How about corruption, Mayor Diani?

As a native Bogorian who was planned, made, born and has been living in Bogor all her life (certainly much longer than mayor Diani Budiarto and his supporters of the anti-pork law!), I am amazed at the sheer ridiculousness and dangerousness of the decision to make Bogor a "halal city".

We Indonesians are just recovering from all the tensions, stress and strife caused by the general elections, and many of us desire most of all to have some peace and stability and, for our leaders, to show maturity, wisdom and common sense. However, in many cities all over Indonesia, the municipal leaders and their subservient followers apparently do not yet possess the mental and spiritual qualities that are the hallmark of good, wise and trustworthy leaders.

Mayor Diani Budiarto's decision to make Bogor a "halal city" by banning the consumption of pork, is actually a serious threat to the plurality, tolerance and peaceful co-existence among various ethnic groups that our more enlightened leaders, including the popular Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, stand for. (Please, President SBY, recognize this threat and immediately act upon it!)

Equally dangerous, intolerant and narrow-minded is the statement of Bogor agribusiness agency head Herlin Krisnaningsih, who stated: "However, in the end we want pigs to be banned from the city". Does this also include those who have consumed pork, and still enjoy consuming it, I wonder? Will Christians and other non-Muslims who do not have any restrictions against consuming pork eventually be deprived from their basic human rights to eat whatever they please, including pork?

Will those kindly humane people who happen to be non-Muslims be thoroughly checked for any vestige of pork in their veins whenever they want to give blood? And how will this be done? And (oh, horror!) will most of the pork-loving citizens of Bogor eventually leave this beloved rain city en masse, to settle down in other places where human rights are still respected and vendors of sekba, sate babi, ham, and babi panggang can sell their wares in peace?

Corruption is not halal, and depriving non-Muslim citizens of their basic human rights, including the consumption of pork, is not only "haram" but outright dosa - a sin. Perhaps it is time you knew.

Tami Koestomo
Bogor