Merevitalisasi Sikap Toleransi Bermasyarakat di Indonesia

Indonesia, sebuah negara dengan anugerah keanekaragaman yang luar biasa. Tidak hanya keanekaragaman hayati, namun juga sosio-kultural masyarakatnya. Membentang dari Sabang sampai Merauke, Indonesia memiliki ribuan etnis suku bangsa tersebar di seluruh provinsi di Indonesia. Menurut situs Jawapos Online, yang dilansir oleh BPS, Indonesia memiliki sekitar 1,128 suku bangsa (JawaPosOnline,Februari 2010).

Indonesia juga dikenal dunia sebagai negara yang plural, dimana terdapat lima kerpecayaan yang berbeda yang dianut dan diakui dalam sistem kemasyarakatan Indonesia. Tidak heran, Indonesia seringkali disebut sebagai salah satu contoh negara yang menjadi teladan pluralitas yang baik di dunia.

Namun, apresiasi tinggi tersebut belum tepat disematkan, apabila melihat kenyataandi masyarakat yang jauh panggang dari api. Hasil penelitian Wahid Institute pada tahun 2010 melaporkan 63 tindakan penyerangan, atau pelanggaran kebebasan umat beragama. Adapun kasus terbanyak disumbangkan oleh kegiatan pembatasan kegiatan peribadatan, dan pelarangan/pemaksaan berkeyakinan, masing-masing 19 dan 25 kasus.

Tindakan lain yang juga dapat mencederai kerukunan masyarakat adalah terorisme yang mengatasnamakan etnis, ataupun agama tertentu. Masih segar diingatan kita atas pemboman yang dilakukan di hotel Ritz-Carlton,JW Marriot, ataupun Bali. Ironisnya, tindakan terorisme ini justru membawa embel-embel sekelompok kaum tertentu yang terkesan merepresentasikan umat, padahal dalam kenyataannya tidaklah demikian.

Akibat dari peristiwa tersebut sangatlah jelas; angka kunjungan pariwisata asing menurun, kepercayaan pihak asing terhadap kredibilitas Indonesia memudar, maupun munculnya atribusi masyarakat dunia akan Indonesia sebagai negara yang intolerir.

Kedepan, kita tentunya berharap akan banyak perubahan atas paradigma masyarakat Indonesia dalam memandang toleransi antar etnis, ataupun antar umat beragama. Sudah saatnya kita membuang skeptisisme terhadap kaum yang berbeda dari kita. Mewujudkan kebersamaan dalam keberagaman kiranya menjadi kunci bagi Indonesia untuk dapat menciptakan keamanan dan kedamaian di dalam masyarakat.

Sikap toleransi juga dapat membuka paradigma berpikir yang selama ini tertutup. Masih banyak diantara masyarakat kita yang belum mau membuka diri terhadap ilmu pengetahuan, teknologi yang bukan berasal dari kebudayaan mereka. Padahal, tentunya tidak semua hal yang baru itu buruk. Ketika sikap toleransi mulai dipupuk, begitu juga dengan keterbukaan masyarakat kita akan hal baru diluar lingkungan mereka, untuk kemudian diambil manfaatnya.

Untuk dapat mewujudkan kerukunan semacam itu, menurut John L.Esposito, pakar teologi George Washington University, dalam buku terbarunya Masa Depan Islam, dapat dilaksanakan dengan menggunakan metode edukatif. Di bangku sekolah dasar, kita belajar PPKN, apa itu toleransi umat beragama, apa pentingnya, dan bagaimana mewujudkannya. Pendidikan tersebut harus kembali dihidupkan sedari dini agar anak-anak dapat lebih ditekankan akan pentingnya sikap tenggang rasa dan manfaatnya kelak didalam bermasyarakat.

Selain itu, diskusi-diskusi antara pemuka agama, pengambil kebijakan dan masyarakat juga harus ditingkatkan. RUU Kerukukan Umat Beragama yang direncakan di tahun ini, harus segera dibahas, dalam penjaminan kebebasan umat beragama, Masyarakat juga perlu terus diberi pencerdasan mengenai pentingnya kerukunan umat beragama dalam menciptakan keamanan dan kedamaian bersama. Bersama-sama, di tahun 2011 ini, tidak peduli berbeda warna kulit, etnis, ataupun agama, kita hidupkan kembali semangat persatuan dan berkebangsaan, demi kemajuan bangsa yang lebih baik.

BB Restrictions Vs Chily Price Rising : How Bad Are Inequalities Recently?

Karni Ilyas once tweeted "Upper and Middle Class People were loudly talking about Black Berry content restrictions, while Lower Class were loudly complaining about higher prices of chilly". Previous phenomena may explicitly shown how was inequalities in Indonesia, where the "have" talking about luxurious goods, and the "have not" talking about primary goods (in assumption chili is primary food". The gap between the up-middle class and low class has becoming wider.

Is inequality bad? For Simon Kuztnet, USA economist and former nobelist in economy, inequality is a common side-effect as country moving in stage-development transition. Inequality deemed as the period where the capital accumulation occur, and as time move by, inequality suppose to reduce. Kuznet argued, as growth continuously growth, inequality will simultaneously reduced, as an effect of proper distribution of accumulated capital. However, how long the inequalities prevail?, such a proper question for developing countries which seeks for a decent equalities.

Given Indonesia case, however the inequality seemed has further widening. Evidence proved by BPS report in 2009 had reported that 60% of GDP flows in Java. Another evidence was poverty rate, which shown a big gap between Java and outer Java, especially in East Indonesian regions. Mean poverty rate in Java, by 2009, is 13%, comparing to east Indonesian regions, such as Maluku and Papua, which are 30% and 40%.

This soaring inequalities, are also followed by corrupt government, highly birocrated administrations, which in turn slowing off the stabilizing action from governmental programs.

Rapid mass of premature modernization may also take into account, as the reasons for widening gaps in society. Proper modernization suppose to lead for an advanced, educated society. However, the opposite happened. How may rural now spent time for electronic voucher? How many kids spent his time all over the computer, left off productive things that they could done? How many punk, overdressed people, upcoming recently, which spent most of their time watching concert, making riots over the cities? All thanks to rapid, but pre-mature modernizations.

That was my opinions on how recent inequality may be explained. It is pretty obvious opinions need more data, and supporting facts, however, we may just use rationality and common sense to realize this phenomena. The case of BB vs Chily Price Rising is rightly on time, provide an excellent lessons, as well as homeworks for government. When they have a lot of their attention to financial market, industrialization, they may have long forgotten with their promise to improve the well-being of Indonesia people.

Indonesian Football Team or PSSI Humiliation?

Do our national football team have chance? Wait and see!

Friday, 8 October 2010, one of the biggest match in Indonesia was being held. It was a match between Indonesia vs Uruguay. Indonesia had a real challenge from Uruguay, which now seat on the 7th position in FIFA football rank, and the semi-finalist of FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Around 50,000 spectators came to support our National team at that time.

Indonesia expect for a glimmer of hope. Several days before the match was being held, newspaper intensively report our national team preparation, from our new prospectus coach, Alfred Riedl, to the invitation of foreign player who reported play in Netherlands League. It was a glimpse of hope, said one of commentator just a minute before the match started. Obviously, people all over Indonesia expect for a better team.

Our hope slightly answered when Boaz scored the first goal on the match for Indonesia, with a skillful individual ability. However, it only last for minute until Cavani scored with a powerful scoring header from Uruguay, and another goal from Suarez. Until the first half, our team was good enough to compete with Uruguay.

It come for the second half, when Indonesian team and spectators witnessed Uruguay world-class playing, and scored another 5 goals, some of them resulted from the mistaken of our defense line. We're being outplayed, said one of the commentator at the end time. Surely, every one will said the same, our national team was outplayed in technique, stamina, and teamwork. Not only against Uruguay, some previous matches against Australia, Vietnam, or Singapore also proved that we are lack of those skills.

At the end, we might have the same question, when our national football crisis will over?

Suarez's Goals

Who's to be blamed?
Just after the match finished, many soccer fans show their grievances, against the outplayed national team in Facebook and Twitter. Some of them blamed the defense player, some of them blamed Alfred Riedl, however, you must be agree with me, that most of them condemn PSSI. They were complained for lacks of managerial program from PSSI, from youth player development, until League's schedule program. "Even PSSI is not able to resolve their internal conflict, such as the election for a new PSSI chairman" one commentators wrote.

For sure, PSSI ought to be the most responsible one. Still clear in some of Indonesian fans when Indonesian national team in 1960's, when we were become one of greatest soccer team in Asia. Our youth development program had succeed to create regional-class player, such as Ronny Pattinasarani, Kurniawan, and BimaSakti. The last two even had chances to played in Italian league. Nowadays, we are lack of talented young player, while Thailand had Khiatisuk Senamuang which ever played in English league, or even Singapore that neutralized several International player.

Another PSSI homework is to manage domestic league competition. PSSI have to regulated about the use of foreign player in domestic teams, brutality among player and spectators is another issue that needed to be handled as it caused severe impacts toward the harmony of football player, and the prestige of domestic football in international point of view.

We are on a hardship. And will be last for ever, if PSSI let problems stay on the boat. PSSI are advancing for the next election of PSSI chairman. This is the time for PSSI to change. Changes never show its result instantly, but when it one succeed it will give an immense effect toward our football prospectus in the future.