[Nasional-e] averos

Fri Feb 7 11:12:01 2003

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_001C_01C2CE7F.81D53FC0
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="Windows-1252"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

=20
E. Java youths promote religious tolerance=20

Damar Harsanto and Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Malang, East Java

=20

Its image tainted by the suspected involvement of radical youths in the =
deadly Bali and Makassar bombings last year, Islam in Indonesia may take =
consolation in some Muslim youths who have proven themselves to be =
highly motivated and zealous about creating a more pluralistic and =
peaceful Indonesia.

=20

Youths represent the future, and these young people represent the true =
face of Indonesian Muslims. Their struggle for social change is =
praiseworthy, despite the lack of real support.=20

=20

Meet the Averroes Foundation, a group of Muslim youths based in Malang, =
East Java, who have been striving for more than seven years to publish =
books and to hold discussions and seminars for the promotion of a more =
humane, civilized, modern and multicultural society.=20

=20

"Averroes was established by ordinary Muslim youths, not privileged =
ones. On one hand, we lack facilities and financial support from big =
parties, but on the other hand, this makes us free to carry out whatever =
plans we have, as we are not restricted by grand, vested interests," =
said Saiful Arif, chairman of the Averroes Foundation.=20

=20

Taking the Western name of Islamic philosopher Ibn Rushd, Averroes was =
established in 1995 by several Muslim university student activists who =
got tired of piecemeal reactions to rapid changes in the country's =
political and economic arenas. These activists were willing to do =
something more reflective and intellectual by arranging in-depth =
discussions and research which laid the groundwork for long-term =
thinking.=20

=20

Averroes was established on March, 20, 1995, and has been focusing its =
activities on discussions over issues pertaining to religion, humanism =
and culture. It also finances its own publications.=20

=20

"Our main objective is to promote intellectual enlightenment in our =
society. We want to empower the people to be a more critical and =
thoughtful society," said Averroes director of its study center and =
culture development, Paring Waluyo Utomo, who is in the final year of =
his study at Brawijaya University.=20

=20

In 1998 and 1999, this Muslim youth group invited Catholic priest Benny =
Susetyo, and Catholic observer of the Centre of Strategic Indonesian =
Studies (CSIS) J. Kristiadi, in addition to noted young Muslim scholar =
Ulil Abshar Abdalla, to join forces with Averroes to become independent =
advisors.=20

=20

Since its inception, the group has published 20 books with wide-ranging =
themes, mostly promoting inter-religious dialog and multiculturalism. =
Its latest publication focused on the interplay between the Catholic =
church in Indonesia and the government. Each title has a print run of =
between 1,000 and 3,000 copies.=20

=20

Dozens of draft manuscripts are on hold, as the group has been forced to =
delay publication owing to budget constraints.=20

=20

What might be impressive about Averroes members is that these youngsters =
have made such tremendous achievements financed only with money =
collected from their personal allowances.=20

=20

"Every month we have to contribute between Rp 50,000 and Rp 100,000 to =
cover operational costs and meet our target to publish a book monthly," =
said Paring.=20

=20

The amount collected is only enough to cover operational costs totaling =
Rp 500,000 a month, including the rent for a small house which serves as =
the group's office, and to pay for the electricity and phone.=20

=20

Averroes needs additional funds of at least Rp 7 million to Rp 8 million =
a month to meet its book publishing target.=20

=20

"There are no rewards for Averroes members, as all royalties are =
distributed among those who have helped in the publishing process and =
the authors. But, of course, that's a meager amount," said Saiful.=20

=20

"Averroes is really in a critical state as it could disband anytime due =
to budget constraints," said Saiful, who also works as a freelance =
copyeditor.=20

=20

Paring said that the group would be more independent in financing if it =
had at least Rp 25 million in cash to produce the draft books.=20

=20

Besides publication, Averroes has reserved this year a column in the =
Surabaya-based daily newspaper Jawa Pos to disseminate inter-religious =
and multicultural discourses.=20

=20

Following mounting allegations over the involvement of pesantren Islamic =
boarding schools in terrorism, Saiful said such allegations did not =
affect Averroes's own activities.=20

=20

"Our business runs as usual, because we refuse to be reactive to the =
incidents, since this would disturb our daily activities. We have a =
priority, which is our long-term program," said Saiful.=20

=20

Saiful recalled that in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on =
the U.S., Averroes overreacted by holding seminars and discussions on =
global violence. "As a result, our publishing activities were =
neglected... We don't want that to happen again."=20

=20

Averroes, Saiful said, would leave all immediate response to current =
events to other activists, like members of the Indonesian Islamic =
Students Movement (PMII) who have joined hands with other religious =
youths such as the Association of Indonesian Hindu Students (KMHDI), the =
Association of Indonesian Catholic Students (PMKRI) and Buddhist youth =
group Hikma Budi, to discuss actual issues and take concrete actions.=20

=20

webmaster@thejakartapost.com =20

------=_NextPart_000_001C_01C2CE7F.81D53FC0
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="Windows-1252"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Dwindows-1252">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.50.4807.2300" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV>&nbsp;
E. Java youths promote religious tolerance =
<?xml:namespace=20
prefix =3D o ns =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" =
/><o:p></o:p>
Damar Harsanto and Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, =
Malang,=20
East Java<o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Its image tainted by the suspected involvement of =
radical=20
youths in the deadly Bali and Makassar bombings last year, Islam in =
Indonesia=20
may take consolation in some Muslim youths who have proven themselves to =
be=20
highly motivated and zealous about creating a more pluralistic and =
peaceful=20
Indonesia.<o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Youths represent the future, and these young people =
represent=20
the true face of Indonesian Muslims. Their struggle for social change is =

praiseworthy, despite the lack of real support. <o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Meet the Averroes Foundation, a group of Muslim =
youths based=20
in Malang, East Java, who have been striving for more than seven years =
to=20
publish books and to hold discussions and seminars for the promotion of =
a more=20
humane, civilized, modern and multicultural society. <o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
"Averroes was established by ordinary Muslim =
youths, not=20
privileged ones. On one hand, we lack facilities and financial support =
from big=20
parties, but on the other hand, this makes us free to carry out whatever =
plans=20
we have, as we are not restricted by grand, vested interests," said =
Saiful Arif,=20
chairman of the Averroes Foundation. <o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Taking the Western name of Islamic philosopher Ibn =
Rushd,=20
Averroes was established in 1995 by several Muslim university student =
activists=20
who got tired of piecemeal reactions to rapid changes in the country's =
political=20
and economic arenas. These activists were willing to do something more=20
reflective and intellectual by arranging in-depth discussions and =
research which=20
laid the groundwork for long-term thinking. <o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Averroes was established on March, 20, 1995, and =
has been=20
focusing its activities on discussions over issues pertaining to =
religion,=20
humanism and culture. It also finances its own publications. =
<o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
"Our main objective is to promote intellectual =
enlightenment=20
in our society. We want to empower the people to be a more critical and=20
thoughtful society," said Averroes director of its study center and =
culture=20
development, Paring Waluyo Utomo, who is in the final year of his study =
at=20
Brawijaya University. <o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
In 1998 and 1999, this Muslim youth group invited =
Catholic=20
priest Benny Susetyo, and Catholic observer of the Centre of Strategic=20
Indonesian Studies (CSIS) J. Kristiadi, in addition to noted young =
Muslim=20
scholar Ulil Abshar Abdalla, to join forces with Averroes to become =
independent=20
advisors. <o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Since its inception, the group has published 20 =
books with=20
wide-ranging themes, mostly promoting inter-religious dialog and=20
multiculturalism. Its latest publication focused on the interplay =
between the=20
Catholic church in Indonesia and the government. Each title has a print =
run of=20
between 1,000 and 3,000 copies. <o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Dozens of draft manuscripts are on hold, as the =
group has=20
been forced to delay publication owing to budget constraints. =
<o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
What might be impressive about Averroes members is =
that these=20
youngsters have made such tremendous achievements financed only with =
money=20
collected from their personal allowances. <o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
"Every month we have to contribute between Rp =
50,000 and Rp=20
100,000 to cover operational costs and meet our target to publish a book =

monthly," said Paring. <o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
The amount collected is only enough to cover =
operational=20
costs totaling Rp 500,000 a month, including the rent for a small house =
which=20
serves as the group's office, and to pay for the electricity and phone.=20
<o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Averroes needs additional funds of at least Rp 7 =
million to=20
Rp 8 million a month to meet its book publishing target. <o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
"There are no rewards for Averroes members, as all =
royalties=20
are distributed among those who have helped in the publishing process =
and the=20
authors. But, of course, that's a meager amount," said Saiful. =
<o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
"Averroes is really in a critical state as it could =
disband=20
anytime due to budget constraints," said Saiful, who also works as a =
freelance=20
copyeditor. <o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Paring said that the group would be more =
independent in=20
financing if it had at least Rp 25 million in cash to produce the draft =
books.=20
<o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Besides publication, Averroes has reserved this =
year a column=20
in the Surabaya-based daily newspaper Jawa Pos to disseminate =
inter-religious=20
and multicultural discourses. <o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Following mounting allegations over the involvement =
of=20
pesantren Islamic boarding schools in terrorism, Saiful said such =
allegations=20
did not affect Averroes's own activities. <o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
"Our business runs as usual, because we refuse to =
be reactive=20
to the incidents, since this would disturb our daily activities. We have =
a=20
priority, which is our long-term program," said Saiful. <o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Saiful recalled that in the aftermath of the Sept. =
11, 2001=20
attacks on the U.S., Averroes overreacted by holding seminars and =
discussions on=20
global violence. "As a result, our publishing activities were =
neglected... We=20
don't want that to happen again." <o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Averroes, Saiful said, would leave all immediate =
response to=20
current events to other activists, like members of the Indonesian =
Islamic=20
Students Movement (PMII) who have joined hands with other religious =
youths such=20
as the Association of Indonesian Hindu Students (KMHDI), the Association =
of=20
Indonesian Catholic Students (PMKRI) and Buddhist youth group Hikma =
Budi, to=20
discuss actual issues and take concrete actions. <o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
webmaster@thejakartapost.com<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; =
</DIV></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_001C_01C2CE7F.81D53FC0--