[nasional_list] [ppiindia] Freedom not to be rude truly desired by all
- From: "Ambon" <sea@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <"Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@freelists.org>
- Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2006 21:45:20 +0100
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Freedom not to be rude truly desired by all
Desi Anwar, Jakarta
The Indonesian media, for all its many shortcomings, has long learned the hard
way that religion is no laughing matter. Years of protracted bloody sectarian
conflicts in areas where people of different religions live in close proximity
have taught editors to shy away from provocative comments that might
potentially create a maelstrom. It is not so much about self-censorship as
self-preservation, where a badly worded sentence or a misperceived picture can
contribute to the loss of innocent lives.
In the same way, bloody history and potential charges of Anti-Semitism and
racism have ensured that the Western media keep well away from anything
potentially insulting or hurtful to the Jewish people. And to be fair, most
self-respecting Western media would not and have not resorted to publishing the
controversial cartoons making fun of the Prophet Mohammed. While no doubt in
the future, those papers that did, will think twice before printing anything
that might cause their nationals to be expelled from other countries and their
goods boycotted.
What then can one learn from the escalating global furor that followed the
publishing of the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in the Danish daily? For
one, that religious belief is irrational and no amount of rationalizing will
make it so. The other is that the world has shrunk to a multi-ethnic schoolyard
in which taunting, misunderstanding, teasing and insults can quickly turn into
rowdy brawls if unchecked. Most Indonesian Muslims have not even seen the
cartoons as they have not been shown in the major media, but their reaction is
just as vociferous.
There is indeed a clash going on, though not of civilizations, but of uncivil
behavior -- between those who consider rudeness as an acceptable form of public
expression on one side and the embassy and flag burning lot who think it is a
legitimate form of retaliation, on the other side. Most level-headed
individuals, who mind their own business, can only watch with dismay at this
display of global passion getting the better of global common sense.
The thing is our world is no longer the black and white world of East and West
with clear social, cultural, religious, ethnic and economic boundaries that
only require good fences in order to create good neighbors. Countries no longer
have fences. The world is becoming a global village so to speak, where all of
the above elements share the same playground.
Our closest neighbors are not necessarily those that look the most like us. On
the contrary, more and more of them look different, dress differently, cook
different food, speak in a language that sounds like gibberish to us and
practice a religion that is well beyond our comprehension.
It might not be a situation that is to one's liking, but it is a fact that one
has to live with and adjust accordingly if we seek peace and harmony in our
existence. And this adjustment can only be made through a simple, though
difficult, but profound shift in our perception that can and should increase
our understanding and tolerance level. Just because we share the same space
does not mean we share the same values.
This is something that today's media anywhere have to consider. With the world
surfing the same channels and sharing the same information highway, it is
important to pay heed to some global road ethics that might not previously
apply on the local level. It is true that the way the media has evolved in the
democratic world is that it has practically become an inviolable institution
protected by freedom of expression.
As a matter of fact, for democratic countries, the sacredness of the media's
freedom of expression is the closest thing to religion that no government can
touch. There is absolutely no doubt that the media does enjoy a huge amount of
influence in society. With one word or with one picture we can create a hero or
a villain -- we can tell people what is important and what is not. People look
to the media for guidance in facts, truths, values and all those elements we
need to enable us to understand the world and our role in it. We can hate it,
sue it for a lot of money, but woe to those who try to suppress its freedom of
speech and independence of opinion.
If we look beyond the media as an impersonal and sacred institution however,
most of the time behind it there is only a bunch of people; some more ignorant
than others and with their own personal prejudices, who happen to be working in
a profession where they feel they can say anything they want to the general
public; some of which they would not dare to say directly to their
grandmothers.
One does indeed have the right to be offensive to one's grandmother, insulting
to one's friend, show contempt for one's neighbor and be an arrogant and rude
individual as a whole. But the question is would one want to? And why would
anybody want to do so, especially if one knows the consequences will be
unpleasant for everybody? Why be willfully rude only to show that one has the
freedom of expression to do so?
There is no doubt that freedom of thought and of expression is something that a
society must achieve and must defend. It is an ideal that the democratic world
is still busy touting to their less democratic brothers as a ticket to a better
life. But once a society possesses it, the challenge is how to use it for the
purpose it is intended, which is to create a more just, civilized, respecting
and enlightened society.
This is by no means an easy task in a global society that is increasingly
heterogeneous and borderless; where people, money, diseases, crimes, beliefs
and sensitivities mingle and intertwine at a speed of pushing the remote
control button. Freedom, after all, is a hard-won privilege, and for those
entrusted as its guardian, it comes with great responsibility and need for
respect.
And as such it should not become a plaything in the hands of the rude, the
ignorant and the intolerant, especially since the world already has more than
its fair share of those types. Hence if we will not use our freedom to express
love for our neighbor, then we should at least use it to rein in our bad
manners. In this way Freedom of Expression will truly be desired by all.
The writer is a journalist
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg
Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny.
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