28-Aug-06: Insects and fish and the boundaries of tolerance

An international gathering of media thinkers and journalists from all over the world will convene in a few days' time on the gorgeous island of Bali. The assembled throng are invited to turn their minds to "ways and means of promoting freedom of expression and greater tolerance". Participants will be inspired to write articles and essays about the challenges facing "a multi-cultural world". A morning session on the first day will discuss whether "a pluralistic society be more open to a pluralism of views. How can we foster freedom of expression where governments and other forces in society try to limit it?"

Great and important themes, these. And weighty questions. Who's opposed to freedom of expression? Certainly not Norway, one of the two host countries. Who wants to see less tolerance in the world, rather than more? Not me, says the government of Indonesia, the other host. Go to the congress' website and you'll see it's attracted participants from all over.

Well, not exactly all over. A prominent journalist, until recently the head of one of the most liberal factions in the Israeli parliament, has an invitation to take part. But it's not going to do him much good. It was issued by the Norwegians. But their co-hosts the Indonesians, evidently concerned with upholding the highest standards of tolerance and freedom of expression, have informed the journalist, Yossi Sarid, he's not welcome on their island. He will not be allowed in to Indonesia. Haaretz, as far as we can tell, is the only newspaper in the world to report on this uplifting example of open-mindedness and multi-culturalism.

Indonesia's conduct in this sordid little tale is bad enough. But Norway's is no better. Haaretz says that the authorities in Oslo suggested

"...Sarid could travel to Indonesia on a Norwegian passport. On Saturday, Sarid rejected the offer in a letter addressed to the Indonesian president and Norwegian prime minister... "I almost fell out of my chair with astonishment," wrote Sarid in reference to the offer. "The more thought I gave to the offer, the angrier I became? I have no other country and I have no other nationality. No self-respecting person in the world, no person who respects his nationality, would accept such a twisted offer." Sarid again urged other participants invited to the conference to decline their invitations in protest of his rejection.

Press articles and cartoons - as we have all seen in the past half-year - have become a sufficient reason for people to beat the living daylights out of one another in the name of honor, respect and tolerance. But though no one is being killed in this story, there's nothing amusing about the Bali affair.

If tolerance and freedom of expression are extended only to people whose viewpoint you share, then you're neither tolerant nor offering freedom. It appears the Norwegians won't or can't explain this to the Indonesians, 88% of whose 242 million citizens are Moslems. It's the largest Moslem state by population in the world, and the world's fourth largest country.

There's an Indonesian expression: Lain ladang lain belalang, lain lubuk lain ikannya. Different fields have different insects, different ponds have different fish.

Someone needs to remind the authorities in Jakarta of Indonesia's long cultural tradition of celebrating diversity. They're in danger of turning it, and themselves, into a bad joke.