The Reverse Current of Diversity
Illustration: Didie SW
In his play “No Exit” (Huis Clos), Sartre declared that “Hell is other people”, L’enfer c’est les autres.
In the Indonesian context, it is interesting to contemplate on this saying and examine how all violence and conflict are in fact rooted in our artificial perspective that places other people outside of ourselves as “hell” with little or no probability of displaying civility. As is common with the dwellers of “hell,” these other people are seen as infidels, hypocrites, heretical, crooked and perverted, among other horrific descriptions.
L’enfer c’est les autres is the dark side of social relations as it enables one’s head to be filled with the idea that self and group interests are more important than other people’s – that partisan interest must emerge victorious against togetherness. In this understanding, other people are not subjects that must be respected, but are instead objects that must always be suspected and exploited until exhaustion for the sake of one’s own self interest.
At this point, the politics of mobilization is at hand. Other people are seen as nothing more than an anonymous and impersonal crowd that must be controlled to serve one’s desires and interests. These interests can fall under the name of religion or politics or religious politics. The latter is the easiest to pursue, as it is easiest to mobilize the masses around religious issues in a land where literacy rates remain low and political awareness is minimal.
Therefore, it is understandable that sociologist Ibnu Rusydi arrived at the conclusion that, in a crowd, what is dominant is not logic, but emotion, not argumentation, but chaotic emotional sentimentality, not reason, but deceit. Individuals overwhelmed by the feeling of being in a crowd lose their self-autonomy. What is left is nothing more than a carnival of ducks, herded by a master, with one voice and uniform in movement, obedience, passiveness and almost without any self-initiative.
Other people are seen as nothing more than an anonymous and impersonal crowd that must be controlled to serve one’s desires and interests.
Everything the master says is true, and true all the time. At moments when the master makes a false move, the ducks will scramble to find justifications, as the master is believed to be a holy person and a descendant of holy ancestors.
Collective presence
Surely, in the context of the heterogeneous Indonesian society, what is needed is not a partisan political-religious view that sees “the other” as hell. We need the opposite perspective that sees other people as heaven. Indonesia is Indonesia due to its unparalleled diversity. There are Sunda people, Minang people, Javanese, Makassar people, Batak people, Balinese and many more who have agreed to commit themselves to the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, with its diverse cultures, languages and faiths.
The chance to meet with other people is a precious moment to make ourselves more mature. The principle we have to uphold is that others are our bridge to achieve transcendence. In Marcel’s term, the presence of others is a mandatory and inevitable “presence” to help us reach our most essential form of existence. Our relations with others holds the meaning of “existing together,” esseest co esse.
A person can come to know themselves better not by rejecting others or disempowering others through lying, scheming or screaming with megaphones, manipulating facts and abusing interpretations of religious texts. Instead, we recognize ourselves through our willingness to be open to the presence of others. Authentic selves exist in a framework of displaying good attitudes toward others, just as we wish to be treated, with honestly and respect.
Self-contemplation on sincere partnerships and respectful togetherness requires the fulfillment of three imperatives of zuhd, or asceticism. First is the willingness to let go of egocentrism. Second is to let go of any feeling of self-righteousness. Third is the willingness to never monopolize the truth. In the words of Marcel as quoted by Mathias Haryadi (1994), authentic interpersonal relations posits the involvement of a love that can unite “I” and “You” into “We.”
Love that signifies intersubjective relations is present in real terms in the form of one’s inner attitudes including, firstly, the willingness to be open (disponibilite), secondly, the willingness to be involved (l’engagement) and thirdly, the loyalty to continuously renew relationships (fidelite creatrice).
The Prophet Muhammad was sent upon the world to “spread love and compassion to all in the universe.
“…If there are no others, I will cease to exist. I cannot exist without the existence of others. Opportunities and meetings with others are not contingent facts – that can exist or not exist – but an inherent one to our existence and lives in the world.”
Main anchor
Love is the main anchor and foundation upon which interpersonal relations are fostered. Love is an invitation that we receive to be fulfilled at all times as it contains promises of virtuous political acts, an equitable economic policy and a legal system that ensures justice is upheld.
In the religious context, love is clearly the substance of faith. The Prophet Muhammad was sent upon the world to “spread love and compassion to all in the universe.” Jesus Christ was also famed as a compassionate individual. Siddharta Gautama let go all earthly pleasures to be bathed by the dawn of love and compassion. Rahmatanlil ‘alamin (blessing for the universe) is a diction of the Quran, but all religions inherently have the same teaching – if in different terms.
In the Arabic language, love is contained in the word hubbor, more popularly, mahabbah. Hubb literally means seed. This is because love is the seed of faith and the core of life. The nature of devotion, as remarkably captured in Rumi’s writings, reaffirms how the undermining of love is enough to drag mankind toward the edge of terrifying destruction. Love is an endless ocean/The sky is nothing but flakes of foam/Understand that the sky turns because of waves of love: if there is no love, the world will freeze over.
The Prophet said, “Love all that is on earth and you will be loved by Him in the sky,” and, “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”
If Rene Descartes said we must doubt everything, for Hamlet, love is the exception. As he said to Ophelia in William Shakespeare’s famous play, “Doubt thou the stars are fire/Doubt that the sun doth move/Doubt truth to be a liar/But never doubt I love.”
This is how we must handle diversity. If not, its fate is headed toward a very dark place: a reverse current that none of us wish for.
ASEP SALAHUDIN
Vice rector for academic affairs, Latifah Mubarokiyah Institute Islamic Studies (IAILM) Tasikmalaya; Head of Institute for Research and Human Resource Development – West Java branch of Nahdlatul Ulama
