang ditetapkan Pemerintah terlalu rendah. Para pengusaha tetap berpegang pada besar UMR itu sekalipun mereka akan diperkerjakan di luar negeri, karena kontrak dilaksanakan di dalam negeri,.
Seorang staf di Konsulat Jendral Indonesia di Cape Town menyatakan bahwa kondisi-kondisi kerja di kapal-kapal Jepang biasanya lebih bagus. Pelaut diberi pakaian seragam dan rapih. Tetapi di kapal-kapal Korea, China, dan Taiwan sangat buruk. Lama kerja sampai 30 jam dengan waktu istirahat hanya 3 jam. Pernah terjadi kasus seorang pelaut Indonesia diperintahkan turun menyelam untuk memperbaiki baling-baling, tetapi karena alat untuk menyelam yang digunakan tidak baik, pelaut itu kehabisan nafas dan tewas.
Seorang pelaut lain bernama Anthony menyatakan bahwa setelah 22 bulan bekerja ia baru menerima upah Rp. 8,6 juta. Ia menyatakan bahwa dalam kontrak yang ditandatanganinya ternyata memang tidak ada penjelasan berapa upah yang akan diterimanya per bulan. Bahkan tidak ada penjelasan berapa tahun kontrak itu. Ia ingin pulang, tapi gaji tidak keluar. Ia meminta bantuan Konsulat Jenderal yang sedang berjuang menanganinya.
Konsul Jenderal Indonesia di Cape Town menyatakan bahwa tugas pokoknya adalah melindungi dan membela warga Negara Indonesia di daerah tugasnya. Konsulat Jenderal memantau dan memperjuangkan hak-hak mereka. “Secara ril Konsulat Jenderal mengundang mereka ke Konsulat, mengadakan peringatan 17 Agustus, menjamu mereka, mengobati hati mereka, dan memberikan siraman rohani bagi mereka,” kata Konsul Jenderal.
(Material for Lectures of Safari Ramadan Cape Town 2011)
Al-Nisa’/4:1:
(1. O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single person, and from him He created his mate, and from them both He created many men and women, and have Taqwa of Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and revere the wombs. Surely, Allah is always watching over you.)
Allah commands His creatures to have Taqwa of Him by worshipping Him Alone without partners. He also reminds to them of His ability, in that He created them all from a single person, Adam, peace be unto him.
(And from him He created his wife) Hawwa' (Eve), who was created from Adam's left rib, from his back while he was sleeping. When Adam woke up and saw Hawwa', he liked her and had affection for her, and she felt the same toward him. An authentic Hadith states,
(Woman was created from a rib. Verily, the most curved portion of the rib is its upper part, so, if you should try to straighten it, you will break it, but if you leave it as it is, it will remain crooked.) Allah's statement,
(And from them both He created many men and women;) means, Allah created from Adam and Hawwa' many men and women and distributed them throughout the world in various shapes, characteristics, colors and languages. In the end, their gathering and return will be to Allah. Allah then said,
(And have Taqwa of Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights) and revere the wombs), protect yourself from Allah by your acts of obedience to Him. Allah's statement,
(through Whom you demand your mutual (rights)), is in reference to when some people say, "I ask you by Allah, and then by the relation of the Rahim (the womb, i.e. my relationship to you)'', according to Ibrahim, Mujahid and Al-Hasan. Ad-Dahhak said; "Fear Allah Whom you invoke when you conduct transactions and contracts.'' "And revere the womb by not cutting the relations of the womb, but keep and honor them, as Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi`, and others have stated. Allah's statement,
(Surely, Allah is always watching over you.) means, He watches all your deeds and sees your every circumstance. In another Ayah, Allah said;
(And Allah is Witness over all things.) ﴿58:6﴾. An authentic Hadith states,
(Worship Allah as if you see Him, for even though you cannot see Him, He sees you.) This part of the Ayah encourages having a sense of certainty that Allah is always watching, in a complete and perfect manner. Allah mentioned that He has created mankind from a single father and a single mother, so that they feel compassion for each other and are kind to the weaker among them. In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that Jarir bin `Abdullah Al-Bajali said that a delegation from Mudar came to the Messenger of Allah , and he saw their state, wearing striped woolen clothes due to poverty. After the Zuhr prayer, the Messenger of Allah stood up and gave a speech in which he recited,
(O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single person,) until the end of the Ayah. He also recited,
(O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the tomorrow) ﴿59:18﴾. He also encouraged them to give charity, saying,
(A man gave Sadaqah from his Dinar, from his Dirham, from his Sa` of wheat, from his Sa` of dates) until the end of the Hadith. This narration was also collected by Ahmad and the Sunan compilers from Ibn Mas`ud.
Al-Nisa’/4:32:
(32. And wish not for the things in which Allah has made some of you to excel others. For men there is reward for what they have earned, (and likewise) for women there is reward for what they have earned, and ask Allah of His bounty. Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knower of everything.)
Imam Ahmad recorded that Umm Salamah said, "O Messenger of Allah! Men go to battle, but we do not go to battle, and we earn one-half of the inheritance (that men get).'' Allah sent down,
(And wish not for the things in which Allah has made some of you to excel others). At-Tirmidhi also recorded this Hadith. Allah's statement,
(For men there is reward for what they have earned, (and likewise) for women there is reward for what they have earned,) indicates, according to Ibn Jarir, that each person will earn his wages for his works, a reward if his deeds are good, and punishment if his deeds are evil. It was also reported that this Ayah is talking about inheritance, indicating the fact that each person will get his due share of the inheritance, as Al-Walibi reported from Ibn `Abbas. Allah then directed the servants to what benefits them,
(and ask Allah of His Bounty.)Therefore, the Ayah states, "Do not wish for what other people were endowed with over you, for this is a decision that will come to pass, and wishing does not change its decree. However, ask Me of My favor and I will grant it to you, for I Am Most Generous and Most Giving.'' Allah then said,
(Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knower of everything.) meaning, Allah knows who deserves this life, and so He gives him riches, and whoever deserves poverty, He makes him poor. He also knows who deserves the Hereafter, and He directs him to perform the deeds that will help him to be sucessful in it, and whoever deserves failure, He prevents him from achieving righteousness and what leads to it. Hence, Allah said, m
(Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knower of everything).
Al-Nisa’/4:11:
(11. Allah commands you for your children's (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two - females; if only daughters, two or more, their share is two thirds of the inheritance; if only one, her share is half. For parents, a sixth share of inheritance to each if the deceased left children; if no children, and the parents are the (only) heirs, the mother has a third; if the deceased left brothers or (sisters), the mother has a sixth. (The distribution in all cases is) after the payment of legacies he may have bequeathed or debts. You know not which of them, whether your parents or your children, are nearest to you in benefit, (these fixed shares) are ordained by Allah. And Allah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise.)
This, the following, and the last honorable Ayah in this Surah contain the knowledge of Al-Fara'id, inheritance. The knowledge of Al-Fara'id is derived from these three Ayat and from the Hadiths on this subject which explain them. Learning this knowledge is encouraged, especially the specific things mentioned in the Ayat. Ibn `Uyaynah said; "Knowledge of Al-Fara'id was called half of knowledge, because it effects all people.'' o
Explaining this Ayah, Al-Bukhari recorded that Jabir bin `Abdullah said, "Allah's Messenger came visiting me on foot with Abu Bakr at Banu Salamah's (dwellings), and the Prophet found me unconscious. He asked for some water, performed ablution with it, then poured it on me, and I regained consciousness. I said, `What do you command me to do with my money, O Allah's Messenger' this Ayah was later revealed,
(Allah commands you for your children's (inheritance); to the male, a portion equal to that of two females)." This is how it was recorded by Muslim and An-Nasa'i. The remainder of the Six compilers also collected this Hadith. Another Hadith from Jabir concerning the reason behind revealing Ayah 4:11 Ahmad recorded from Jabir that he said, "The wife of Sa`d bin Ar-Rabi` came to Allah's Messenger and said to him, `O Allah's Messenger! These are the two daughters of Sa`d bin Ar-Rabi`, who was killed as a martyr at Uhud. Their uncle took their money and did not leave anything for them. They will not be married unless they have money.' The Messenger said, `Allah will decide on this matter.' The Ayah about the inheritance was later revealed and the Messenger of Allah sent word to their uncle commanding him,
(Give two-thirds (of Sa`d's money) to Sa`d's two daughters and one eighth for their mother, and whatever is left is yours.)'' Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah collected this Hadith. It is apparent, however, that the first Hadith from Jabir was about the case of the last Ayah in the Surah ﴿4:176, rather than 4:11﴾, for at the time this incident occurred, Jabir had sisters and did not have daughters, parents or offspring to inherit from him. Yet, we mentioned the Hadith here just as Al-Bukhari did.
Allah said,
(Allah commands you for your children's (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females;) Allah commands: observe justice with your children. The people of Jahiliyyah used to give the males, but not the females, a share in the inheritance. Therefore, Allah commands that both males and females take a share in the inheritance, although the portion of the males is twice as much as that of the females. There is a distinction because men need money to spend on their dependants, commercial transactions, work and fulfillling their obligations. Consequently, men get twice the portion of the inheritance that females get. Allah's statement,
(Allah commands you for your children's (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females;) testifies to the fact that Allah is more merciful with children than their own parents are with them, since He commands the parents to be just and fair with their own children. An authentic Hadith stated that a captured woman was looking for her child and when she found him, she held him, gave him her breast and nursed him. The Messenger of Allah said to his Companions,
؟ (Do you think that this woman would willingly throw her child in the fire) They said, "No, O Messenger of Allah.'' He said,
(By Allah! Allah is more merciful with His servants than this woman is with her own child.) Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "The custom (in old days) was that the property of the deceased would be inherited by his offspring; as for the parents (of the deceased), they would inherit by the will of the deceased. Then Allah cancelled whatever He willed from that custom and ordained that the male get twice the amount inherited by the female, and for each parent a sixth (of the whole legacy), for the wife an eighth or a fourth, and for the husband a half or a fourth.''
Allah said,
(if only daughters, two or more, their share is two-thirds of the inheritance;) We should mention here that some people said the Ayah only means two daughters, and that `more' is redundant, which is not true. Nothing in the Qur'an is useless or redundant. Had the Ayah been talking about only two women, it would have said, "The share of both of them is two-thirds.'' As for the daughters, two or more, the ruling that they get two-thirds was derived from this Ayah, stating that the two sisters get two-thirds. We also mentioned the Hadith in which the Prophet commanded that two-thirds be the share of the two daughters of Sa`d bin Ar-Rabi`. So this is proven in the Book and the Sunnah.
(if only one, her share is half.) If there are two daughters, then there are texts to prove they share a half. Therefore, two-thirds is the share of the two daughters or sisters, and Allah knows best.
Allah said,
(For parents, a sixth share of inheritance to each) There are several forms of the share that the parents get in the inheritance. 1. If the deceased left behind children, the parents get a sixth each. When the deceased had only one daughter, she gets half of the inheritance and the parents each one sixth, and another sixth is given to the father. 2. When the parents are the only inheritors, the mother gets one-third while the father gets the remaining two-thirds. In this case, the father's share will be twice the mother's share. If the deceased had a surviving spouse, the spouse gets half, in the case of a husband, or a fourth in the case of a surviving wife. In both cases, the mother of the deceased gets one-third of the remaining inheritance. This is because the remaining portion of the inheritance is treated just as the entire legacy in regard to the parents' share. Allah has given the mother one-half of what the father gets. Therefore, the mother gets a third of the remaining inheritance while the father gets two-thirds. 3. If the deceased left behind surviving brothers and sisters, whether half brothers, half sisters or from the same father and mother, their presence does not cause reduction in the father's share. Yet, their presence reduces the share of the mother to one-sixth instead of one-third, and the father gets the rest, when there are no other heirs. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Qatadah commented on the Ayah,
(If the deceased left brothers or (sisters), the mother has a sixth.) "Their presence will reduce the share of the mother, but they will not inherit. If there is only one surviving brother, the mother's share will remain one-third, but her share will be reduced if there is more than one surviving brother. The people of knowledge attribute this reduction in the mother's share from one-third (to one-sixth) to the fact that the father is the one who helps the brothers (and sisters) of the deceased get married, spending from his own money for this purpose. The mother does not spend from her money for this purpose.'' This is a sound opinion.
Allah said,
((The distribution in all cases is) after the payment of legacies he may have bequeathed or debts.) The scholars of the Salaf and the Khalaf agree that paying debts comes before fulfilling the will, and this is apparent to those who read the Ayah carefully. Allah said next,
(You know not which of them, whether your parents or your children, are nearest to you in benefit.) This Ayah means: We have appointed a share to the parents and children, contrary to the practice of Jahiliyyah and the early Islamic era, when the inheritance would go to the children, and parents get a share only if they were named in the will, as Ibn `Abbas stated. Allah abrogated this practice and appointed a fixed share for the children and for the parents. One may derive benefit in this life or for the Hereafter from his parents, the likes of which he could not get from his children. The opposite of this could also be true. Allah said,
(You know not which of them, whether your parents or your children, are nearest to you in benefit,): since benefit could come from one or the other of these relatives, We appointed a fixed share of inheritance for each. Allah knows best. Allah said,
(ordained by Allah), meaning: These appointed shares of inheritance that We mentioned and which give some inheritors a bigger share than others, is a commandment from Allah that He has decided and ordained,
(And Allah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise.), Who places everything in its rightful place and gives each his rightful share.
(12. In that which your wives leave, your share is half if they have no child; but if they leave a child, you get a fourth of that which they leave after payment of legacies that they may have bequeathed or debts. In that which you leave, their (your wives) share is a fourth if you leave no child; but if you leave a child, they get an eighth of that which you leave after payment of legacies that you may have bequeathed or debts. If the man or woman whose inheritance is in Kalalah has left neither ascendants nor descendants, but has left a brother or a sister, each one of the two gets a sixth; but if more than two, they share in a third; after payment of legacies he (or she) may have bequeathed or debts, so that no loss is caused (to anyone). This is a Commandment from Allah; and Allah is Ever All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.)
Allah says to the husband, you get half of what your wife leaves behind if she dies and did not have a child. If she had a child, you get one-fourth of what she leaves behind, after payment of legacies that she may have bequeathed, or her debts. We mentioned before that payment of debts comes before fulfilling the will, and then comes the will, then the inheritance, and there is a consensus on this matter among the scholars. And the rule applies to the grandchildren as well as the children, even if they are great-grandchildren (or even further in generation) Allah then said,
(In that which you leave, their (your wives) share is a fourth) and if there is more than one wife, they all share in the fourth, or one-eighth that the wife gets. Earlier, we explained Allah's statement,
(After payment of legacies)
Allah said,
(If the man or woman whose inheritance is in question was left in Kalalah.) Kalalah is a derivative of Iklil; the crown that surrounds the head. The meaning of Kalalah in this Ayah is that the person's heirs come from other than the first degree of relative. Ash-Sha`bi reported that when Abu Bakr As-Siddiq was asked about the meaning of Kalalah, he said, "I will say my own opinion about it, and if it is correct, then this correctness is from Allah. However, if my opinion is wrong, it will be my error and because of the evil efforts of Shaytan, and Allah and His Messenger have nothing to do with it. Kalalah refers to the man who has neither descendants nor ascendants.'' When `Umar became the Khalifah, he said, "I hesitate to contradict an opinion of Abu Bakr.'' This was recorded by Ibn Jarir and others. In his Tafsir, Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "I was among the last persons to see `Umar bin Al-Khattab, and he said to me, `What you said was the correct opinion.' I asked, `What did I say' He said, `That Kalalah refers to the person who has no child or parents.''' This is also the opinion of `Ali bin Abi Talib, Ibn Mas`ud, Ibn `Abbas, Zayd bin Thabit, Ash-Sha`bi, An-Nakha`i, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Qatadah, Jabir bin Zayd and Al-Hakam . This is also the view of the people of Al-Madinah, Kufah, Basrah, the Seven Fuqaha', the Four Imams and the majority of scholars of the past and present, causing some scholars to declare that there is a consensus on this opinion.
Allah said,
(But has left a brother or a sister), meaning, from his mother's side, as some of the Salaf stated, including Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas. Qatadah reported that this is the view of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq.
(Each one of the two gets a sixth; but if more than two, they share in a third.) There is a difference between the half brothers from the mother's side and the rest of the heirs. First, they get a share in the inheritance on account of their mother. Second, the males and females among them get the same share. Third, they only have a share in the inheritance when the deceased's estate is inherited in Kalalah, for they do not have a share if the deceased has a surviving father, grandfather, child or grandchild. Fourth, they do not have more than a third, no matter how numerous they were. aAllah's statement,
(After payment of legacies he (or she) may have bequeathed or debts, so that no loss is caused (to anyone).) means, let the will and testament be fair and free of any type of harm, without depriving some rightful heirs from all, or part of their share, or adding to the fixed portion that Allah or dained for some heirs. Indeed, whoever does this, will have disputed with Allah concerning His decision and division. An authentic Hadith states,
(Allah has given each his fixed due right. Therefore, there is no will for a rightful inheritor.)
(13. These are the limits (set by) Allah, and whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, will be admitted to Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise), to abide therein, and is the great success.) (14. And whosoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, and transgresses His (set) limits, He will cast him into the Fire, to abide therein; and he shall suffer a disgraceful torment.)
Praise be to Allah, the Most Gracious the Most Merciful
Hamdan lillah wa syukran lahu ‘ala ma an’amana min ni’amihi wa fadhlihi.
It is very happy this evening that we can meet in this residence of the Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia to ifthar, namely to release our fasting after we fasted a full day from sunrise to sunset. All creatures of God do fasting. The animals do fasting in a certain period of their life. The snacks, for instance, eat their meal once a week, and after that they do fasting. The plants also do fasting, begin from spring until the end of the winter.Fasting is then something natural for all creatures of God. Fasting is the nature of the creatures. This is a miracle of fasting. It means that who do not do fasting he contradicts and destroys his nature
After fasting you see the animals grow bigger. After fasting you see the plants grow with their new leaves. So, fasting is good for health. Fasting gives our body an opportunity to recovery. Our prophet Muhammad pbuh is right when he said, “Fast, you will be health!” This is a miracle of fasting.
Hunger is an exciting experience. Hunger stimulates us to give our sympathy and empathy to the poor. What do you think about the poor. Are they the creatures of God or no? Or the only creatures of God are only you, and they are not? Remember that they are also His creatures. The existence of them is a test case. You can go to the paradise through them, and you can go to hell because of them. This is a miracle of fasting.
Hunger is an exciting experience. In the fasting we feel close to God. Closing to God brings us to obey what He instructs and to hinder what He forbids. Then we will become good beings. We will become righteous. The righteous consists of aspects: believe in God and good deeds. Who believes and does good deeds it is he who will become agents of the change to bring the world to a better condition. This is a miracle of fasting.
Those are the reasons, I belief, why Allah our God decreed shaum as one pillar of Islam beside four else, syahadat, shalat, prayer, zakat, charity, and hajj, pilgrimage to Makkah.
I am fasting. You are fasting. We are fasting. Shaum, fasting, then is one of many institutions in Islam which is intended to unite the Muslims in all over the world. Our God really said that the Muslims are brothers and sisters.
Innamal mukminuna ikhwatun.
And our prophet said that
A Muslim and a Muslim else like a body if one part of the body feels illness the other parts will feel illness.
This is a miracle of fasting, uniting the Muslims.
In fact Islam does not only call for the brotherhood and sisterhood among the Muslims, but also among human beings and mankind. He says in 49:13:
“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).”
O, mankind! It shows that He Almighty does not call only the Muslims but all of human beings.
We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female. Yes, we have become male and female, we are now man and woman. It means that man and woman in Islam are on the same level, man and woman in Islam are equel. No discrimination in Islam between man and women. Man has his right and woman has also her right. Allah says (4:32):
Man earns what he initiates and woman earns what she initiates
And We made you into nations and tribes. Yes, we are now had become in our own national states. You are the people of the Republic of South Africa, we are the people of Indonesia, some people are from the United Kingdom of Britain, from Dutch, Germany, and so ford. National state is the concept of modern era. Islam has introduced the concept since 15 centuries ago. Islam introduced that there is no discrimination between nations in the world.
That ye may know each other. The purpose of creating male and female, nations, and tribes is to know each other. This must be noted with a bold character and underlined. Knowing each other is the main and the only basis for the good relationships between human beings of all aspects of their life.
Knowing between persons, for instance, at less you can borrow something you do not have from your friend you know. Or he gives you what you need. So an economical relationship exists.
If a family knows a family else better, maybe a son of yours will marry a daughter of his. So exists a social relationship.
If a nation knows a nation else better, may exist a good economical and political relationship between two nations.
The conclusion is that the purpose of differences of ganders, races, ethnics, tribes, and nations created by God is to know each other. The knowing aims to understanding, and understanding brings to cooperation and service. The differences of ethnics, nationalities and races, then, should be treated as differences in a family. This treatment will produce a mosaic that will beautify the world as beauty as a family.
To end this speech I would like to inform you that the nation of Indonesia has a philosophy of state what we name it Pancasila, namely five pillars that guide their conducts in national life:
1. Belief in One and Only God
The people of Indonesia follow 5 religions acknowledged and they live in harmony.
2. Just and Civilized Humanity
Based on this pillar Indonesia conducts the independent and active foreign policy.
3. The unity of Indonesia
Indonesia is an archipelagic country which the total number of 17,508 islands. The unity of this archipelagic country is recognized by UN Convention of 1982.
4. Democracy guided by the inner wisdom in the unanimity arising out of deliberations amongst representatives.
Pancasila democracy calls for decision-making through deliberations, or musyawarah, to reach a consensus. Our democracy is not liberal democracy and in other hand is not also communism one.
5. Social Justice for the whole of the people of Indonesia. This principle calls for the equitable spread of welfare to the entire population,
Indonesia is a stable country. And supported by natural resources and big populations who live in tolerance, harmony, and peace, it tends, I believe, to be a strong and welfare country in the future, insya Allah, may God helps.
Cape Town, September 5th, 2010
Salman Harun
[1] Scheduled to be presented in ifthar with representatives of Islamic organizations organized by Consul General of Indonesia in Cape Town, September 5, 2010.
