It is time for a culture of the elite apologizing to the underprivileged and proving themselves in better policies oriented towards justice!
By
Idi Subandy Ibrahim
·5 minutes read
SALOMO TOBING
Idi Subandy Ibrahim
Idul Fitri 1444 H, which has just been celebrated with enthusiasm by Muslims, symbolizes the communication dimension of religion. It is a medium of religiosity as well as a message of humanity. As a medium, it is a means to transform oneself into individuals that represent God's traits in the world: compassion and loving. As a message, it opens the way to togetherness (unity), a message of equal humanity that binds us as a single family of the nation and humanity.
The Idul Fitri message of "back to fitrah (human identity)” is manifest in the dimension of vertical as well as horizontal communication, so the values and behavior of human communication reflects the values of divine communication. Therefore, appreciating Idul Fitri is always contextual with the dynamics of an era.
Politics as a means of pursuing power often uses "hard" communication in order to influence society towards achieving its goals. Social media is used as a manipulative communication device to deflect issues or propagandize virtually. Persuasive and agitational words are commonly used to attract or to attack opponents to win a difficult political competition.
In the midst of the onslaught of political communication that seeks to divide or stretch harmony, Idul Fitri encourages appreciation of the empathic religion to soothe human hearts to interpret different views as God’s grace on earth. It reforms human communication behavior in various dimensions: interpersonal communication on culture, politics, and among beliefs.
Communication emancipation
Of course, the culture of gatherings and mutual forgiveness enlivened with the spirit of Idul Fitri is manifested in improving not only the communication that has taken place, but also the communication that will take place. So, communication errors, or miscommunication, can be anticipated instead of conducting manipulative communication. Therefore, the nature of Lebaran (Idul Fitri) is a forum to humanize communication, namely a way to emancipate communication that has been distorted by various short-term interests.
Amidst the vulnerability of human nature, there is always a way to do good. The atmosphere of Idul Fitri opens a large communication space if we want to open our hearts to others. Amidst the ruins of globalization and modernization, people miss the atmosphere that has started to disappear in the community, such as subtle invitations, inner calls to human hearts to return to purity.
Communication errors, or miscommunication, can be anticipated instead of conducting manipulative communication.
We miss sincere communication at reunions and get-togethers, or halalbihalal, among families, among friends, among colleagues, and among citizens. That longing is what makes mudik (exodus) so popular. The occasion to share and forgive is like an antidote for overcoming mental conflicts among the Indonesian people, who are being hit by an increasingly severe shift in life’s values and struggles.
Lebaran, which is preceded by a month of fasting, can be likened to a "pause" in both inner space and the national space to rearrange life amidst a social and environmental crisis. It is an occasion to alleviate crisis, especially for those who feel that their dignity and identity are being confiscated by the hardness of sociocultural change.
Narcissism of material happiness
However, some people may express happiness in different ways. Social media today has become a narcissistic stage of material pleasures for some newly rich people (OKB) who do not feel reluctant or shame in showing off their wealth, even though it was not necessarily obtained in a halal way.
When some people (officials) celebrate success (or maybe pleasure) by flexing material wealth in either the real world or cyberspace, Idul Fitri even loses its spiritual meaning, but just its outward meaning, not its inner meaning.
The spiritual message of Idul Fitri targets those people who have been confused between material pleasure and simple happiness.
Interestingly, when social media turned to the discourse of showing off luxury materials as a life success for some OKB, the results of a Kompas poll showed the opposite. Most people even believed that spiritual/immaterial things were the source of their happiness (Kompas, 20/3/2023).
OKB narcissism shows the other face of social inequality in real life.
A sense of injustice plus the gap in social communication among citizens may provoke social jealousy at any time, and like embers among husks, can spark social conflict. Then, the communication behavior and culture of the political elite that does not empathize with the fate of most people can also become vulnerable territory, especially in the heated political atmosphere ahead of the 2024 elections.
That is why Idul Fitri has a strategic meaning. It mobilizes awareness about the importance of reforming various areas of the state and nation. Bureaucratic reform, for example, is not enough to simply organize professional, accountable, and transparent governance. The main goal is how to improve social welfare and justice for all Indonesians.
It is time for a culture of the elite apologizing to the underprivileged and proving themselves in better policies oriented towards justice!
At the same time, it is a moment to restore conscience to the leadership. The call of conscience encourages a leader to apologize, for example, for their lack of competence or their failure to meet their pledges and promises as a leader. Here, the meaning of Idul Fitri reaches the deepest core of leadership awareness, which is actually oriented towards the people's happiness.
Unfortunately, the culture of this type of leadership communication is beginning to be defeated by political pragmatism, which increasingly breaks down the conscience of politicians. Reforming communication culture should change the awareness of leadership as originating from the bottom and people-oriented so that official posts and seats are actual mandates that open paths to improve public welfare. It is time for a culture of the elite apologizing to the underprivileged and proving themselves in better policies oriented towards justice!
IDI SUBANDY IBRAHIM, Researcher on culture, media, and communication
