Abdul Mu'ti emphasized that Muhammadiyah members become critical and intelligent voters in carefully examining the programs offered by presidential and vice presidential hopefuls.

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Ahead of the 2024 political year, the General Secretary of Indonesia’s second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, Abdul Mu'ti, has given a special message to the members and leaders of the organization that they not respond to the current political situation with excessive fanaticism.

"Because in addition to possible disunity and disruption of friendship, fanaticism could also damage moral quality, common sense, and public civilization," Mu'ti was quoted by Indonesia Window as saying on Friday.

Differences in political choices among persons should function as a way to enliven the democratic party with joy, mutual tolerance and responsibility, he added.

"In the context of us maintaining harmony and unity, of course we must once again deal with it casually. There is no need to be too fanatical and no need to be too over in responding to differences. Because differences in choices in the realm of democracy are a necessity and therefore we must be wise and mature in responding to these differences," he said in a broadcast on the TvMu channel, Thursday (Oct. 26).

In addition to urging people to avoid fanaticism, Abdul Mu'ti emphasized that Muhammadiyah members become critical and intelligent voters in carefully examining the programs offered by presidential and vice presidential candidates.

"Then, determine to choose certain presidential and vice presidential candidates not with primordial-emotional considerations but considerations that are objectively rational and with reasoning and reasons that can be accounted for," he said.

Learning from past experiences, Mu'ti reminded that political parties are only of a temporary moment, in the hope the brotherhood of the people that is useful for the long term would not break just because of this short situation.

According to him, only because of differences in choices, "we lose relatives, because of differences in choices we lose friends, and because of differences in choices we lose neighbors as these differences are a necessity".

"Differences in choices are impossible to avoid so we must be mature in responding to differences in choices and choose according to critical analysis," Mu'ti said.

"Choose according to the study of the programs offered and do not choose because of the lure of money, the lure of material things, let alone the lure of things that are very contrary to morality and noble culture," he concluded.

Reporting by Indonesia Window