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As reported by IHT, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) complains in the front of foreign media gathering on the resort island of Bali that brought together some 80 foreign journalists that Muslim life is less precious than non-Muslims’. He gives an example: Muslim deaths in Iraq and Palestine often sparked less outrage than the killings of non-Muslims.
Well, first of all, it’s inaccurate on the part of Presiden SBY to divide the world into Muslims and non-Muslims. And it will not help the cause of bridging the already race-based divided universe.
Secondly, by highlighting the multipolar division on religious line, the President has confirmed some of right-wingers point of views in the West that it’s indeed Muslim and Islam that they should confront, instead of other things. Hence, the statement indirectly justifies Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilisation thesis.
Thirdly, it shows the ignorance of our President or people around him about the world ground reality:
What makes one’s blood is less precious than another’s is not because of what religion one follows, what nationality and race one belongs; it’s about whether you are rich or poor; celebrity or beggar; high ranking official or jobless joe. It’s about worldly status. The fact is Muslim countries are predominantly poor; and the Western countries are rich.
Japanese and South Korean’s blood are no less precious than the Westerners. And the blood of Christians (or any non-Muslims) in many African countries, in the eye of Westerner, could be less precious than those of Muslims countries simply because the Africans are poorer.
Irrespective of whether this perception is good or bad, the fact is every human has this tendency to some extent. This is not a good value to maintain from a purist point of view. But ground reality and idealistic value hardly come together and the former tends to prevail. It’s a sad phenomenon but it’s a reality we have to live with.
We will get more understanding on this matter when we look around us; on individual level. When you are the richest in your neighborhood, you and your family will be respected more than others, in another word your blood would be more precious than those who are not as rich as you are.
When your position in a company is higher or highest, you’d be respected by those whose position are below you. President SBY’s blood is more precious than his Ministers, his governors, mayors, ordinary people, etc, not because he IS a Muslim; but because he is holding the highest position in this country. Social status does matter in this materialistic world. And that our President does not understand this ‘natural law’ is unfortunate, to say the least.
If President SBY statement was based on ill-advised of his advisors, let them be careful not to make any such silly advice in the front of many foreign journalists in the future.